Why I'm not buying a JL Wrangler: 2 month wait for warranty service

[badtux]

I live in the South San Francisco Bay area. *EVERY* single dealer in the area has a 2 month wait for warranty service. Every. Single. One of them. And this isn't new. This has been true for at *least* two years now.

The problem is that Chiseler Corporation doesn't reimburse them enough to pay mechanics enough to get mechanics to stay. So they're always churning through mechanics and never have enough mechanics. There is also the issue that Chrysler products have a large number of recalls and warranty issues to begin with.

My 2012 Wrangler needs to go in for emissions testing. It's still under emissions warranty of course, but if it fails the emissions test, it'll be 2 months before the dealership can look at it to fix it under that emissions warranty. During those two months, I won't be able to drive the vehicle because it won't be legal to drive.

Why would I subject myself to this when other makes here in the Bay Area don't have this problem? I mean, if I had a Chevrolet, I could take it to the local dealer *tomorrow afternoon* for an appointment. Answer: I won't. My 2012 Wrangler is going to be the last Chrysler product I own, because what's the use of having a nice new vehicle, if you can't get it serviced when you need it serviced? I'll just keep my 2012 going as long as I can by relegating it to second vehicle / toy status and buying a new (to me) daily driver, and that new JL 4 door that I've been looking at? Oh well.

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[BlackRook]

Interesting... I think the issue here isn't that the FCA dealers in your area are that good, but rather the specific GM dealer near you is great.

I don't have experience in the Bay Area, but in the greater NYC area all dealerships have the same problem with keeping qualified mechanics. My best friend is a BMW mechanic, and he tells me they are always losing people, and always hiring, but only the least experienced folks "to keep costs down." That inevitably leads to longer repair and wait times and shoddy work. Meanwhile, he can barely afford his tiny mortgage.

I drive a Ford, and the dealer near me, which has a great rep incidentally, makes me wait at least 2 weeks for an oil change (free with the lease, you betcha I'm gonna take it to the dealership), and made me wait 3 weeks when the transmission totally failed (locked in 2nd gear). Due to inexperience from the dealer mechanics, it took another 4 weeks to get back. I was out two months of my lease without a vehicle--not even a loaner. This isn't a "whoa is me" story, my point is that the issue regarding service is endemic to the industry, not to FCA.

 

[twisty]

As I keep saying on this forum, my ESS is taking a poo and I'm trying to figure it out on my own. It's a new model and I dont want some rookie messing with it, plus a PITA to get there. I figure if I wait they might actually know something. Of course if turnover is that high my waiting is for nothing. lol

 

[RavenJeep]

Interesting. I've never had to wait more then a couple days for any work here in MD. 2 months is crazy.

 

[old8tora]

I live in the South San Francisco Bay area. *EVERY* single dealer in the area has a 2 month wait for warranty service. Every. Single. One of them. And this isn't new. This has been true for at *least* two years now.

The problem is that Chiseler Corporation doesn't reimburse them enough to pay mechanics enough to get mechanics to stay. So they're always churning through mechanics and never have enough mechanics. There is also the issue that Chrysler products have a large number of recalls and warranty issues to begin with.

My 2012 Wrangler needs to go in for emissions testing. It's still under emissions warranty of course, but if it fails the emissions test, it'll be 2 months before the dealership can look at it to fix it under that emissions warranty. During those two months, I won't be able to drive the vehicle because it won't be legal to drive.

Why would I subject myself to this when other makes here in the Bay Area don't have this problem? I mean, if I had a Chevrolet, I could take it to the local dealer *tomorrow afternoon* for an appointment. Answer: I won't. My 2012 Wrangler is going to be the last Chrysler product I own, because what's the use of having a nice new vehicle, if you can't get it serviced when you need it serviced? I'll just keep my 2012 going as long as I can by relegating it to second vehicle / toy status and buying a new (to me) daily driver, and that new JL 4 door that I've been looking at? Oh well.

Call the Seattle/Tacoma mall Jeep dealer and ask them what is their wait time ? They have received good reviews on forums . It'd be interesting to know .

 

[MojitoJLUR]

I can usually get in on the same day or next day here....

 

[old8tora]

I can usually get in on the same day or next day here....

Detroit knows autos ; bay area knows how to look at their mobile phones .

 

[JIMBOX]

Believe it or not, but I am actually sorry for you guys with that dealer problem--

I never had that problem in the Ca. N bay and buying my vehicles in N. Nv has allowed me immediate service for consultations/oil chgs/warranty updates-etc-

My sole advice is to NOT BUY THE JL AS A COMMUTE/SINGLE VEHICLE--

Good luck

W.E.

JIMBO

 

[old8tora]

Believe it or not, but I am actually sorry for you guys with that dealer problem--

I never had that problem in the Ca. N bay and buying my vehicles in N. Nv has allowed me immediate service for consultations/oil chgs/warranty updates-etc-

My sole advice is to NOT BUY THE JL AS A COMMUTE/SINGLE VEHICLE--

Good luck

W.E.

