Prpltrck

So this is what happened to me at the dealership in Middletown, CT (Holley).

I have been researching the Jeep since around Thanksgiving 2008 (it is now almost Valentines Day 2009). I went to several dealerships, and finally found one 45 minutes away that had the Jeep I was looking for. So Friday the 23 of Jan. I drove out there to see what they had on the lot, and what kind of deal they could work out.

I was there for about 40 minutes negotaiting. There were 3 2008 JK 4 door Wrangler's (1 RUBI, 1 Green Sahara, 1 Black Sahara). I really wanted the black one, but they told me it was under deposit so I was negotaiting the green one. I finally got the numbers where I wanted them, put down a refundable deposit (just in case I changed my mind) and went back on the 24th to sign minimal paperwork and "take" delivery.

Here's where things START to get interesting.

I "took" delivery on 1/24/09 and signed some basic paperwork. The most important number to me was 0% for 60 months and that was in writing. They told me that Monday 1/26/09 Chrysler was releasing this huge marketing blitz that I wouldn't be able to miss, and they weren't locking me into a deal because if the numbers got better on Monday I could sign under the new deal, but if they weren't better then they would back date my paperwork to the
24th and put me under the old deal. Okay...

I went back on Tuesday the 27th (just because I couldn't make it on the 26th), took a day off mind you. The deal didn't get any sweeter so I signed the aforementioned deal.

While I had the Jeep for the weekend I noticed a rattle in the B pillar and looked it up online (on this forum) and noticed there was a TSB for it. Also, BEFORE I took initial delivery on the 24th there was a small dime sized dent in the middle of the hood that I brought to the salesman's attention. Also the soft top was on and secured under the hard top, and I wanted full access to my cargo area, but it's too cold here in CT when you don't have a garage to take it off yourself. Furthermore I never noticed that any Tom, Dick, or Harry could walk up to any Wrangler on the street and open the hood. There is no locking mechanism on them. So I ordered a MOPAR lock from the dealership to the tune of $130 plus install. While I was there on the 27th I set up an appointment for 2/6/09 to have everything in this paragraph taken care of.

*side note - between the 27th of Jan and the 6th of Feb I noticed the lug nut key was missing and my Jeep never had one. So I called my salesman and told him that and he said he'd have one for me on the 6th.

Forgot to mention the Dent Wizzard guy only goes to that dealership on Monday's and Thursdays (neither of which I can afford to take a day off from work, so my only option was Friday). My salesman assured me that he'd be able to get him there on a Friday.

So I got a call Feb 5th from service telling me that the dent wizzard wouldn't be in, frustrated I started trying to work out alternative solutions with him all while keeping my appointment for the 6th. My ideas were to go to a Jeep dealership around my house, or a body shop and submit them the receipt...or have the Wizzard come to me, at my house. He never got back to me about that.

So I take another day off work, go in on 2/6/09 for my appointment at 8AM...let me say that again 8AM, which I was early for. They don't pull my Jeep in until 8:30 because the guy ahead of me was late. Which I was okay with because I took the day off expecting to have to wait.

I start looking around at the dealership and started flipping through some MOPAR magazines, but couldn't find one for the Wrangler, so I asked someone and was escorted back to parts to look at one. I was really just curious, didn't plan on spending any more $$ at the time. While there in small talk I simply asked the guy behind the counter if they ordered my lock for the hood. After a small exchange of info he told me it was on backorder in Boston. WHAT!?!?! Shocked and pissed, I asked why nobody called me before I took a day off work AND drove 45 minutes to get there OR let me know during the past 40 minutes to an hour or so of me being there...so I told him to cancel the order.

Trust me it gets so much deeper...take a pause to go get some waders.

I leave parts, go straight into the owners office and ask him for a second of his time. Oh, by the way it is now about 8:40am and I have been there about an hour.

I made the owner aware of: being assured the dent wizzard would be there, and that I was there to get the lock installed and that neither of which was going to be able to happen so his dealership was wasting my time.

He made some calls about the dent, and called parts to try and figure all this out. While I am in with the owner my salesman walks in (beginning his shift for the day) and immediately gets called in to the owners office. There is some conversation and some finger pointing and passing the buck but in the long run the owner tells the salesman to get the lock ordered and get it there asap. He told me he'd have it shipped to my house and he'd pay for it to get installed at another dealership (closer to my house). I asked if he'd pay for the lock too and he agreed (so free $130 lock and install, one battle won ).

