Whiteout FR-S Towed into Dealership

[ruskymx]

I spoke to a couple of master techs at the dealership and they confirmed that checking the diff, tranny etc are not part of a PDI. It is the responsibility of the plant that built the car to make sure those are all at their required levels. It seems that this was just a rare case of a major ooops by the manufacturing plant.

It still wouldn't hurt to check your fluids just to be safe and make sure this isn't a more widespread problem. Better safe than sorry!

BTW, the dealer didn't put a front plate on it. They are not required in the state of Pennsylvania, but I have seen some dealers putting holes in bumpers just to have one of their plates installed. It drives me nuts!

Ruskymx

[White64Goat]

"I spoke to a couple of master techs at the dealership and they confirmed that checking the diff, tranny etc are not part of a PDI. It is the responsibility of the plant that built the car to make sure those are all at their required levels."

So basically the dealer now tells the customer, "It's not our fault, the factory goofed". As a consumer I'm afraid I would not be buying that and my first question to the service writer is of course going to be "Why didn't your prep guys check that fluid level?" If I was that service writer I don't think I'd have the balls to say "It's not our job to check that".

I guess if a wheel had fallen off and it wasn't on the PDI sheet to check lug nuts, once again it's the factory's fault. I'll bet if the car is an automatic the dipstick gets checked............at least I hope so.

[vividracing]

Personally I think you guys are over reacting on stuff that happens to the FR-S/BRZ.

They are making thousands of these cars. Stuff is going to happen. Its the odds game.

Now I can not speak for Toyota, But I know other companies that ship with very low oil levels. Why you ask? Keeps shipping costs down. All that gear oil adds up in weight. The penny savers win out. Most motorcycle companies ship without fluid as well. Now they are crated so its easier. But they still save money the same way.

I looked around our FRS this morning. Without going under the car there is no way to check that stuff. PDI tech is not going to do that. Only if there is a dip stick.

The bottom line.... Don't rush the PDI staff. Your only pushing them to take short cuts. Then later on your going to bitch because something was over looked and happen on your car. And stuff happens.... Relax, warranties are for these reasons right here.

FR-S / BRZ's are going to get crashed, They are going to have problems. It happens....

[White64Goat]

I'd feel the same if it was a Ford Focus or a ZR-1 Corvette. Back when I did new car service every car went up on the lift so that we could check that suspension nuts were tight and there was a cotter pin in each one. That there were clamps on all the gas lines, there were no leaks, rear end and manual trans fluids were checked. Lug nuts checked, all lights, seat belts, A/C, heat, radio, seat adjusters. Basically the whole car got the once over and then it got road tested for squeeks, rattles and performance.

Dealer prep is designed to catch small things that might have gotten overlooked at the factory or may have happened during transport.

Yes, warranties are made to repair problems, but would YOU be happy if your brand new car, only one day old or two or three, locked up a transmission because it had no fluid? No you wouldn't.

And if 'gee, didn't they check that when they serviced it' go through your mind, then I've got a bridge for sale......

[FT-86GOD]

I know it's been said but what a dikhead putting a sticker on the boot... Surely they asked before they did?!.. If I rocked up to pick up my new car to find there was a sticker on it the dealership tried to sneak on I would be pissed!!!!!

[Lytheum]

my dealer badge was larger then the subaru badge. it came off the same day i got the car!

as for the transmission...stuff happens! itll get fixed for free and im sure they will have a renter/loaner till it gets back.

[vividracing]

Originally Posted by White64Goat

I'd feel the same if it was a Ford Focus or a ZR-1 Corvette. Back when I did new car service every car went up on the lift so that we could check that suspension nuts were tight and there was a cotter pin in each one. That there were clamps on all the gas lines, there were no leaks, rear end and manual trans fluids were checked. Lug nuts checked, all lights, seat belts, A/C, heat, radio, seat adjusters. Basically the whole car got the once over and then it got road tested for squeeks, rattles and performance.

Dealer prep is designed to catch small things that might have gotten overlooked at the factory or may have happened during transport.

Yes, warranties are made to repair problems, but would YOU be happy if your brand new car, only one day old or two or three, locked up a transmission because it had no fluid? No you wouldn't.

And if 'gee, didn't they check that when they serviced it' go through your mind, then I've got a bridge for sale......

I used to be a level 4 Ducati/MV master tech... Everything and I mean everything was checked.. I walked each bike with a set of torque wrenches. Hell I fixed stuff that was known problems at the PDI even without being paid for it. But I knew the customers where happy. I knew after they saw on the forums about a problem they would be calling trying to get it fixed. Then I could always tell them it was already done at the PDI. Everything had a check list to check. And each night I could not sleep at night unless my mental check list was crossed off before bed. I have had some pushy motorcycles guys over the years as well. But end of the day I won. I held and stuck to the standard people came to us for. I had one guy even after the safety talk. He still pushed me to get his bike on the road. Cracked handle bar on the throttle side. (1098R) I loaded his bike up and took it to the dealer on the other side of town. Told him thank you, But sorry I could not help you.

He would have crashed and then blamed me for it. No thanks...

Don't rush the PDI guys. I know you want your car. But let the guys do their jobs it all about safety. The Factory is not perfect!

