The Source for Trucking News, Opinions and Trucking Jobs | Serviced aka Ripped off?

I got my truck worked on yesterday and today. Minor stuff, but since I had the time I decided to see if I could get them taken care of. A warning light on my dashboard came on. According to the book it’s not major, but needs looked at. I also started hearing a whistling noise from my engine brake when it’s on. And I needed the front end looked at because my steer tires are wearing funny.

The light is a wiring harness. $1500. The ABS that it says has a problem is okay. I’ll put black tape over the light. $0.01. The engine brake noise was a gasket they say they fixed. And the alignment guy doesn’t come in till midnight. That night I call them from my motel room and give them the number and remind them I need this in the morning and why it’s there and to call me no matter what time about any problem found. 6am, no call. I call them and it’s on the alignment rack. They call later and say it’s ready.

I’m driving down the interstate, put the engine brake on and the same noise is still there. Same noise, same symptom, same. I go back and say the problem is still there. The mechanic gets in and we go around the block. He doesn’t hear anything. I hear it. It’s pretty loud. I can’t believe he can’t hear it. He gets his boss to get in and ride. He doesn’t hear it and whatever I’m hearing is normal. They may have found a bad gasket, but the symptoms the one mechanic was telling me would be caused by the bad gasket, I wasn’t having.

I feel totally setup. I saw the service manager talk to the mechanic outside the office. They may or my not have fixed something. Oh yeah, they didn’t find anything wrong with the front end. I find that really hard to believe. I’m thinking it got late and they didn’t even look at it.

I hate it when I feel ripped off from a service place (Volvo/ Mack in Kansas City, MO) I usually try and wait till I’m home to get any service. That way I’m not in a hurry and they can take their time and hopefully fix it right. I kind of trust the Volvo in Vegas. I hope I’m building some kind of relationship with them. They at least know I live there, so it’s not a problem to bring something back when it’s not right.

When I get back the truck goes in and before anything happens I grab a mechanic and we drive around the block. If what I hear isn’t normal, I’ve got the worse letter ready to go to KC as soon as I find the right person to send it too. And a copy goes to the corporate office.

Happy Birthday to me. Nice present.