Alignment woes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 27
From: Georgia
Alignment woes
I carried my 2013 GS to my dealer to get the nitrogen adjusted in the tires . One was showing a little low. While there they have an instant alignment checking machine at the drive through . My car has 8000 miles on it . The service writer said she would check the alignment to be sure it was correct . The machine would only read the two front tires and the right rear . She said the left front was out and the right rear also was and stated that it was wearing the tires unevenly . So I set up an appointment and carried it back to the shop last Thursday for alignment and oil change . After an hour the tech came up front and told me the alignment was dead on and needed no adjustment . He even showed me the printout ! So when I went to pay up I was charged for the oil change and the alignment . I asked if I should have been charged since I had it check because they said it was off . Long story short I was charged $100 for the alignment . Maybe I am looking at it wrong but I sure felt like I was hosed ! Sad thing is I have purchased over fifteen new cars over the years from them . Sorry I needed to vent!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
I suppose the dealer's policy is to charge for just checking the alignment, but most places that I know of would not charge you for the check if nothing needed doing.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,996
Likes: 77
From: Louisville KY
When I got my new 2013 the alignment was way off. One front tire had issues and they replaced it. The rear alignment was fine, but the front was off base. It was in 3 times to get it driving straight.
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 754
Likes: 79
From: Jacobstown, New Jersey
Just one more good reason why most Corvette owners try to NEVER take the car back to the dealer for any kind of work. I've been buying new cars for over 50 years now and in all that time and all the different dealers I've purchased cars from, I have only run across one that I trusted. Sorry to say it was not a GM dealer!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,001
Likes: 988
From: lake havasu city arizona
When I got my new 2013 the alignment was way off. One front tire had issues and they replaced it. The rear alignment was fine, but the front was off base. It was in 3 times to get it driving straight.
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
Then the alignment tech says nothing needed to be done but we will charge you for the mistake OUR machine made.
Is that about right or did I miss something ?????
Just another story of a dealer mishap or screw-up
NSF
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,338
Likes: 2,438
From: Eastern
Maybe they could charge a set fee for a customer asking to get an alignment checked. If it was the service writer that recommended the alignment check, you shouldn't have to pay if nothing was done. I wonder how much commission the service writer of that dealership gets for setting up customers with falsehoods???$100.00 is on the high side for sure for doing Zip!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 27
From: Georgia
When I got my new 2013 the alignment was way off. One front tire had issues and they replaced it. The rear alignment was fine, but the front was off base. It was in 3 times to get it driving straight.
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
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Drifting
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 53
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,999
Likes: 200
From: Bay Area Ca.
Maybe they could charge a set fee for a customer asking to get an alignment checked. If it was the service writer that recommended the alignment check, you shouldn't have to pay if nothing was done. I wonder how much commission the service writer of that dealership gets for setting up customers with falsehoods???$100.00 is on the high side for sure for doing Zip!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,327
Likes: 44
From: Sacramento CA
As I understand the OP he had his (recommended by the service writer) alignment checked by a machine that said something was out of specs, NO CHARGE for that.
Then the alignment tech says nothing needed to be done but we will charge you for the mistake OUR machine made.
Is that about right or did I miss something ?????
Just another story of a dealer mishap or screw-up
NSF
Then the alignment tech says nothing needed to be done but we will charge you for the mistake OUR machine made.
Is that about right or did I miss something ?????
Just another story of a dealer mishap or screw-up
NSF
They are the ones that said you needed an alignment not you. Their mistake, they should eat it!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,306
Likes: 251
From: Baltimore Maryland
Those new drive through alignment machines are the newest moneymakers for dealerships . . . and they cost a fortune so the dealers are gonna upcharge any chance they get.
When my 2013 felt like it needed an adjustment my dealer told me I could get an alignment under the warranty but they would not look at it until I had at least 2500 miles on the car. So I don't think 8000 miles is out of line if the warranty is intact.
But if they did not do an alignment you shouldn't pay for an alignment.
When my 2013 felt like it needed an adjustment my dealer told me I could get an alignment under the warranty but they would not look at it until I had at least 2500 miles on the car. So I don't think 8000 miles is out of line if the warranty is intact.
