Service - road test joy rides

[goddess.xalicax]

Hi all

I've had to bring my Mustang into my dealership to have a few things checked out since delivery. When I picked it up I noticed they have driven the car an extra ~30KM from memory based on the odometer reading. At that time I didn't have a dashcam installed - so the query was simple they needed to test the vehicle to ensure everything is fine.

I have no proof of what happened and why they needed to drive ~30KM but it is what it is. My 3000KM complementary service is approaching and I was wondering if anyone had experience during regular service to request "no road test"? AKA, don't drive my car around. I've seen too many horror stories of mechanics driving customer's cars hard, and I guess I'm just a little "worried" for lack of a better term.

Thanks!

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[Alan Applegate]

I have observed that myself. Long story, but the short of it is, they took my (then) Honda to lunch! Problem was, they were seen leaving the restaurant and a friend of mine recognized the license plate. All the time while I was waiting in the lobby. A text and iPhone call later, and...

I have both a hardwired dash cam, and I always check the milage and reset Trip B, just in case.

 

[Neggytive]

Any time we align a car, or do a major service, we drive the car.

I can always tell when the shop owner is unhappy with an alignment he has just done, usually on a classic car, when it comes back in the parking lot and he drives it right back on the alignment rack

I can tell when he is happy when it gets parked in the completed waiting to be picked up row.

I have had times where I have had to drive a car 75 miles in order to get the monitors to go green to do a NH State motor vehicle inspection

A 25 mile trip to attempt to get an Audi oil level sensor to come back on ( no effn dipstick, the only way to get the oil level is electronically) was a royal PITA

Some tire pressure sensors require long drives to get them to register to the car (KIA, Toyota) so it is road trip to do so.. you can't hand a car back to a customer with a huge bill and tell them to drive it and if the light doesn't go off bring it back. It makes it seem like you are not capable of fixing the car and that is not good for business.

We drive cars when we HAVE to, we don't do it for fun

We don't make any money when driving a car for no valid reason

Many of the cars we do are very high end restorations and I don't want the liability if it should get damaged.

We had a 70 Shelby mustang ragtop go up in flames 30 minutes after leaving the shop, it was not because of anything we did when we worked on the car, but if it had happened and we had possession of the car for repairs, our insurance carrier would not have been happy if we had to file a garageman's liability policy claim.

In 1982 I was working at a LM dealership, the service manager took a customers car home overnight, he totaled it. That taught me a valuable lesson, don't drive customer cars unless it is needed.

 

[MAT1955]

@Neggytive ..... I agree. But there is a massive problem with road tests and vehicle shuttling. Many have seen vehicles pull out of dealerships and had the hell rodded out of them or shuttle/delivery guys racing them on freeways. I think concerns about potential abuse from dealership personnel are a legitimate concern.

 

[Neggytive]

@Neggytive ..... I agree. But there is a massive problem with road tests and vehicle shuttling. Many have seen vehicles pull out of dealerships and had the hell rodded out of them or shuttle/delivery guys racing them on freeways. I think concerns about potential abuse from dealership personnel are a legitimate concern.

Well I may have been guilty of that back in my dealership days....

When I bought my Mustang, the dealer said they would deliver it to my house, which is in another state and a 20 mile ride straight up Interstate 93, plus side roads.

Needless to say I said I would come back with plates and proof of insurance.

I was kind of pissed they would not let me take it home on my dealer plates but they were willing to drive it on theirs.

 

[Deano1978]

That is interesting, cause If they damage or worse smash it I'm not sure if Insurance would cover it without having to pay an enormous excess here in Australia. We generally have to nominate which ppl are authorised to drive it to set your premium and min excess, anyone not at that list and the excess doubles/triples for every claim.

 

[roadpilot]

That is interesting, cause If they damage or worse smash it I'm not sure if Insurance would cover it without having to pay an enormous excess here in Australia. We generally have to nominate which ppl are authorised to drive it to set your premium and min excess, anyone not at that list and the excess doubles/triples for every claim.

They have custody and control of it as part of thier business servicing it. If your laws are so convoluted that they can destroy your car without any responsibility, I feel sorry for you.

 

[Deano1978]

Thanks Roadpilot, its prob something I should ask the dealer and insurer to see if we're covered over here, unless someone local already knows the answer.

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