1. Home
  2. Isuzu Cars
  3. Does Isuzu really want customers?

Does Isuzu really want customers?

Good lord, I just got off the phone with Isuzu's Customer "Service" line, 1-800-255-6727. Clearly Isuzu has decided it wants no more car sales, from anyone, for any reason.

I posted about my transmission awhile ago, and took it to a dealer to be fixed. The dealer may (or may not) still help me out, so I won't mention the name - yet.

I took it to the shop and they told me 4-5 days to rebuild it, for about $2600. Or, they said they could install a factory rebuild for about $3600, also about a week to do. Warranty was the same, or so I was told, and the transmission tech wins awards every years.

So, I choose the rebuild option. That was March 15.

Now, at April 14, we're still waiting for "transmission lines". Stuff you know you need, day 1, when you pull a trans. Starting with the rebuild kit itself.

Every week I called for status, and every week I'm told more and different parts were back ordered, but here now, and they could start putting it back together tonight (when the trans tech works).

Well I flipped on the dealer's manager today, and he was unprepared to do anything. Gave me Isuzu's customer "care" number. I called, and for all things holy I will NEVER buy another Isuzu vehicle in my lifetime, and will tell my story to everyone that will listen, in hopes they too may save themselves the headache. The Isuzu freak on the phone wouldn't let me finish a single sentence. Minutes into this "conversation" he decided to ask if this was a warranty repair. That "no" was the only fully formed bit of information he allowed me to pass. Shortly after he hung up on me.

Nice.

To all that read this e-mail... Buyer beware. Isuzu will NOT be there for you if you need them. At least not willingly. So go ahead and buy their products, but perhaps you should retain a lawyer too.

Anyway, I'm filing with Better Business and the local department of consumer affairs.

I told the dealer's manager that, and he pleaded I should be accepting of the fact it takes 4-5 days to get parts from Isuzu. So, 5+5 is 10 days, right? Well, why was I told 4-5 to finish, then? If they knew, up front that these were the shipping times?

Now I get to pay as much for the shop rebuild as a factory rebuilt unit would have cost, in car rental fees to the dealership. And, the service manager now tells me the warranties would have been better on the factory rebuild. (I was told the two options would carry the same warranty).

I was lied to. Flat out lied to. Walked down a garden path.

I have a legitimate beef, and Isuzu didn't just walk away, but was rude and ignorant in doing so.

My lesson has been learned.

Reply to
Me
Loading thread data ...

Hang in there and don't give up! Andy

Reply to
Busman

Reply to
Buhda

Timing belt is 100K item on my Amigo. I have not had much luck with the local dealers. They just don't seem to want to earn a customer. Nothing like being forced to do the work yourself. Parts departments have also been pretty pathetic. I'm now in my 8th week of waiting for door courtesy lamp covers and depite the fact that I have the correct part number, they can't seem to get the right part (3 times, they have gotten the gray plastic cover for the hole and not the lens). Will have to order from St. Charles Isuzu from now on. They seem to want the business and give a nice discount if you mention the Isuzu Forum. Andy

Reply to
Busman

I think that depends on the dealership...I'm sure you'll find that for about any brand vehicle if you look around a bit - someone always wanting to take you for a ride. Overall, I've been happy with our local dealership...the

15k service on our Trooper was $200 or $300 (can't remember now, been a few months) and $100 of that was a fuel injection service (not sure if it was really necessary). I guess we'll see as time goes by. It probably doesn't help any that Isuzu isn't selling any of their own vehicles this year. Hopefully by next year they'll get a real Isuzu back on the lot... I know dad called them about the recall they had on the 92-94 or so model year Troopers, and the person he talked to was very friendly. If nothing else, I'd call back and complain to the manager...otherwise the manager may not know he has a real jerk for an employee...

Good luck!

Wesley

Reply to
Wesley

Thanks. Here's the follow up...

The dealer pulled through and paid down a reasonable portion of the rental car's cost. I rented through the dealer, so I lucked out with that.

In conversation, the dealer told me that he'd rather not work on Isuzu's. Isuzu isn't just jerking off original owners, but the dealerships too. Indeed, the dealer I bought the car from is gone, as is another I thought was nearby. Now the nearest dealer, other than the one I use, is over 60 miles away. All gone. All fed up with the Company's antics, I'm told.

For those of you out there, thinking that being under warranty is going to save you... Isuzu has a "no rental" policy. It also seems to have a "we have no parts in the US" policy. And, on occasion, it seems to have a "we never intended to ship that part we confirmed, either" policy.

So, they'll probably fix your car... When they're good and darn well ready, and not one minute before. If you have to rent a car to get by, it's ALL on you. However long they chose to take.

In my case, the dealer was waiting for a couple of parts. Having been motivated by me, the dealer called into them and found that one of the parts was still weeks away - and the other simply was not going to ship - ever. Isuzu was going to let everyone just wait, and wait, until the cows came home. Not like they didn't have the part either. From what I gathered, they told the dealer to have the one part fabricated, sent to Japan, and they'd "finish" the dealer's part and that finishing would, of course, include the part he needed. Oh, yea, expect it to take weeks.

So, the dealer had the damned thing made overnight at a local hydraulic shop.

The Trooper is home today. But I'll never touch another Isuzu, and seeing how they're in cahoots with GM (the trans, and all it's parts, are GM's after all) - I'm flat out going to avoid them too. This experience was soo very bad, that somethings rotten enough with they're view of their "customers" that they both stink of it.

*********************************** Busman wrote:

Reply to
Me

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.