Then the salesman was going to help me take off the hard top to get the soft top off and reinstall the hard top, but we go out looking for my Jeep and its in the bay. They are checking out the rattle in the B pillar. So I go back inside and wait for my rig.

It still gets better...

My Jeep comes out and they techie pulls it into the lot. I go and check it for the lug nut key and dont see one. I go back into the showroom and grab the key from a Wrangler parked inside (the green one I mentioned in the beginning that I SHOULD have bought) and check it on my lugs and it doesn't fit. My salesman comes out (with a sour puss on) I tell him that the locking lugs are still there with no key. He tells me that there's bad news and that the rattle needs some $50 tube of grease (ahem, bull****) and they don't have it (ahem...BULL****) and that I would have to reschedule another appointment to come back and get it taken care of when they get the grease in (AHEM...BUUUUULL****). He then goes back in to service to ask about the lug nuts and comes back about 15 minutes later (by now its about 9:30 if you're keeping track) and tells me more bad news, he asks me what I was doing tonight "are you working tonight, or tomorrow" he said. I told him I couldn't and WOULDN'T leave the lot without them fixing the lug nuts. If I got a flat I'd be screwed, not that I don't know how to change a flat...I wouldn't be able to get the tire off. So I told him that wasn't an option.

He said he'd figure something out, and they brought my Jeep back into the bay.

I told him that when I was a tire monkey we had a tool that you could fit onto any lug nut and hammer it on and then use that as the nut, worked about 80%of the time, the rest of the time it snapped off the lug.

So he leaves me and comes back about 15 minutes later and asks if I am hungry, thirsty, need coffee etc.

I told him flat out:
"I've had no issues with you." and I actually didn't. Then I went on to say "Well, you told me that you'd have the dent wizzard here today and you couldn't deliver but I'm dealing with that and am going to have the guy come out to my house and do it on your dime. But, honestly, between driving 45 minutes to get here, being d!cked around by service and parts and then not having the things I needed completed...you'll never see me at this dealership again."

He then helped me with my soft top removal.

As for the wrapping up the lug nut story, they removed all 5 locking lug nuts and replaced them with regular lug nuts and told me they would ship me free of charge a new set with a new key, free. (second battle..."won" )

All the time, jokingly with the salesman so he would know I wasn't totally pissed at him I kept bugging him why he talked me into the black Jeep, he should have just let me buy the green one.

But seriously, this is why American dealerships are in the ****ter.

When I took deliver of the Jeep (both times) the salesman just basically put the keys in my hand and said see ya later!

As for the Jeep, I love it so far. But, most of the Wrangler owners around here don't even waive like they're supposed to.

I am thinking about sending a letter in to Chrysler, what do you guys think?
Do you think I should be asking/demanding anything? This was just crazy, it hasn't been the best introduction into the Jeep lifestyle.

I know not every dealership is going to be this way, as a matter of fact the dealership that is like 5 minutes from my house I have heard awesome things about and will be going there from now on...starting with the lock that'll be getting paid for by the original dealership.

*side note - When I went back on the 24th of Jan to pick up my green Sahara I told the salesman I really preferred the black one and inquired about it again. He reitterated that it was under deposit, but the guy was supposed to be there that day to pick it up and didn't show. So he looked at me and asked me if I wanted the Green or Black. I thought about it for a while (actually not wanting to take another man's car, but in the end the black Sahara won out).

lc619fr

Ok start off with the last question and work up. I'm running a 35 on my tailgate right now and you can just see the 3rd brake light. The problem with that big of a tire on the tailgate is it puts alot of stress on the hinges.

Tires- I use procomps tire conversion chart (h t t p://www.procomptires.com/info/conversionchart.htm) just because it's the easiest for me to find. Most tire places also have u.s. measurement to go along with the metric. Make sure that if/when you get new tires you also get wheel spacers, alot of people are kind of iffy about them but as long as you get the ones that have new lugs on them such as spidertrax you'll be alright, you can get them from Dave at northridge he's a great guy to work with and shipping is free on everything over 100 bucks(http://northridge4x4.com/proddetail....SPIDER-WHS-010) The reason you need spacers for the stock wheel is becuase the stock wheel doesn't offer enough back spacing and anything of a 10" wide tire will rub at full turn.
Picture to show you the third brake light.