mchan68 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Okay, at what point in a vehicle's lifespan is it time to call it quits? At what point are we at the dealership level better off telling the customer to "go see the people in the front door" as opposed to trying to make a quick buck off them to prolong the life of their vehicle that little six months (if even that) longer? Today, a truck came in on the hook at our shop. A 1997 F250 7.3L with 389,000 kms. on the clock. The vehicle concern is "loss of brakes" and "fuel gauge doesn't read". As I was walking into the front of service to see the service advisor regarding another matter, I overheard this elderly woman asking someone to see "Michael Ching chang chong .....". That's when I looked up and saw that she had read my name tag and asked if I would be looking after her truck. I replied politely, "What truck?" Anyhow, after the truck was dropped off, I took a quick glance at it and noticed the brake line rusted through at the junction to the left front brake caliper flex hose. I also noticed the rest of the truck was completely rotted underneath. It looked as though someone had went to town with rubber hoses and worm clamps galore on some fuel lines and even brake lines going to the rear of the truck. There was also a spaghetti or wiring hanging loose along the frame. It didn't look like any of the bleeder screws on any of the calipers or wheel cylinders could be loosened without snapping off due to rust. The condition of the body was to the point that there is no way in hell I would put my signature on it to pass a safety inspection. Long story short, there was no way in hell I would be willing to lay a hand on this truck. I guess Mr. Michael Ching chang chong is not going to be fixing your truck lady!!! Here's the kicker. I got our general manager and other more experienced service advisor involved in the conversation with the customer regarding what to do with the truck and they are adamant about getting the truck repaired because they "need to get five more years out of it". I looked at the service advisor and laughed, "that truck will be lucky to make it five more months let alone five years. That's if the MTO guys don't happen to see it and pull the plates off of it, once they pull it over to inspect". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 This would have to be a case by case kinda deal. One of the considerations is the one you have covered. What is it going to cost to make the truck safe (and by safe, I am including "dependable" since a truck that strands anyone on a cold lonely highway at 0dark30 can't be called safe). Another, I touched on in another thread... how much will it cost and how much will the truck be worth when all is said and done? Will they have to borrow the money to fix it? And still another consideration is how much would it cost to replace the truck? New? Used? Lease return? Would they have to borrow the money? My own truck, an '02 SooperKroo is worth more than it's worth. It hasn't yet got 100,000 kms on it, body is what I'd call average ( a door ding here, a few scratches there, some dork backed into the front bumper - no big deal ). I could fix it without borrowing money but I couldn't replace it without borrowing money. With the one you are looking at, the wise man would explain to the customer that there are other, better options. If you have a particular salesperson that you prefer to deal with, introduce the customer to him/her. For your "management team".... I can only suggest getting the OK for a safety inspection and then make sure the quote is astronomical. Include the condition of frame members and rivets and whether the floor pan is perforated or not... you get the picture. Remind those two cretins that your magic wand is in for it's 1000 miracle overhaul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Bruene Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Hey, Chan... Does it really have only 389K? Those odometers count up like this... 399997, 399998, 399999, 300000. They never hit 400k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Hey, Chan... Does it really have only 389K? Those odometers count up like this... 399997, 399998, 399999, 300000. They never hit 400k.At this point it doesn't matter. The truck is a POS. Speaking of odometers, I also noticed a spare used instrument cluster sitting on the passenger floorboard. Perhaps someone else has already had a go at this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregH Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 ... I could fix it without borrowing money but I couldn't replace it without borrowing money... This is an important distinction to make. Value vs like vehicle replacement. A vehicle may not be worth but a few thousand dollars. But how much would they have to spend to get a similar vehicle? If a customer elected to decline a repair, sold the vehicle for what it was worth, would they be able to afford another ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Did she actually call you 'Ching chang chong'? Right there would have been enough for me. Shes gonna start like that my reply is: "that can't be your truck, you're a woman. Only men drive trucks like that!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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