I wrote earlier earlier about the gas cap that cost me $161 at a dealership. I finally found the work invoice for my second experience with the same dealership. I had a problem with the two windows on the passenger side of my 2005 Grand Marquis. They wouldn't go up. Before I did anything else, I called the dealership where I had bought the car and was told that it would be covered under the warranty. I went in and after checking it out, I was told that the regulators were bad and would have to be ordered. They would call me when they were in. They did get the windows up. Three or four days later I had a garbled message on my answering machine. The only thing that I could make out was the dealership's name. I called and was transferred to the parts department. I asked if he had called. He got my name and told me that the switches were in. I asked about the regulators, and he said that he had no regulators ordered for my car. Just two switches. Remembering the first experience I had there, I spoke to a different service woman on the desk. She checked it out and told me that the switches were covered under the warranty. The car was taken in to have the switches put in and the woman had told the first service man that the work was under warranty. He apologized for the warranty misunderstanding, but never said anything about telling me that I needed regulators, and not just switches. Needless to say that I will never go there again. The cost of the switches installed was $147, which of course I didn't have to pay for. If I hadn't made a phone call to the parts department I would have been taken for another ride. I have 3 reputable garages within 5 minutes of my home. Voting in favor of the Right to Repair bill won't keep things from going wrong with my car. It will keep me from getting ripped off in the future. The three garage owners also live locally. A vote against the bill is like telling me to go to the dealership and giving them a blank check.

I purchased a two year old Ford Escape from a third party dealer. It was still under the manufacturers warranty at the time so when my first service came up I decided to go to (what I thought was) a reputable dealer. I figured if I had any problems with the ford that fell within the warranty limitations I would already be a customer. Because shouldn't you be able to go to a dealership and not get screwed over. They are backed by the manufacturer of your car. You can't.

I had 3 prior services and two repairs with this dealership under my belt when, this past May I brought in the ford for a 60k service, two new tires, cruise control not working, and lastly a noticable problem with my front end. It just didn't feel tight and when you drove on public POTHOLED streets the front end had a bad vibration more so on the left side.

I dropped my ford off on a Wednesday afternoon. They called my husband Friday to let him know the end links or swaybar links were gone on both sides. My husband said replace them and was told the car would be ready that afternoon. When they didn't call I knew it would be Saturday before I could pick it up. My husband called them Saturday morning and they said the car was ready. When my husband asked what was wrong with the cruise control he was told they were unaware of that issue but they would take care of it and the car could be picked up any time after noon. I brought cash for my hefty $1100 bill and because I came after 2pm service was closed and I had to cash out with a salesman. I wasn't thrilled because there was a charge for replacing my rear shocks which never was authorized. I let it go. When I got in the car I looked at my odometer and they had put 13 miles on the car so I knew they had driven it long enough to see that the front end and cruise control was fixed. I was so wrong. I pulled out of the parking lot and immediately came upon a bad patch of tar and when I drove over it I could tell the front end wasn't fixed at all. I got home and told my husband. I figured I would call Monday. Monday my husband and I had to take one of our regular highway trips. The same trips that we use our cruise control on. We hit 65mph, hit cruise control, and got NOTHING!

Now I was wicked ticked. I called the dealership, spoke to the Service manager. He told me the cruise control cable had simply come off and the tech just put it back on. So maybe it happened again. I reluctently scheduled another appointment to have the cruise control fixed and to have the front end looked at. I acted like everything was no big deal, you guys work hard, things happen. Everything was peachy keen. The next day my son was taking his vehicle to our local, independent, trustworthy, hardworking mechanic. The same mechanic I had taken two of my previous vehicles to for years. I followed my son to give him a ride home. !

Just then an idea struck me. I scheduled an appointment with him for the cruise control and the front end problem on the same day I was to bring the ford back to the dealership. I knew Kevin would find and fix both problems and not charge me for things I don't authorize.

Sure enough, Kevin found my issues. The swaybar links were never replaced and he was sure they were original parts. The dealership had charged for labor on replacing links but only replaced the bushings. The cruise control problem was the clip on the end of the cable was worn and unfortunatley it wasn't a separate piece so I would need a cable. I asked Kevin to save the parts for me so I could go back to the dealership with them in hand a recoup some of my money. He said no problem. I called the dealership immediately. As timing would have it my call was just when I should have been arriving at the dealership to drop off my car. This time I wasn't so nice with the Service manager. He pretty much had nothing to say when I presented him with my findings. I expressed my utter disappointment with his facility and told him I would never return and I would be sure to tell everyone I knew about my findings. And so I am telling you. I never did go to the dealership with my parts. I was still so angry I felt I couldn't keep my cool in my dealings face to face with these crooks. Kevin never inquired why I hadn't been bringing my vehicle to him. He just did what I asked and told me to have a good day.

I will never buy a new vehicle if it means I have to be restricted to whom I bring it. And if the restrictions keep up for what an independent mechanic can do for a person, I might just start looking for a 70 chevy. Something I can wrench myself and I know Kevin can fix. Isn't this a free country?! The land of opportunity they say. NOT passing this bill will mean the dealerships will be the only free shops. Free to do what they want and hold us payable.