But if they did not do an alignment you shouldn't pay for an alignment.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 278
Likes: 19
From: Phoenix area Arizona
The Dealership should eat the charge, the tech should get paid, posible at a lower amount. This alignment check is more of the up sells that dealers are using to up the bottom line as cars don't break down like they did years ago. IMO
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 13,262
Likes: 3,150
From: SW Florida
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
As I understand the OP .. he had his (recommended by the service writer) alignment checked by a machine that said something was out of specs, NO CHARGE for that.
Then the alignment tech says nothing needed to be done but we will charge you for the mistake OUR machine made.
And the charge is bull $hit ....
Racer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 430
Likes: 32
When I got my new 2013 the alignment was way off. One front tire had issues and they replaced it. The rear alignment was fine, but the front was off base. It was in 3 times to get it driving straight.
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
The service rep said on a new car they will work to get it corrected and no charge. A 2 year old car with 8000 miles does not fit the new car concept, by my way of thinking. I am not sure why you feel you are owed a free alignment. If you can afford a new vette, then you can afford to have it aligned so it drives the way you wish.
Sorry to say this buy in my opinion you do not have a leg to stand on. The alignment bill is within normal range. Pay up!
Classy response...
The OP never said he couldn't afford it and in fact paid up. The dealership told him it was off and he went ahead and got an alignment. The machine that told the service writer the alignment was off didn't get it right, so the OP paid $100 for nothing.
But hey, if you don't mind throwing around $100 and not standing up for yourself and what's right, I'll PM you my address so you can send a check.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,996
Likes: 77
From: Louisville KY
"So I set up an appointment and carried it back to the shop last Thursday for alignment and oil change . After an hour the tech came up front and told me the alignment was dead on and needed no adjustment . He even showed me the printout ! So when I went to pay up I was charged for the oil change and the alignment ." So explain your original statement as quoted above in relation to your response to me "I didn't ask to have it checked'? Your appointment as you said was for an alignment and oil change.
The tech takes time to put a car up on the alignment rack, sets up the system, goes through a check, and prepares a print out, that seems like he did some work. The only thing he didn't have to do was put a wrench on the front end tighten and loosen and move said parts.
This comment is not directed at tmd97 but at the other commenters on here. There has always been an overabundance of dealer hate on any car forums. It just seems that in America we do not have good ole common sense any more. I guess I have been blessed in that I have not had really difficult issues with my current dealer (Bob Hook Chev in Louisville).
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 5,618
Likes: 537
From: SE Pa
Long story short I was charged $100 for the alignment . Maybe I am looking at it wrong but I sure felt like I was hosed ! Sad thing is I have purchased over fifteen new cars over the years from them . Sorry I needed to vent!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,001
Likes: 988
From: lake havasu city arizona
I took mine in when I first got the car, same story except that they showed me the print out before and after so that I knew what had been done. I can provide the photo.
In your case no matter what has been said by any other posters you were taken advantage of, as evidenced by 90% of replies to this thread. and that's the end of story
NSF
In your case no matter what has been said by any other posters you were taken advantage of, as evidenced by 90% of replies to this thread. and that's the end of story
NSF
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,056
Likes: 211
From: Central Ohio
I really wish people would totally read the OP's 1st post.
Considering the dealer did the quickie check, ie sales tool, in the drive through service writing area to try and get you into the paid for alignment and clearly their quickie check machine was incorrect especially considering the fact the quickie check was incapable of reading all four wheels that would have been my 1st red flag.
I think the 100 bucks is what the dealer owes you back, you would not have requested the alignment had the service writer not done the quickie check. Their quickie check machine provided invalid information which led you to a service that was not needed.
Pick up the phone and call the general manager, explain the situation, have your documentation at hand and ask him what he thinks is fair.
If the answer is anything less that your money back its time to find another dealer.
Many times I try and find a happy middle ground but this one is pretty cut and dried, service writer and or quickie check alignment machine are incorrect.
Considering the dealer did the quickie check, ie sales tool, in the drive through service writing area to try and get you into the paid for alignment and clearly their quickie check machine was incorrect especially considering the fact the quickie check was incapable of reading all four wheels that would have been my 1st red flag.
I think the 100 bucks is what the dealer owes you back, you would not have requested the alignment had the service writer not done the quickie check. Their quickie check machine provided invalid information which led you to a service that was not needed.
Pick up the phone and call the general manager, explain the situation, have your documentation at hand and ask him what he thinks is fair.
If the answer is anything less that your money back its time to find another dealer.
Many times I try and find a happy middle ground but this one is pretty cut and dried, service writer and or quickie check alignment machine are incorrect.