Denver Dealer Warning

Just wanted to warn everybody about the Denver Isuzu Suzuki dealer on

104th Street.

I needed to get a 150,000 mile checkup on my 1997 Trooper. I called a few dealers and got price quotes as well as lists of what they would work on. Denver Isuzu Suzuki gave me the best price by $50 and told me they would rent a car for the day so that I would be able to get around. Sounds like a sweet deal so I head down there.

Once I get there, the Service guy, Keith, tells me it will be another $140 so they can do the transmission flush. I tell him okay, but warning bells are going off.

After I get home I look over the notes I had written down while on the phone with the other dealers and they all included the cost of the transmission flush in their quotes. The Denver Isuzu Suzuki guy was pretty vague about what they covered.

I called Keith up and asked him what was going on. His response was that the other dealers would just jack up the price at the end because they didn't add packing the wheel bearings into the cost. Uh, no, the other dealers included that. Keith didn't offer anything other explanation or options, so I told him I wanted my car back.

When I arrived back at the dealer and was given my key, Keith tells me that I'll now have to pay for the rental car. What!?! After talking with his manager, Clyde, and the manager of the entire dealer, the best they could do would be to match the price of the other dealers. At this point the last thing I want to do is let them work on my car because a) I don't have any trust left in these guys (not that I had a lot in the first place) and b) there's no way I want to add $7-800 to this dealer's bottom line.

So I ended up eating $30 for the car rental and wasting four hours fighting with these guys because they wanted to make some extra money.

Anyone have any suggestions for non-dealers that can work on Troopers in the Denver area?

My advice: Stay away from Denver Isuzu Suzuki!

Reply to
LaxRef
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You mentioned they offered the best *by* 50.00 but didn't mention the actual quotes. Complete trany flush and fluid change costs me 93.00 here in Calif.

Frank

Reply to
F.H.

They initial quote was for about $620 not including tax for the

150,000 mile checkup. They wanted an additi> >
Reply to
LaxRef

Are you saying you paid 678.00 and this did not include any repairs?

Frank

Reply to
F.H.

Looks to me like the mistake was yours: you looked at your notes AFTER you took your vehicle in. Your notes told the story... you should have compared first, then made your choice.

Most important, IMHO, it sounds like you asked the wrong question in the first place... NEVER ask "What does your xxxx mile service cost (and what do you do)?" That's the same as asking "How much do you charge for me to let you rape me (and will I get a cigarette afterwards)?"

You should ask how much will they charge: repack wheel bearings, change tranny fluid, engine oil, coolant, replace belts, etc. etc.

90% of what a dealer does in a miles-based "service" package is a thinly disquised up-sell ploy: a way to get a mechanic's head under the hood to scare you into spending more money.

Always ask for specific tasks to be performed, tasks you know need be performed for the miles you have on your vehicle..

BuddyWh

Reply to
now

Wow, LaxRef, my experience with Clyde and Keith with Denver Isuzu has always been spectacular. Certainly beats Gebhardt in Boulder-I live in Longmont so it's closer to go to Gebhardt, but they always seemed kinda shady; charging $95 per hour, and once lost my keys for three days. I recently took my 2000 Trooper with 3 days left on the warranty in to Denver Isuzu for a laundry list of nitpicks and and some maintainance. Keith was new there; Clyde was busy, so I worked with Keith. He seemed a little less confident at first, but I quickly realized he had everything handled. I was more than happy with the work they did; the prices for the service were reasonable, and their attitude and personality was great, and they took care of ALL of my nitpicks. Perhaps it helped that when I scheduled the drop off, I told them the warranty was expiring, and that I would need almost a half hour to write up the repair order. I also left the car with them for a few days to handle the cold start condition and so they could diagnose, order parts, and finish the repairs at their convenience.

I trust them inherently, and am willing to pay a little more for the excellent service. By the way, the 104 cross town bus runs right there, also, they will give you a courtesty ride almost anywhere you need to go. $30 is not a bad price for a rental car either. They've earned my business. Sounds like you should figure out when to be frugal and when to be cheap. I watch every nickel, but know when money is well spent. Perhaps an attitude adjustment is in order as well- if you are hostile to someone, even a car dealer, they may be less than accomodating to your needs.

Nate

Reply to
Nate V

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