Dodge Durango Forum II

Off-Subject (long) - Hope You Don't Mind

Hello all - hope you don't mind this off-subject post about my RX-7, but it seems that I have been spending much more time thinking about this car lately than my Durango. Also, the dealer in question is a Dodge/Mazda/Toyota dealer (Crystal Motors in Green Brook, NJ on Rte. 22). So the below story has SOME relevance to this board. :) Anyway, thanks for your indulgence.
Bottom Line: DON'T TAKE YOUR VEHICLE (DODGE, MAZDA OR TOYOTA) TO THE ABOVE DEALERSHIP!
Here's the story . . . .
About a month ago, I took my '89 RX-7 convertible in for the 30K service package (it only has 17,500 miles on it and I 'love' it!). I asked the service advisor if he could put synthetics in the transmission and differential (synthetic engine oil is controversial at best for the rotary engine). He said sure, but it would cost more and he would have to talk to the technician to find out which product was appropriate. I’m not that mechanically knowledgeable, and told the advisor as much. I also told him that I really wanted to take care of the car since it has so few miles on it.
Well, after the gear oil change, I noticed a new “notchiness” in shifting the manual transmission. So I asked an RX-7 mail list for advice. Once I got the responses back from everyone on the list, I discovered that the Mobil 1 75W90 (which is the product they put in the differential and the trans) is really not sufficient for the transmission – the trans needs a GL-4 (I have to admit that I have no idea what that is!) and the Mobil 1 is only a GL-5. It seems you CAN use the Mobil 1 in the trans, but only if you put an additive in with it.
When I went to the dealer, I was hoping that the answer the service advisor would give me was that he knew that an additive was necessary, and that this was what was put in my car. But I got an entirely different response. First, the guy told me that his technicians probably just dumped the Mobil 1 in because I asked for it – they really don’t know anything about additives or which synthetic is really correct for the car, other than the oil weight. Then he tried to tell me that I just got what I asked for, and it was my own fault for wanting synthetics in the car. He described that the factory didn’t recommend such oil and he couldn’t be responsible for anything that happened as a result of using it. I asked the guy why he sold me the oil and he said that it is what I requested. When I asked why he didn’t tell me that I would bear the risk of resulting damage, he said his job was not to question what customers want. (but they are more than happy to take my $$)
I AM THOROUGHLY AMAZED. I could go on and on, this conversation lasted for more than ½ hour. But my major problem, which I described to this guy, is that the dealer is supposed to be an expert on mazda maintenance (bad assumption on my part). If I ask if something is possible, and the Mazda advisor tells me yes, I ASSUMED that it meant that it is OK to do it. If something is risky, and they are not willing to bear the risk of performing a modification, then tell me BEFORE I pay them. This guy’s attitude is totally unacceptable.
After the ½ hour of ‘calmly’ discussing this issue with the guy, he finally asked what he could do to make it ‘right’ for me. He said he recognized some responsibility in the situation (yeah, right). I said that, based on our discussion, I was not sure I could ever be confident with the dealership. He rolled his eyes and said, “well, then there’s nothing I can do, is there?” That made me mad – to have paid out over $850 (for various other parts as well as the service) to this guy and get this attitude. I changed my mind and told him that what he could do for me was 1) to get his technician to find out what the heck the right synthetic oil is for the transmission and 2) to replace it. He told me that they didn’t want to do that, but if I wanted to get the oil changed elsewhere, he would credit what I spend toward future service. While this might have been acceptable after the first 5 minutes of discussion, after our lengthy argument I’m not sure if it is sufficient.
I probably won’t ever go back to this dealership. And if I don’t I will write a letter to everyone I can think of telling them why. I was willing to pay a premium for the service because they were probably the most knowledgeable in RX-7 service. But I was wrong. Given that I was also going to take the Durango there for service, they are going to lose out – big time. Not because of the oil issue, but more due to the operating practices of the service department and the advisor’s attitude. I really want them to know they have lost my business due to this problem and nut just walk away from them quietly!
Thanks for reading my ‘venting.’ Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming. :)
Dave

Fri Mar 31