It all started with a Toyota Highlander rear ending me. Of course, I waited several months for the insurance check so that I could get my WRX rear end fixed. I decided to go to a Suby dealer with a body shop to have the repairs done. It all seemed fine and dandy, but when I went to go pick up my car I asked the guy if he checked the bumbper and trunk alignment. He said it's fine. I decided not to sign anything until i saw my WRX first. Guess what, the bumper was crooked and the gaps between the trunk lid and tail lights were all off kilter. They took the car back to fix the problem. Now, it's the third time I'm taking time off of work to go out to the dealer. I check the car again and there's a new scratch on the driver-side rear quarter panel. I leave my WRX once again so that it can be painted. The painting takes 2 days. I take time off of work a 4th time (this is getting beyond ridiculous) to pick up my car. Everything looks good, so I sign a take my WRX home. When I get home, I activate the locks and the car beeps 3-times as if the doors or trunk are open. All the doors are closed and the trunk is secure. I figure they forgot to connect the wire to the trunk's pin switch for the keyless remote. I let my car sit for a few days and I'm getting ready to go on a trip across country. I try to start my WRX the night before flying out to run errands, but there was no crank, no juice. I call the Suby dealer's body shop to leave a message about the problem and tell them I'll call them after I get back from my trip. I return from the trip and call the body shop. I tell the guy the problem of the keyless remote sounding three beeps and the drained battery. I tell him I think the body shop forgot to do something and cause an electrical problem. The guy tells me there's nothing electrical in the back that could cause any problems. I'm thinking bull**** because there are tail lights, license plate lights, back up lights, turn signals, trunk light, parking lights, and the keyless remote pin switch. I get a friend to jump my car as I take some more time off of work to take my car back to the dealer's service department. I tell the service guy about the rear end replacement and he tells me it has nothing to do with the rear. He says it's a bad battery and a low voltage battery can cause the electrical to act funny like the 3 beeps. I don't fully buy it, but I let it go. He changes the battery and of course it works, but it doesn't resolve the problem of the keyless entry. He tries to say it's the valet signal but it's not. I say, it's the sound for open doors or trunk, but he doesn't buy my explanation. He tells me to go home read my owner's manual to figure out how to fix the valet signal. I go home and as I'm driving, I figure out what the problem could be. The trunk lid is not pushing down the pin switch and the trunk light stayed on to drain the battery. I fold down the rear seat; look into the trunk; and the trunk light is on. I open the trunk and push down the pin switch with my finger and hit the keyless remote and the locks activate without the beeping. I figured it out. I disconnect the trunk light to keep it from draining the battery. I climb into the trunk and close the lid and notice that the pin switch was put in backwards, so that the trunk is not pushing the pin. I touch the pin switch again and it breaks off...GREAT! I leave the pin switch broken and the trunk light disconnected. Can I really afford to take time off of work again to get this fixed? You tell me if it's worth it. I really feel that the service at the dealer was one of the worst I received because they were not listening to me. My hunches that it had to do with the truck were correct. I know my WRX better than them. I guess I'll have to burn more of my time to get that pin switch fixed, but I don't want to go back to these guys. While I was at there shop, one of their mechanics caught a customer's engine compartment on fire. Do they sound incompetent or what? But if I don't take it back to them, will another dealer charge me for their lack of ability? I'm pissed at this particular dealer and the lack of service I received. If you're in Northern Virginia and want to know what dealer it was, just ask me.

 

I had many problems with a clutch job done by a lack luster dealership service dept. Same thing, I took many days off work, and it still wasn't resolved, I was so fed up that I refused to take it back to the same dealership. SOA was not happy about this. They said that the other dealer I take it to will have the right to charge me, and that I had to take it back to the same dealer if I wanted it fixed, since they were already payed by SOA to fix the problem. Long story short, after nearly 5 hours on the phone with SOA I was able to convince them to let me take it to another dealer. Just make sure you tell them how many times you have been in, and how unhappy you are. If al else failes, threaten to sue and demand that your regional service manager hears about your situalion. That's what I did and it ended up working.

-Chris

 

Listen, I'm going to give you some advice. You can take it for what it is worth. When your vehicle is in an accident it is the insurance companies job to compensate you so that your vehicle can repaired to "pre-loss condition". The estimate and payment you received were for visible damage only. When you went to pick up your vehicle and noticed that the body lines were off, more that likely the unibody was distorted and needed to be pulled back to spec.

At that point you had two options either noitfy the insurance company (in which case they would send and appraiser out to write what is called a supplement to the original estimate) or you could just attempt to get the shop to repair it. The latter of which you did. Either way the shop is going to get paid from the insurance company. Due to the long post outlining the numerous problems you have encountered with this dealership, I would reccomend you call the insurance company who was liable for the damage and inform them of your situation.

It appears reasonable to assume that the problems you have encountered are a result of the accident and should be repaired at no expense to you. First contact the insurance company. Let them know that your vehicle is not drivable, due to the fact that the trunk spin switch is causing the battery to drain down (exaggerate a little if needed). Let them know that you would like to have an adjuster inspect the vehicle at the body shop for this additional damage. Advise them that you will need a rental vehicle once you drop the vehicle off and until the repairs are completed. This will decrease the chances of you missing work.

Having an adjuster look at your vehicle at the body shop will help you in a couple of ways. First the adjuster can look over the original estimate to make sure the work that was paid for was actually done (correctly). Second it will allow the adjuster to coordinate the repairs with the body shop so that the vehicle is repaired as quickly as possible.

I worked as an adjuster for over a couple of years. Try this and let me know how you make out.

 

Afterall, the body shop IS part of the Subaru dealership. So perhaps, a letter of complaint to SOA may reassure their quality of customer / automotive services.

 

next time dont take the car till its back to new specs.also in illinois your insurance company has to give you the difference of value of the car due to the loss of resale after being in a accident.since the resale valve is not as high as a un damage vehicle.check into it.

 

There is almost always some problem with dealer repairs. On mine, after a routine yearly inspection, oil change, etc., I found that the dip stick was laying on the engine. When I got the Satisfaction Survey, it gave it a good roasting. If the dealer can't change oil, do you trust a clutch replacement? I had the latter done, got the parts replacement list, met with the service manager and told him that it better work, or SOA is going to hear about it. ps: all works ok, even better than new. When I had the seat bolt recall work done, I reminded them that they don't see me too often for routine stuff because of their foulup. I was able to WATCH the latest repair, from a glass-off hallway between the service office and the work floor. I also spoke to the tech after it was done, to ask him what he had done (as he was taking a smoke break outside after finishing my car.) Is this silly, or what? The independent garage where I take my WRX and other car, which is out of warranty, has the BossMan check all apprentice work, like oil changes. Often, he does them himself, while teaching the apprentice little tricks of the trade, customer pr, etc. Who do you think I trust? No answer needed.