Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

Hi guys

Want some advice on something here, and to see if I'm out of line or what.

3 weeks ago the truck in the .sig went in for a front end noise.. long story short, they dianosed broken/blown shock.

Ordered the shock, was backordered, came in yesterday, scheduled appt today.

While I was talking to a friend in the parts dept (which has a view of some service bays), I saw the tech snap something off on my front suspension. He cussed a few words, finished taking off something and then brought over a stabilizer bar link to other side of the parts counter. He said to the other parts guy .. "got one of these in stock? damn rusted threads". He snapped the top of the link threads off as they were really coated with rust.

Parts guy said 'no, have to order that'. He mumbed something then disappeared.


I said nothing to anyone about this as I wondered to myself how they were going to handle it.

An hour later the service writer tells me the truck is done. Then I thought "WTF? how.. they don't..."

Still not saying anything (as they didn't), but noticed the paper the tech brought in listed 'link = $60.00', but my copy mentions nothing about it. Truck is under warranty.

So I thought they must have raided the part off an 07 on the lot and will replace it later.

Get home, look under the truck and the link they replaced it with is not the same design. Appears to be the same length, but NOT the same design. I looked later under an 07 on their lot after they closed, and the 07's have the same design as my other side (factory one).

I guess what I want to know, should I confront them about not telling me they broke it? I'm just a little upset about it and especially since the front s-bar links don't even match in design. WHAT IS THIS LINK OFF OF? It physically fits, BUT is not from an 06/07 Dakota of any description.

UPDATE: The part is not a new part they put on, in addition to not even matching in design to the other side. There is some rust. The only marking is "TRW 097T053" on the link itself. It is thicker in diameter as well.
What would you do? [sm=badbadbad.gif]

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

Why did you not say something at the dealership.... now they are going to take no claim on doing it....

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

go back and point it out. tell them you were checking it out and saw that its way different than the other side, and its rusty. tell them that what you saw and tell them you will call dodge if they dont get it fixed... thats what I'd do.

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

i thought they had gotten a part off an 07 is why I didn't even look until I got home.

they just worked on it, they can't really deny doing it.

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

From what I can find, it really looking like a stab bar link from a later model ram 1500 4wd. Is this at all possible?

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

I have no idea if it's possible but you need to take it back to them as soon as possible. Ask to speak to the shop manager and be polite. Just explain what you saw and that you would like to have the correct part installed. Also, did they charge you for the link? That should have been free of cost under warranty.

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

There was no charge to me. It initially bothered me that they broke something and didn't tell me, but since I saw the tech be told they didn't have that in stock, an 07 Dak driven in, and then my truck done 30 minutes later, I thought they raided it.

It went a little further when the service writer (not svc mgr, he was gone yesterday) was doing my paperwork and I was able to see for a moment that it was my truckthey had broken it on, as it was written on the tech's notes about the link.

I thought, 'well hell at least it got replaced'. I was in a hurry to get my wife at the dr's office, so I got distracted and didn't check until I was home.

I know 'why' this was done, as the link would have have had to been ordered from outside the overnight parts depot area, and they would have had to given me a loaner and another appointment would have been needed. But again, that's not my problem.

I'm going back this morning in about 90 minutes and see how it goes.

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

For starters, your a whole lot calmer for not saying a thing than I would have been. Every vehicle i've ever had anything done to it, I have always stood right there with them in or near the bay and watched in person. If they broke anything on my truck.... heads would have f--kin rolled. Especially if they had not mentioned anything to me and it seemed as if they were trying to cover it up.

All in all, you should take it back and have them put the "correct" link on, not a scavenged one. Thats my 2 cents...

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

honestly dude right now its gonna come down to if the tech admits to it...cause you drove it off the lot and you could have hit something to knock it off...so really its gonna come down to what the tech says...good luck

RE: Dealer broke part on truck, didn't tell me.. Advice?
 

Not that it's an excuse, but I have a lot of things going on in my life and my full attention isn't on a lot of things it should be. I really thought they just grabbed one off the lot..

There was paperwork turned in by the tech that I saw on the desk that clearly outlined that a link was replaced. I'm going in a bit. I plan on getting a lot more upset about it if I don't get some satisfaction this morning.