Dissatisfied at first but now Satisfied! - Jim W
Dissatisfied at first but now Satisfied!
I had my car serviced at Quality Subaru in Wallingford, CT on Friday July 22nd. I had a safety concern with my Subaru Legacy 2015. As I explained to Quality Subaru during a past service visit - I am able to bring my car to a full stop (in my garage, driveway, or parking lot) and if I forget to put the car in Park, I am able to remove the key from the ignition freely and there are no visual and audio warnings. I am rather certain this is a serious safety concern as I've had my car ‘roll’ on me after I exited the car. It happened in my garage a couple of times and also in a parking lot where the car rolled into the side of the building. So - it was believed to be an issue in the ignition switch ‘area’ which seemed reasonable to me. It’s worth pointing out that I had a remote starter installed at Quality Subaru at one point and this was the only work I've ever had done in this ‘area’ of the vehicle. As I'm getting ready to give this car to my 16 year old daughter I wanted to have this safety issue fixed. I called Quality Subaru to make an appointment and they informed me I needed to pay in advance for the part needed for the repair which I was happy to do while scheduling the service visit.
I dropped my car off at 8:30 in the morning on Friday 7/22. I was told the vehicle would be ready at the end of the day (service dept closed at 5.30pm on Friday’s). I was then informed that neither a loaner or rental was not available which I thought was a bit odd - but I was offered a one-way complimentary Uber back home - which I accepted.
When I picked my car up around 5pm after paying for my own Uber back to quality I went in and paid for the ‘repair’. The charge for labor was 458.86 (the part I paid for in advance was approx $80 and the Uber ride was $30). I retrieved my car from the parking lot and immediately checked to see if the issue was resolved. I tried a couple times in the matter of 2 mins and realized nothing was different. I was still able to freely remove the key from the ignition while the car was in Drive and there were no audio or visual warnings.
I immediately went back inside to discuss this with the supervisor and was basically told that the foreman left early that afternoon and he was not sure why no one confirmed whether my safety issue was addressed or not - and that he’d call me Monday morning to discuss next steps. Needless to say I was rather frustrated and ‘concerned’ - as this is a safety issue and I easily could have driven off from the dealer without realizing I still had a safety issue with this vehicle which I plan on giving to my daughter.
I waited anxiously for a call Monday morning and I never got one. I called back around noon and spoke with the supervisor who I spoke with when I picked up the car on Friday. He basically told me that he spoke with the foreman and they did the work I requested and if I wanted this safety issue addressed it would need to be brought back in and properly diagnosed. There was never an apology and I didn't sense any empathy. Also I asked about the money I paid for the work that didn’t address the issue I am having - and was basically told there wasn’t much they could do about that.
First off I was rather shocked to hear that ‘they did the work I requested.’ What I requested was that they repair the safety issue I was having. I referred to the ignition switch as this is what I was told in a previous visit. I am not a mechanic and would never tell a repair shop what is needed to repair and issue or concern. Moreover why would a service department with certified and qualified technicians simply do what a customer asks - especially for a safety concern! - without properly diagnosing the issue themselves.
I did not make a new appointment with Quality Subaru at that time as I was extremely dissatisfied and somewhat concerned with the level of quality and due-diligence with their service department and management. Also I've been a loyal customer at Quality Subaru for nearly 5 years and I truly felt like I was being talked to and treated like a complete stranger. I filled out the survey Quality Subaru sent me the next day and I expressed my dissatisfaction and I have seen nor heard anything since.
Needless to say, I do not plan on being a Quality Subaru customer any longer (I own two Subarus). I still need my vehicle repaired and I will look for a dealer with the utmost integrity, quality, and customer satisfaction. I respectively ask that Quality Subaru put the ‘quality’ back into their brand for the benefit and safety of their loyal customers.
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