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  • Report:  #1523403

Complaint Review: Glendale Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram - Glendale California

Reported By:
Reporter - Glendale, California, United States
Submitted:
Updated:

Glendale Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram
900 S. Brand BLVD Glendale, 91204 California, United States
Phone:
8182424161
Web:
https://www.glendaledodgecalifornia.com/
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?

I brought my 2015 Ram Promaster City to Glendale Dodge Chrystler Jeep to perform software updates on TCM and PCM because software had bugs causing transmission to give error code when on freeway. We agreed to get it done for $440 (because the dealer I purchased my car from, russell westbrook dodge jeep ram,  wanted to charge me $625 for same updates to fix transmission software bugs). I was advised by Valvoline, oil change place, to change transmission fluid every 90,000 miles but only at the dealership, because it needs special tools. So I said at the Glendale dealer if they can do transmission service (fluid change) the same day then let's do it since it's due (101,000mileage).

I didn't realize that my vehicle does not need a transmission service at all. The lubrication lasts for the lifetime of the vehicle. And does not need to be serviced like other cars. 

My service advisor, Javier didn't say anything about that this specific vehicle doesn't need a service. He just went ahead and took advantage of my ignorance and added the service. They've been claiming till the end that the car DID need a transmission service, every 105,000miles to be exact, said the guy who was discharging the vehicle. The entire conversation was recorded, I'll be posting updates about this case.

 

After transmission fluid was changed, I told to Javier over the phone that this vehicle didn't even need a service according to owner's manual. He said yes I know, but it's serviceable. and we did change the fluid. He also said that the old fluid was actually good for another 100,000 miles, which itself contradicts the purpose of changing it.

I researched that in these kinds of frauds they don't even change the fluid, claiming that they did. And I believe that not only the advisor was either negligent or deceptive, either way they should have advised me that my vehicle doesn't need a transmission service from the beginning.  They performed a service my car didn't need and that's just wrong.

 

This specific vehicle requires more labor fees in order to check whether transmission fluid was indeed changed, and weeks of wait for the appointment at other dealerships. which by then it'll be harder to tell whether the fluid is new. I'm out of funds to perform this check, unfortunately.

 

I'll fight this until it's justified, and refunded everything except $440 to which my car needed software updates and I agreed to pay for it (even though it's fishy to pay fees to update factory software defects, which is not my fault), however for transmission fluid change scam that they charged me additional $514.69 should be refunded. Even if they changed the fluid, it didn't need to be at all and I was mislead that I had to. The total cost was $954.69



3 Updates & Rebuttals

Reporter

Glendale,
California,
United States
Glendale Dodge Chrysler jeep fraud

#2Author of original report

Thu, December 22, 2022

 Flint claims that there is no such thing as lifetime fluid. And he's wrong. Its a dogmatic statement irrationally intending to bust my argument, but its weak and made up. It is indeed a fluid that lasts for the life of the vehicle. And according to two auto mechanics and the owner's manual i did not need a fluid change because its a lifetime fluid. Performing service is not recommended because it can make it worse. There is a guy online with the exact same vehicle with over 200,000 miles already, and he never changed his transmission fluid. So your unfound claim that fluid will go bad after 125k miles is false. Its not the reason why manufacturers claim that its a lifetime fluid - not to get more prospected byers or make it seem that its a low cost. I was oblivious about transmission fluid when purchasing my vehicle. Times change so the innovations. So the dealer's recommendation was based on their mercenary greed for more profits, and not because they were preventing speculated possible future breakdowns of my vehicle.


Flint

Rolla,
Missouri,
United States
"Lifetime" fluid

#3Consumer Comment

Wed, December 21, 2022

 There is no such thing as a lifetime fluid. Vehicle manufacturers want to present a low cost of ownership, so it has become popular to claim various fluids never need to be changed. If you never change the fluid, the fluid will wear out by about 125k miles, and the transmission will very likely fail by about 150k miles as a result. If you do change it, it should last considerably longer than that. The manufacturer considers 150k to be the expected lifespan of the vehicle so yes, from that standpoint, it's a "lifetime" fluid. But if you want to maximize your vehicle's lifespan, the dealer's recommendation is correct.


Reporter

Glendale,
California,
United States
Glendale Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Ripoff

#4Author of original report

Wed, December 21, 2022

This is a small update: 

U just spoke to a mechanic, Alex at Pacific Motor Center in North Hollywood, and he confirmed that my vehicle doesn't need to be serviced for transmission, especially at 101,000 mileage, it only needs to be serviced if for some reason it malfunctions otherwise you're not suppose to touch it! The lubrication is good for lifetime, he said.

He also said that it's going to be hard to prove that the fluid was changed recently. Only will be able to tell the quality of the fluid which does not indicate how recently it was changed. So I cannot prove whether or not they changed the fluid. However, the bottom line is that it shouldn't have been changed at all.

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