So my wife and I have been fighting with Subaru for the past month or so trying to get a noise fixed on our new car. We have taken it in 4 times, to 2 different dealers, and they have not been able to fix the noise (they acknowledge that it does exist though). Fixing the noise would likely require a half day or so of labor on their part since it’s coming from behind the interior trim pieces in the back. I get the feeling both dealers are trying to avoid fixing the problem since they keep coming back to us with quick/cheap fixes to parts in unrelated areas instead of the area where the noise is actually coming from.
Needless to say, I am very upset about the whole thing. I can’t force them to fix it, even though it is well within the warranty. That leaves me with figuring out a way to persuade them… I’ve tried the nice approach, but that has failed. I’ve tried the firm approach and they give me the standard corporate lip service… I need some kind of leverage.
Have you tried going to Subaru of America, taking a step past the dealership level? You can also try posting on Subaru of America’s facebook page. I did that once when I was getting the runaround at the local Verizon Wireless store and on the 800 number. I got assistance ASAP.
I think that’s the next step, @doschicos. We’re making another trip to the dealer on Saturday to pick up the car (this is the 5th attempt at fixing it)… My hopes are low though since the service manager told me they replaced some bracket on the hatch, which is nowhere near the rattle noise.
I will definitely take it up a notch if it still persists after that. Good tip on the facebook comment though! Hadn’t thought about that…
Also if your dealership has one of those rating systems for satisfaction tell them you are planning on giving them a 1 if it’s not fixed. I know some dealerships really care about those.
Go on Twitter as well. I opened a Twitter account years ago because my power company was very responsive that way, while if you telephoned, they just left you on hold forever.
I don’t think a rattle would come under the Lemon Law.
Oh believe me oldfort, my patience is completely gone at this point…
I forgot to mention all of the scuffs, smudges, and scratches the techs have left on the seats and trim pieces trying to fix the noise. It no longer feels like a new car in my book.
The whole thing is beyond unacceptable IMO. The question is what’s the best way to proceed.
I would call Subaru America to see if you could get any where with them. If not, then get hold of head of Subaru. If you bother him/her enough, they’ll want to do whatever is needed to make you go away. You could threaten them with a thread like this on CC. This is no joke. Years ago, a CC’er complained about her son being stuck by side of a highway and couldn’t get AAA to do their job. I forwarded the thread to a senior executive at AAA. The poster got her money back and a big apology. No car company can afford bad press. Let them know you would use social media to let everyone know about your experience.
D2 got a defective iphone last Dec. They tried to fix it, but it just never performed. I finally called them (6 months later) to ask for a new phone. They said it was passed the warranty period, but they would give her a refurbished phone for free if we paid for shipping($29.99). I told them that the phone never worked well, we did our best to follow their instruction on getting it fixed, and it wasn’t our fault it took so long for them to realize it couldn’t be fixed. I actually said to them, “What if this was a car? If you bought a car and it was defective, would you be happy for the dealer to give you an used car to replace the brand new car you paid for?” The manager said to me, “I get what you are saying.” They waived shipping fee and gave my daughter a brand new phone.
Definitely go onto the Subaru forums for YOUR model and see if any others have had that complaint and FOUND a solution. If so, then take that to dealership and tell them exactly what and how it needs fixing.
What doesn’t make sense is the dealers make money on repairs that are under warranty. They should be THRILLED to pull apart the entire car to fix it because they get reimbursed for labor.
Be done with the parts department. Go to the salesman who sold it to you, then his boss, and the owner of the dealership.
If you know exactly where the noise is coming from why let them work on any other area of the car? Have the service guy sit in the back of the car and drive him around so he can hear exactly where the noise is.
Did they give you a loaner car? I would take your car for a short test drive and if the noise is not resolved drive it right back. Tell them you are keeping the loaner until they fix your new car.
The owner of the dealership is ignoring our phone calls.
Nope, no loaner car. They didn’t offer one, and we tried asking for one. They said they only hand them out for major repairs requiring multiple days. A rattle didn’t qualify as a ‘major repair’.
The whole thing is just crazy-town right now. They are hoping we will just go away, but that’s definitely not happening! Quite the opposite in fact…