PeteBrant

Well why say people should be careful about what they are saying then? Scoobynet clearly states that the opnions expressed in thh forum do not represents the views of the forum management - so thats any possbility of the site getting any legal action against them out.

As for people coming on and telling thier experiences, there is not a court in the land that would hold up any litigation agaisnt an individual - How do you think programms like rogue traders and watchdog exist, and the Office of Fair Trading otherwise, of people arent allowed to voice concerns?

I reserve my right if someone makes a pigs ear of servicing my car to complain to whoever the **** I like about it. And I would be delighted to see some disgruntled main dealer try and stop me.

By similar token, I have in the past made posts on the forum giving glowing reports when I have recieved good service. Why do think places like Subary4You and the Clinic are held in such high regard?

I'll tell what they can do about it, and they wont have to (unsuccesfully) try and sue anybody:

Make sure every customer goes away happy.
If they make a mistake (which everyone does from time to time) rectify it.

I am sure if they followed this fairly simple premise, there wouldn't be a problem.

exvaux

iTrader: (1)

i agree wholeheartedly with pete

scooby0809

iTrader: (11)

Its not just subaru main dealers it seems most people dont care any more when are transit at work goes in for its service we dread it but only want the stamp! the last three times they have fooked it up!
1st time around well over filled with oil and forgot to stamp the book!
2nd time over filled again and leaking out of the oil filter,no stamp again!
3rd time service looked fine too are surprise, but big dent/crease in the side of it!tried to deny it first off but they checked there cctv and it was there valeter! but each time you mention any of the above they look at you like a right moaning old steward! then theres are local vw dealer who charged the mrs for 5 new plugs in a 4pot if i did not need the stamp then i would never go near a main dealer again!

PeteBrant

I think is the main reason service stamps are rapidly losing value.

If I had two I dentical cars, one with a fully stamped up service book with main dealer stamps, and the other with a folder full of receipts from a reputable independant specialist, I would go for the latter every time - Especially with something liek a scoob.

shooter007

allready posted about robinsons last year and no love lost yes i agree not all main dealers are bad but .............. i now go to a small garage that knows its stuff and I work for a large telco with its own problems boy does it but this is still classed as a free country although i admit thats open to interpretation

The rookie

iTrader: (1)

Where I used to work I was on problem resolution and had to visit dealers a lot, some of the incompitance and bad practice I saw would make your hair curl, in 12 months I visited 3 dealers who wanted to change an entire Diesel fuel injection set up (£2.5K worth) just because they didn't know how to bleed the fuel system, one of those admitted the bleed device they all 'have' to have had been nicked by a revious employee and they couldn't be bothered to replace it, another wanted to change the whole kit as the car kept cutting out, but they had missed the injector fuel leak that was causing air to be sucked in during his extensive evaluation though, and another dealer had replaced the injector pipes due to a leak but couldn't show me the torque wrench adaptor needed to do the job.....which could explain why they were still leaking!

Simon

Rill

When I bought my STi just before Christmas I asked the dealer to do the 10,000 mile service as part of the deal, a simple oil and filter change. When I got the car home a quick once over revealed my car was leaking oil from the sump plug. On further inspection I noticed that there were TWO washers on the sump plug. The new one had just been put over the old one!

As previously discussed on Scoobynet a very good friend of mine successfully sued our local Subaru dealer after the "bodged" fitting of a PPP. A completely different dealer to the one who did my oil change.

I don't use main dealers.

renny

iTrader: (2)

But they're happy to accept good things said about them ?

I've nothing against Subaru dealer's myself but it's swings and roundabouts and like has already been said,they should do the job right in the first place.

As far as i'm concerned forums like this are for finding information out,good and bad,if that involves some bad words said against somebody not doing the work they're paid to do then so be it.

DazW

iTrader: (1)

& do they still charge by how long it takes in their service manual, rather than how long it actually takes? ...cheeky s0ds!!

Shark Man

One starts to really worrying about a dealer's competence when you have to explain to the service manager what detonation/pinking is.

