Olathe Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM - Service Center

Nothing ever seems to be repaired right the first time at this dealership. I have a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L with an extended service contract that I have owned and serviced here for the last 8 this dealership. I have a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L with an extended service contract that I have owned and serviced here for the last 8 years and a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan that I bought new (at a different dealership) for the 7 years before that. I have been a widower with two school age children for the last 11 years and I need my primary transportation to be reliable and available. I have lost count of how many times I have had to take my vehicle back to have repair issues corrected. It has become so bad, that I now pop the hood before driving the vehicle home to make sure everything has been put back together properly. I have to check that fluids are full, A/C service port caps are put back on, and that the hose connections from the air cleaner to throttle body is put back on properly. It has been left disconnected or the clamps left loose at least three or four times now. One time, they did not put the skid plate back on, or they did not tighten the bolts and it fell off while driving. By the time I noticed it was missing it had been a month since it was in for service and they denied any wrong doing and they would not replace it. The engine cover is usually just laid on top of the engine and not snapped back on, and in December I found that it was damaged due to it being removed without taking the oil cap off first. This time the Service Manager said they would order a new one and call me when it came in. Six months later, I still have not gotten the new engine cover. I've called twice and mentioned it the two additional times the vehicle has been in for more service and the service advisor says they will check on it but the cover has still not been replaced. Two years ago the vehicle was in for a leaking transfer case. It was pulled and all the gaskets and seals were replaced under the extended warranty. A few weeks later I was driving home from work and when I pulled off the interstate I was enveloped by smoke coming from an oil leak getting on the exhaust. I took it back to the dealership and was told it was now the transmission that was leaking and not the transfer case even though that is what I thought it was. The warranty would cover the seals but I would be responsible for the fluid and filter change to the transmission with a charge of $175. I didn't agree with the diagnosis since the fluid I was seeing dripping on the driveway was clear/yellowish and not red like normal transmission fluid. I was told that that is what the mechanic found and if I didn't go ahead with the service I would be charged a $50 diagnostic fee. I went ahead and paid for the service but as I expected, it did not solve the leak. A fews weeks later it happened again and this time I was told it was a faulty PCV valve over pressurizing the crankcase causing the plenum gaskets to leak. I didn't agree as the leak seemed to be behind the engine. And once again I was forced to pay for part of the repair, or the diagnostic fee, if I chose not to do the recommended repair. I was told the PCV valve was not the original even though I have never replaced it while I owned the vehicle. The engine (and intake manifold) had been replaced under warranty at 30K miles due to a valve seat coming out of the head damaging a piston. I stated that it had to have been replaced then, but none the less, I was stuck with paying another $75 to replace the PCV valve with a factory part. Everything else was covered by the warranty. A month later, you guessed it, it was leaking again. This time I was adamant that they recheck the transfer case and what did they find, it was overfilled when it was serviced back in February. As the temperatures got warmer and I drove it longer distances, the fluid was expanding enough that it was being pushed out the breather on the top of the transfer case. They drained the extra fluid out of the transfer case and all was fixed. No charge for the repair but I was not reimbursed for all the previous repairs that were most likely unnecessary. What a nightmare this place is. The dealership uses the service advisors as the sacrificial lambs. It appears you are assigned a specific one as I usually get the same person every time. They are your only point of contact and usually who you end up taking your frustrations out on. You tell them the problem and they have to write it up on a ticket that then goes to the mechanic for diagnosis. You no longer get a copy of the ticket when dropping off so you are never sure if everything was documented correctly. Best thing to do is to write your issues down on a piece of paper before going to the dealership and give them that when you drop it off and explain each issue. You seldom if ever have any contact with the actual mechanic, when they are usually the source of the frustration. Had they diagnosed the issue and done the repairs correctly the first time, we would not have had all the come backs. While I can understand one or two mishaps, I have experienced dozens of issues over the 15+ years I have used this dealership for warranty repairs. Everything from a dented door panel when replacing a door seal to stripped nuts and bolts that were found later on the Grand Caravan. They had to know they did it when making the repair but instead of owing up to it, they just hope the customer does not notice. I can't stress enough that you have to really check your vehicle over before leaving or right away when you get home. I definitely do NOT feel like I am a valued customer. I'm so fed up that I am considering driving an extra 25 miles to take my vehicle to New Century in Paola or Overland Park Jeep for repairs, or even possibly Olathe Ford, as they have told me they can also do warranty repairs on my vehicle. Why Chrysler closed all the other dealerships in the area and kept this one open is beyond my understanding!!! More