JIMBO

Seriously you're smart . But if Cali owners buy in Nev., they may not be covered under Cali lemon law .

 

[JIMBOX]

well, maybe so, but if you own property/home in both Ca/Nv--it changes--except

After buying vehicles for over 55 years---I've NEVER owned a lemon and that's with Chevy/Ford/Chrysler/Nissan/Pontiac-

W.E.

JIMBO

 

[Shooting or Jeeping]

Move to Texas. I pretty go in when I need to. The longest I had to wait to schedule was 48 hours.

 

[viper88]

Interesting... I think the issue here isn't that the FCA dealers in your area are that good, but rather the specific GM dealer near you is great.

I don't have experience in the Bay Area, but in the greater NYC area all dealerships have the same problem with keeping qualified mechanics. My best friend is a BMW mechanic, and he tells me they are always losing people, and always hiring, but only the least experienced folks "to keep costs down." That inevitably leads to longer repair and wait times and shoddy work. Meanwhile, he can barely afford his tiny mortgage.

I drive a Ford, and the dealer near me, which has a great rep incidentally, makes me wait at least 2 weeks for an oil change (free with the lease, you betcha I'm gonna take it to the dealership), and made me wait 3 weeks when the transmission totally failed (locked in 2nd gear). Due to inexperience from the dealer mechanics, it took another 4 weeks to get back. I was out two months of my lease without a vehicle--not even a loaner. This isn't a "whoa is me" story, my point is that the issue regarding service is endemic to the industry, not to FCA.

You should have considered a lemon law buy back on your Ford. I would ask Ford for the cost of the lease payments for the time you could not drive the vehicle.

 

[viper88]

I live in the South San Francisco Bay area. *EVERY* single dealer in the area has a 2 month wait for warranty service. Every. Single. One of them. And this isn't new. This has been true for at *least* two years now.

The problem is that Chiseler Corporation doesn't reimburse them enough to pay mechanics enough to get mechanics to stay. So they're always churning through mechanics and never have enough mechanics. There is also the issue that Chrysler products have a large number of recalls and warranty issues to begin with.

My 2012 Wrangler needs to go in for emissions testing. It's still under emissions warranty of course, but if it fails the emissions test, it'll be 2 months before the dealership can look at it to fix it under that emissions warranty. During those two months, I won't be able to drive the vehicle because it won't be legal to drive.

Why would I subject myself to this when other makes here in the Bay Area don't have this problem? I mean, if I had a Chevrolet, I could take it to the local dealer *tomorrow afternoon* for an appointment. Answer: I won't. My 2012 Wrangler is going to be the last Chrysler product I own, because what's the use of having a nice new vehicle, if you can't get it serviced when you need it serviced? I'll just keep my 2012 going as long as I can by relegating it to second vehicle / toy status and buying a new (to me) daily driver, and that new JL 4 door that I've been looking at? Oh well.

You bring up very good points. FCA is in jeopardy of having more lemon law buy backs in your area because they can't service their product in a timely manor.

 

[badtux]

You bring up very good points. FCA is in jeopardy of having more lemon law buy backs in your area because they can't service their product in a timely manor.

I think part of the problem is that FCA reimburses dealerships on a flat scale, so if you're someplace where it's expensive to live, like NYC or the south SF Bay, the reimbursement is insufficient to pay mechanics enough to live nearby. So any mechanics they get are inexperienced or are commuting long distances only until they can find a job closer to home. Meanwhile in Indiana the dealerships get fat and happy on FCA scale and have no problem hiring mechanics.

But telling me that dealerships elsewhere have no trouble finding mechanics is irrelevant. I don't live in Indiana. Even if I wanted to do so, I couldn't, because there are no jobs in my profession there.

Checking out the local Chevrolet dealers and telling them I have a 2018 Malibu that needs service, two of them have an appointment within a day, the other has an appointment between one month and two months. Maybe I just have two very good Chevrolet dealers and one ordinary one near me? Well, I'm not interested in a Chevrolet, what about a Toyota? Hmm... ah yes, tmy local Toyota dealership has an opening this afternoon if I need service for my Toyota. Hmm, what about a Kia? So I pretend I have a Sedona. 2 weeks out for the one closest to my house, let's look at the next furthest one, ah yes, they can see me tomorrow.

Seems there's a a fair number of dealers in the area that do *not* have trouble making timely appointments. Unless they're FCA dealerships. In which case *none* of them can see me in a timely manner.

Yeah, no. My 2012 is the last FCA product I'm going to own until that's fixed.

 

[TXRobD]

I'm in TX. I took mine in Saturday morning at 10:00 for an oil change and tire rotation. I also asked them to do the recall work for the cruise control. I got a ride home from their shuttle driver and then went back to pick it up around 12:30 same day. No appointment needed.

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