Some dealerships can be brutal. Maybe they don't all operate this way. Maybe it is only a few. But, one of the independent mechanics I mentioned above left his job at the dealership because they kept wanting him to push unnecessary pricey repairs on people which he wasn't comfortable doing.I agree with other posters - there is a decent chance they are understaffed, poorly managed, and/or don’t know what the issue is.
As you are not on warrantee, be careful they just don’t try to claim your car is going kaput and try to upsell you on all kinds of things or even try persuade you to buy another car.
This happened to us - radio silence for 4 days, chased for an answer, and finally on a Friday at 4pm a dealer-linked mechanic suggested we spend $12k to get the engine replaced. Conveniently they also offered to buy our car for $150 (not a typo!) as part of a trade in to buy another vehicle. We ended up towing our car to another independent mechanic who fixed it in one afternoon for $900.
This might be an egregious example but stay on top of them to get a response.
IIRC dealerships actually make their money not on car sales - but through add-ons (warranties etc), lowballing people on trade ins/used car purchases (and then selling at higher prices and pocketing the spread), and overcharging for repairs.
I get that it’s a business, and that this might be expected. The constant upselling is unseemly IMHO and ultimately makes everyone distrustful of any interaction related to buying or repairing a car
Statistics: Posted by Stick5vw — Tue Nov 04, 2025 9:43 pm — Replies 31 — Views 2200