In that particular case, you can easily guess I didn't get that problem sorted out.

Anyone got any det cans I can borrow?

HOWY

Perhaps they should do something about it - ensure they do a proper job then they won't get bad publicity.

Spec C Rob

iTrader: (1)

Well guys - GUESS WHAT - at 5.55pm this evening I received a call from them, the guy said that he was unaware of this and that he had just seen a note on his desk to call me. Besides it was nearly closing time and there was nothing that could be done.

I explained to him the situation and that I had now rectified the problem myself. I told him that he should have words with the mechanic who did my car. He sensed that I wasnt happy and that I wouldn't be coming back. If they had done a proper job in the first place this complaint wouldn't be necessary and now they have lost my custom. I just hope that there is no damage to my car - THANKS TO THEIR NEGLIGENCE!

scoobyboy

funny that the mods haven't locked this thread yet must be because it's a dealer getting a roasting and not a so called specialist.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

that has nothing to do with it.

if i took my car to a scooby specialist and wasnt impressed with what service i recieved, admittedly id try rectify the situation away from here first, but i wouldnt have any hesitation in naming and shaming if deemed fair to warn others.

a major difference your not picking up on is the following...

dealers have always overcharged/under performed service wise in many peoples opinion. but that stamp is what makes lots of people buy used subaru's.

specialists, in my eyes have a more vast knowlegde and are not a huge franchise, and so reply on things like word of mouth for coverage and custom. this kind of pressure keeps their standards high.

some may think the above is bollocks, but in my eyes its closer to the truth

scoobyboy

yeah your right it is!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

but your not biased now are you

The rookie

iTrader: (1)

Of course its how the mechanics make their money as they are paid on that time as well, so if they are smart they can earn 12 hours pay for 8 hours a day. Services are favourite as its a nice easy known job and plenty of corners available to be cut. Most dealership networks have some form of a 'master technician' scheme a guy who has extra training to do the harder jobs (well more technical), but he usually does the oil changes as he gets best money and the dealerships can't afford to loose him as they have to have one!

Simon

sandyRS16i

iTrader: (13)

well imo, i have lost all faith in dealers, and i thoroughly believe in name and shame, if teh service was good i wouldnt need to. Afterall if im paying for a job i expect it to be done correctly and get treated with respect from the dealer staff, however i find this is lacking throughout the subaru network.

i could list the ways in which one dealer made a total **** of my car twice, once doing an oil change and teh other time, over 3 wks to replace a wheel bearing after stripping the rear corner of teh car then telling me they couldnt get a part......total amatures all of them. during that incident they refused to give me a curtosey car, hell they wouldnt even give me a lift one mile to get a train when it was raining, the communication was terrible but they werent slow in demanding payment.

perhaps scoobyboy you can pass on to your and the other dealer that if this pisses them off, then perhaps they better sort out their act and attitude or they will find no customers and an increase in these threads.

spaecialist are the way ahead, they seem to care about reputation and do that little bit extra to get custom and have satisfied clients, not all are perfect, but most are better than the overpaid, underskilled subaru dealers

classic Subaru Si

You really are a clown mate, if you can't see the problem with main dealers not even being able to change oil in the correct way, you need to take your blinkers off and step back for a minute!

amazingjames

this doesn't just cover scooby dealers iv had a terrible time with a mitsi garage too. they charged me more than they should then *****'d up the diff and wouldn't put it right unless i paid them too. i wont ever go back to them ever again or even buy a car from them as a result of this. there a law to themselves and know they have you by the short and curlies cos they know we need the stamp in our little books to sell our cars at a later date. ther untrained monkeys if you ask me. specialists are the way forward as at least they do the job and rely on doing it well to get you to come back to them.. i think most people these days understand this and a service at a specialist is just as good as 1 by a main dealer.. there prices are better too.

joe79er

i always get my friend to do my car work. he does all my mechanical stuff on my cars, and i save a hell of alot of money. He is an assitant manager of a local garage. The previouse owner has FSSH but as im going to keep the car i dont need the stamps to let me know the car is being taken care of.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Thats why I take my cars to Prosport I know that I dont need to check their work over

Tony

spec-cie

True ... but if its JDM there really isn't any reason to go to a dealer ... a decent specialist lives by their reputation which is why I stick to Powerstation (main services) and Extreme Scoobies (interim).