[demby123]

Originally Posted by csaba

There is a fill up hole and when its full oil will spil out of it . Just like the differential fill up

Depends on the fill type, some don't spill out, you just have to check if its level with the bottom of the hole.

[russv]

Originally Posted by Hawaiian

Il would kill the dealer just for that sticker alone.

Terminate with extreme prejudice

[csaba]

Originally Posted by demby123

Depends on the fill type, some don't spill out, you just have to check if its level with the bottom of the hole.

If its spils out it means its level with the bottom of the hole.obviously.
Most cases fill up is like that.

[R Corse]

Originally Posted by vividracing

Personally I think you guys are over reacting on stuff that happens to the FR-S/BRZ.

They are making thousands of these cars. Stuff is going to happen. Its the odds game.

Now I can not speak for Toyota, But I know other companies that ship with very low oil levels. Why you ask? Keeps shipping costs down. All that gear oil adds up in weight. The penny savers win out. Most motorcycle companies ship without fluid as well. Now they are crated so its easier. But they still save money the same way.

I looked around our FRS this morning. Without going under the car there is no way to check that stuff. PDI tech is not going to do that. Only if there is a dip stick.

The bottom line.... Don't rush the PDI staff. Your only pushing them to take short cuts. Then later on your going to bitch because something was over looked and happen on your car. And stuff happens.... Relax, warranties are for these reasons right here.

FR-S / BRZ's are going to get crashed, They are going to have problems. It happens....

Originally Posted by vividracing

I used to be a level 4 Ducati/MV master tech... Everything and I mean everything was checked.. I walked each bike with a set of torque wrenches. Hell I fixed stuff that was known problems at the PDI even without being paid for it. But I knew the customers where happy. I knew after they saw on the forums about a problem they would be calling trying to get it fixed. Then I could always tell them it was already done at the PDI. Everything had a check list to check. And each night I could not sleep at night unless my mental check list was crossed off before bed. I have had some pushy motorcycles guys over the years as well. But end of the day I won. I held and stuck to the standard people came to us for. I had one guy even after the safety talk. He still pushed me to get his bike on the road. Cracked handle bar on the throttle side. (1098R) I loaded his bike up and took it to the dealer on the other side of town. Told him thank you, But sorry I could not help you.

He would have crashed and then blamed me for it. No thanks...

Don't rush the PDI guys. I know you want your car. But let the guys do their jobs it all about safety. The Factory is not perfect!

Your two statements are misleading here. Personally, I own an 1198 R Corse, and spending that kind of money on a bike, there is a certain level of it's mine and when do I get it. However, if the people who are prepping it say it's not ready; I am not rushing it. Though, if it takes 8 hours to walk around my bike to re-check everything the factory already did (buy my bike today, pick it up tomorrow), it literally be perfect. I can inspect everything on my bike in that time, and on my car in 13 hours. If the Master Tech (of which I am not) releases it and it is supposed to be cherry, and it is not; then I am pissing up stream and I am expecting something because that was 8+ hours of my time that not only I had to pay for (prep/PDI) because it's required for a competent individual to look at my toy. Since I am now also out additional, unwarranted downtime that is not my fault, this cannot be unreasonable as it is in no way the consumers fault (in California, check new vehicle Lemon Law). The consumer must pay any and all vehicle fees (Loan/Lease, etc) and gets no vehicle.

Comparing Ducati and Scion is like Apples and Oranges. WIth Ducati, it's necessary to re-inspect everything. Anyone who has every owned a Duc will agree, but they usually know of these quirks before going on to one. They are hand built; not on an assembly lined, and therefore more prone to mistakes. However, if you call Ducati of North America, things tend to get resolved fairly quickly. From what I have been reading, people calling Toyota/Scion of NA haven't been able to get through to anyone competent.

As of this day, I am still waiting for (2) screws owed to me by my selling dealer and an authenticity plaque for my duc; it has been (2) years since my purchase. Give the dealers/manufacturers an inch, and they will take you for what they can for any number of reasons. What makes the difference is the Dealer, and the people who volunteer their time to make each customer a unique guest.

[EsoBOFH]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lange

No dealer is going to pull the plug and check the trans fluid level on a brand new car that arrives from the factory, sorry. Maybe I shouldn't say no dealer, but almost no dealer. It's just not something that happens. I see no wrongdoing on the part of the dealership, only at the factory.

You check for visible leaks and you confirm operation, but you don't go pulling out plugs to check the levels of fluids in the diff and/or transmission, etc.

Jeff

On the contrary, it's very clearly listed on the PDI checklist. The dealers are expected to go through the list item by item, for this very reason.

[motofan]

I think you need to blame factory or Aisin for this one. Transmission oil level is not in the PDI list. I'm looking at it. It includes only a visual inspection of transmission oil leakage. (on page PI-3 and PI-8)

[R Corse]

Originally Posted by EsoBOFH

On the contrary, it's very clearly listed on the PDI checklist. The dealers are expected to go through the list item by item, for this very reason.

Can we get confirmation on this?

Originally Posted by motofan

I think you need to blame factory or Aisin for this one. Transmission level is not in the PDI list. I'm looking at it. It includes only a visual inspection of transmission oil leakage. (on page PI-3 and PI-8)

Can you scan/post this?