The Repair Process

Thursday, August 26, 2004
We were called and told that the interior of our van had been stripped right down to the metal. We dropped by the dealership to take a look and to grab a couple of pictures (see below). The next step is for them to replace the interior fabric (roof, carpeting, etc.).

Monday, August 30, 2004
We've seen our vehicle stripped down to the metal and repairs seemed to be proceeding OK. But, I'm not a car guy, so I wanted to get some input from my mechanic. After speaking with my mechanic, I learned that there could be a couple of problems stemming from the fact that our vehicle sat idle for four months. The brakes should be checked to ensure that they haven't rusted out, and the tires should be checked to ensure that flat spots haven't developed.

I called Bill, the Service Manager at MacIVER Dodge, and spoke to him re: these concerns. His response was "Of course we will check those. Under law, we can't release the vehicle to you if the brakes and tires are not OK. We will check these out. Don't worry."

Friday, September 3, 2004
My wife called the dealership in the morning to find out how repairs were progressing. She spoke to Bill, the service manager, and he indicated that everything was done and they were just checking everything over. "It will be ready to pick-up by the end of today."

I called the dealership a little later in the day and spoke with Frank. I was still pushing for a way in which we could get be re-imbursed for our out-of-pocket expenses. In speaking with Frank, I mentioned that our van was going to be ready by end of day. That was not his understanding however. As far as he knew, the service department was still working on it. I told him that my wife had talked to Bill in the morning and he indicated that it was complete and just being tested. Frank promised to look into it and call me back.

Frank returned my call about half an hour later. He indicated that the van was not ready. I asked him how this could be, since we had received word from Bill earlier in the day that it was done. Is Bill not the service manager? Wouldn't he know whether the repairs were actually complete? The response I got from Frank still amazes me. "Well Brad... Bill told me that he doesn't want to come between you and your wife, but he didn't tell Jenn that earlier in the day. They are still waiting for another part to complete the repairs. He ordered the part yesterday, so he knows the van is not ready. He did not tell Jenn it was ready." What!?!??

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