MTR

Spec C Rob,
Exactly how do you check your oil level?
Step by step.
And I mean precisely what do you do.

Cheers
MTR

MTR

Spec C Rob,
I won't be able to pop on here and see your response, so I will explain.

The engine should be cold.
The car should be on level ground.
The dipstick should be removed WIPED CLEAN then reinserted.

All obvious comments except maybe the last one.

THIS NEXT BIT IS THE ONE MOST NON TECHNICAL PEOPLE MISS.

If the reading seems high, or the oil doesn't appear to have a clean cut off point on the dipstick, leave the dipstick out for a minute to allow any oil that is being held within the dipstick tube to drain clear then re check by inserting the dipstick.

This usually occurs if you have attempted to check the oil level shortly after the engine has been run when oil gets inside the dipstick tube and gives an erroneous reading on the dipstick.

You are best leaving the car overnight and then doing the three steps I pointed out.

If you don't check your oil in this manner there is a high probability that YOU have misread what oil level is in your car and MAY NOT be the fault of the qualified time served mechanic who has worked on it and measured the oil out prior to filling the engine.

I don't work for Robinsons but know them all well, and it does irritate somewhat when a completely technically incompetent individual (you must be incompetent as otherwise you would do the job yourself) feels it's perfectly acceptable to criticise somebody WITHOUT giving them then chance to prove their innocence, or admit their mistake.

And some of the respondants on here who don't service their own cars but are armchair mechanics and possibly couldn't service a lawnmower feel qualified to pass judgement.

It must be correct because the guy who hasn't got the knowledge/ability/confidence/equipment/experience or all of the above says it was done wrong!!
And he must know mustn't he.

Bloody hilarious.

Oh and in answer to your first question, How qualified are Subaru Dealer mechanics? I would say considerably more than you.

Cheers
MTR

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

bit harsh calling the fellow incompetent. someone rattled your cage or what.

gingerflyer

isn't the reason for having it done is for the worthless dealer stamp.

Shark Man

Admidttedly, MTR has a very valid point, the Imprezas dipsticks have a habit of wicking oil up the dipstick tube.

Something I forget to mention, as I'm use to it, but other poeple may not realise this. Thinking the highest point they see oil on the dipstick is the level inside the sump, when this is not always the case.

The key point to note is that when this happens, there are oil traces at the edges of the dipstick, but not in the middle. Oil can be present well above the maximum marker, but if one looks carefully, there is a line down the middle of the dipstick which oil the hasn't touched, if thats the case, the oil level is below that.

So, if one sees oil way past the maximum mark, doesn't mean the oil level is over filled.

dan83590

Fair comment. BUT. How many times do you read on here that a dealer has fooked something up. And not only that, they ALL charge way way too much. AKA the main stealer. When joe public pays a premium price we expect and should get a premium job and if a mistake is made (which we all can do from time to time) ******* put it right, rather than come out with all the sh!te excuses we have all heard over and over.

And how qualified are Subaru Mechanics? Probably no more or less than any others generally speaking. But remember this, they spend most of their week working exclusively on Subaru's so shouldn't there be a bit more knowledge? More importantly than this though is the poor customer care when things do go wrong.

My reply to your comments (and you may wish to pass it on) is, TRY GIVING A ****.

renny

iTrader: (2)

FFS,you're missing the point.Not everyone are mechanics that's why they pay good money for the job to be done properly by a qualified mechanic.

Not all of us have the time to service our own cars - so we pays our dosh to the dealer,in return we want a proper job done and the stamp in our book (which as already mentioned,is the main thing).

For you to start slating someone for not knowing anything about cars is out of order.I've got a trade but wouldn't expect everyone to know how to do my job.