I am unthrilled to report that my miracle story has a not-so-happy continuum.
Aug 13, 2014 - a mere five days after claiming our newly serviced vehicle from the dealership, I got in my van parked all cozy-like inside our garage to head out for a day of errand running before the three older boys' first day of school the following day. To my utter shock, the engine wouldn't start. It was acting the exact same way as when I got stranded at Encore the Thursday before. I contacted the dealership's service department and was advised to have it towed in. Upon his arrival, Jay, the same tow truck driver who helped me out the previous week, attempted his magic on the gear shift before troubling himself with pushing the van into a proper towing or jump start position. Yep, you guessed it! The engine roared to life after scrolling the gear stick through all the gears and giggling it back and forth while the key was turned in the ignition. A little less amazed than I was the first time, I began to see that I was in for a fight with the dealership who claimed to have found the solution to this problem and already fixed it (and charged me to do so as what they claimed to be the problem was not covered under my warranty).
Once again I drove to the dealership, this time they were not as helpful. The service man, Jeff, who wrote up my original order, had gone home for the day as had the service manager, Lela. I was directed to speak to Sylvia, the customer service liaison who listened to my entire story complete with new ending including what I would like to have accomplished. I stated that I would like a further diagnosis for no additional cost and now that school is back in session, I'd be needing a rental to accommodate no less than 6 passengers, also for no cost to me. She took down my requests and promised to call me first thing in the morning after sharing all of that with Lela. The next morning she called around 9:30 telling me to bring back the vehicle and they'd be happy to take another look at it.
Aug 14, 2014 I wasn't able to take the van in until after I got the boys home from school because they would not put me in a loaner or rental until after they could properly diagnose the problem and find out if warranty would cover it so I drove over around 3:30 that afternoon just to have the service manager, Lela look at me like the stranger I was to her having not spoken to Sylvia at all about my case. After hearing the story from me, complete with Sylvia telling me that Lela had asked me to bring the van back in, she proceeded to tell me there's nothing she can do to fix the problem if it was not currently malfunctioning. First she told me that it sounded like I was experiencing a whole different problem and then she called me a liar; claimed I never said the tow truck driver wiggled the gear stick around before initially getting it to run prior to the first service and her proof was that Jeff didn't document that in his notes. I promised her that I did tell them and she proceeded to inform me that the service department is equipped with audio surveillance for this very reason and that she'd have to review their files to verify. WHAT!?! In the meantime, she told me to tow the van back (do not mess with the gear shift, do not attempt to jump start) the next time it wouldn't start. In my experience this would happen again in about 3-5 days so I just had to sit tight and carry on, waiting to inevitably get stranded again.
Aug 16, 2014 A Saturday evening run to Wal-Mart with my husband found us stranded. On the weekend. At 6;30PM. No one works the service department on the weekends. I called the dealership attempting to communicate with some sort of manager with no luck. What was I to do? So I gimmied with the gear shift, started my van and drove to the dealership. Sure, I was given the run around but I politely refused to leave without speaking to a manager. In comes sales manager, Brent who listened to my tale and in true salesman fashion promised to personally get behind the issue first this Monday morning.
Aug 18, 2014 9:30AM sharp I arrived in front of Brent who acted for a moment as if he had no recollection of who I was, then I pulled out the business card he'd given me with his hand-written name on it. His memory light shown on his face and he offered me a beverage as he suggested I make myself comfortable in the lounge while he took care of business back in the service department. After about 30 minutes he glides up to me assuring me that he will personally be covering the $110.00 diagnostic fee as well as the $100.00 deductible (if applicable) once a true diagnosis has been found and assuming the problem is covered under warranty. Sure. I argued with them about a rental and got a similar reply as before -no rental until we have a diagnosis (which was promised to me by noon). So once again, I'm stranded. I called Jeff in service around 1PM since I'd not yet heard anything and learned that they now believed the cause to be the sensor - transmission range which is covered under warranty as is the leaky seal or broken pump (they'd know for sure once they're in). Now we're getting somewhere! I authorize the work get started immediately and they inform me that my warranty also covers a rental for up to three days. I then head over to Enterprise to pick up the rental before gathering my four sons and Maria from their first full day of school (two different schools, two different cities). I then find they want to put me in a sedan. Had I not made them aware that I have a family of six and needed nothing less than a six passenger rental? Well, that's going to cost extra... to which I replied, who is going to pay the extra? After some debating and running back and forth between the dealership and Enterprise I was given a 6 passenger Dodge Ram at no additional cost to me.
I was late picking up my precious cargo, on their first full day. :-(
They were very gracious and understanding.
Aug 19, 2014 I get a call around 2PM from Jeff letting me know that the leak was in fact just a hose/o-ring not the pump (to which I shouted my thanks to God since the pump was on backorder and would cost me a lot more time without my vehicle!). He then tells me that I could have my van back as early as tomorrow (yay, because getting in and out of that huge truck felt like the equivalent of hours of squats, lunges and pull-ups -I'm sore!)
Aug 20, 2014 7:30AM I receive a call from Jeff telling me I can come get my van. The dealership was my first stop after taking the boys to school. I went straight in to the cashier, signed (no balance due) and exchanged the rental keys for my own. More grateful than I can express, I drove off the lot.
Alas, it was not for the last time, you see, there's still the subject of that payment I made for the misdiagnosis and the removal of a perfectly good alarm. I've attempted three times now to contact Marshall in the next level up, the District Manager. He has failed to respond in any way and never seems to be in the office.
'Til next time...
Be praying for our situation. Thank you.
