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Rock between the skid plate and transfer case

2K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  Robert J. yates 
#1 ·
And the dealer charged me $87 to remove it! I spent the day driving on a rock/gravel road (horsepasture road) up to Jumping off Rock which overlooks Lake Jocassee in the SC upstate. Trip was great and my GC with the "OFF ROAD" adventure package did fine. Driving back home I went over a bump in a barely off camber situation at all of 3mph and started hearing a grinding sound coming from underneath. Of course we stopped and looked but saw nothing because its all covered by skid plates. We continued going and it sounded like a bad CV joint on a WJ driveshaft (been there done that). There was a Jeep dealership only 5 miles away so we went and dropped it off and explained to the tech on duty what was wrong and that I thought it could be a rock that has wedged under a skid plate. The jeep is less than a year old and Rick Hendrick Jeep in Charleston has been great with fixing anything that went wrong and covering it under warranty, even the broken plastic skid under the front that ripped on a trail. But I was told at this dealership in the upstate that this was MY responsibility NOT Chrysler's and that I would be charged $87 for the labor. (unbolting the skid plate and bolting it back after the rock fell out) To me this seems excessive when the jeep is advertised with an OFF ROAD package and I was not even off road. I think I am going to file a complaint (to make myself feel better) but I don't know what else there is to do. Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
I can see both sides- you don't want to have to pay because your Jeep came with off road equipment, but it is also your responsibility. Just like if you high centered it and did some damage, that wouldn't be covered under warranty.
While it seems silly that a rock simply getting trapped above your skid plates makes them charge you to remove and re-install the plates, it also makes sense that they wouldn't want to include something like that being covered in a basic warranty, otherwise anyone that drives on gravel road or off-road that has any problem, they would be responsible--- which would be a huge number of people I'm sure.

Just my two cents.
 
#3 ·
I see your point entirely and in hindsight I should have just taken it home and taken the skid plate off myself. It merely seems like good business sense to not charge the customer for 15 minutes of labor and gain a customer for life. I have been lucky enough I guess to come across enough shops and even dealerships with that mentality. You're right that it is my responsibility and because it is I paid for it and did not argue with the service manager. Just trying to vent I guess, thanks for the response!
 
#4 ·
I am totaly with you on that one, Low. Really the dealer was probably already under the car to take a look or had the car on the lift and was under it to. Something that would have taken them less then 10 really, with a air tool, it probably would have taken less. Thats just a nasty stealership and there is no reason they should have charger you. I would call Jeep and let them know that was crazy of their dealer ship.
 
#5 ·
Are you guys kidding? It's common knowledge that shops will charge an hour or a set price to diagnose a problem. You went there of your own free will and asked them to diagnose a problem. The fact that you told the tech your opinion means nothing since 90% of people who own a car probably couldn't tell you where to add oil. They had the Jeep occupying a lift and a tech, both of which take money to maintain.

If you take it offroad and puncture a tire, or break a driveshaft or dent a panel, do you want that covered too?
 
#6 ·
Sorry the dealer was right

to charge you. He fixed your problem and he could have used the tech and lift
to make some money for other billable hours. Most journeyman level techs get paid by the billable hour and at least in DC area At most dealers they split the labor rate. A good tech at BMW, Porsche, or Mercedes dealership or a good indie shop servicing these makes brings home over $120K a year in my area.

Not sure what Ford, Chevy or Jeep tech makes.

So you want to take money out of techs pocket because you did something stupid? Nice. Now a good dealer would have found some way of making sure the tech got paid and you were happy.
 
#7 ·
less then 10 minutes

Really and when was the last time you put a customer's vehicle on a lift? Huh? Ever done it Carange? I am guessing you have never put a vehicle on a lift.
Minimum of 20 minutes to get it up on lift and then off the lift and out into the parking lot. Dealer and tech lost a hour of billable time. If I was the tech and was told I wasnt getting paid for the hour I spent on your vehicle I would be looking for another dealership to work at. Tech also had to write up the work order etc. Unlike you the tech then torqued the skid plate back on to specs.
 
#8 ·
Nothing about this should have been covered under warranty. Car was damaged was a result of your use, nothing on the car failed. It would be the same as asking them to cover a cracked windshield if the rock bounced up and hit it instead of landing up in the transfer case area. Seems like they treated you well imo.
 
#9 ·
It sucks that you had to pay $87 for someone to do a simple task like that, I agree. Now you know not to take it there just to have a rock removed from a location on your Jeep like that. Live and learn. I always see if I can fix a problem like that first before I go to a dealership. Everyone has to make money. I was pissed that I had to pay to have my speedo recalibrated last week but it had to be done so I got over it.

I am sure my patients are pissed when they get an ambulance bill and all we did was transport to the hospital without any treatment but we have to make money, too, for the time and resources used.
 
#10 ·
I see everyones points and understand entirely. I wasn't trying to upset anyone and as I said, I paid the charge without arguing, I simply asked what it was for before just handing them $87. I still believe that something that simple could be done to gain a customer but I understand that everyone must get paid somehow. I wish I knew that more of that money would be going to the tech than to Chrysler, but nothing I can do about that.
 
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