Ticked off at Walmart - Montana Owners Club

sreigle · 01-12-2005, 12:29 PM

I took our 2+ month old truck to the local Walmart to have the wheels rotated. As soon as I started the truck when they finished I felt a significant vibration that was not there before. I immediately got hold of the auto service manager and had him feel that vibration. He made a note on the ticket and said get it checked out and let him know if it's their fault. I do have to give them kudos for this approach, so far.

I crawled underneath today and found obvious marks where instead of lifting the truck entirely by the frame they ahd the front lifts on the skid plate under the transmission. I guess it was the front ones anyhow. It bent the skid plate and pushed it up against the transmission. Hard against the transmission. I tried prying it down but couldn't budge it. Hopefully it didn't damage anything else.

I called the service manager and he is going to call me tomorrow with insurance numbers to give the Ford Truck Center I plan to have replace the skid plate and check for any other damage.

Not real bright that kid who did the rotation. At least Walmart is not giving me any trouble about this, so far. I think it helped to get the manager to feel the vibration before I left the lot. And he could see it's a new truck so it's not likely to have been a pre-existing problem.

azstar · 01-12-2005, 01:44 PM

Hi Steve,

No more Wal Mart for me. I'll buy goods from them but not any service.

On our way back from NY to AZ last summer we stopped at a Super WalMart in KC Mo. for an oil change. A couple of days after we arrived home I decided to check the oil level. What do I find? The oil filler cap is gone and in It's place is a 2 foot long plastic funnel on to which the hood was closed.

Fortunately no oil blew out and the funnel showed no damage. Just pure luck that it did stay put between two tappets.

Called WM Hdq. and they had the store manager call me to let me know that the Tech. had been let go, because of other issues. He also sent me a $50 cert. to used at WM. I used it to buy my Mobil 1 and now I change the oil myself.

If you want to see the worlds longest thread look under WalMart at RV.net. Stories of wheels falling off on the way home from tire rotations, seized engines from oil plugs falling out and etc.

Love the stores hate the service.

Happy Camping

RC and Samantha · 01-12-2005, 02:41 PM

Steve, sorry to read about your new Truck. Dick would be livid. Heck so would I for that matter...it's my truck. LOL

Both of you Steve's stories are chilling. I think we'll stay clear of service there.

Patty

lightningjack11 · 01-12-2005, 03:01 PM

Sorry about your problem Steve. That is a real bummer. I doubt if Walmart trains their people that well.

palebluedot · 01-12-2005, 03:32 PM

My daughter took her Dodge 1500 into the local Wally for an oil and filter change. They paged her over the store loudspeakers to say they had a problem and to please report to the service bay. The problem was the right side of her truck was missing. The kid pulling the truck into the bay swiped the whole passenger side on the bay entrance door. Of course they paid for the repair, but what can you expect from an organization paying minimum wages to untrained workers. I do all my own oil/filter changes, so I know for sure it is done right. If I screw it up, then I got no gripe.

Bill Hill · 01-12-2005, 03:34 PM

Steve,
That's scary, I don't know if I would have been as calm as you were, my truck is my baby! Hope all works out well.

OntMont · 01-12-2005, 03:43 PM

I seem to remember we had a lot laughs around the campfire at the MOC Rally about Steve's "Adventures in Wallyland". This one is not so funny as the "bomb scare", and we do hope all can be made right.

Montana_2771 · 01-12-2005, 06:23 PM

I'm glad my experience with walmart wasn't as bad as some of yours. They over tightened the bolt in my oil pan and striped it out. Thus my truck was leaking oil all over my new driveway. Sorry only goes so far. I too no longer use Walmart for their service department.

Shanna Clark
2001 Dodge Cummins HO
Air bags
Awaiting arrival of 3400 RL

Glenn and Lorraine · 01-13-2005, 12:56 AM

We arer one of Wally Worlds best customers. Rarely do we shop in any other store and never at a Krummy-Mart.

BUT

Never would I take anything to or buy anything from Wally World that required any kind of technical know how.
I once had a tire balance problem and went to see Wally only to have a worse balance problem when I left.
Wally doesn't get the most experienced mechanics at the salaries they pay. The neighbors kid was a lot boy at a used car lot. He washed and vacumed cars, he got a job servcing cars at Wally's.
One of my most recent purchases was a bike which I had to damn near completely disassemble and reassemble to get it working proberly.
Go into the electronics and ask some technical questions about some of their electronics. In most cases they are lucky to know how to turn it and now you want them to answer some techy questions?

Montana_2304 · 01-13-2005, 01:18 AM

Always remember, you get what you pay for. It might cost a few dollars more to go to a dealer, but you can almost be sure it's done right and if not they have the parts and equipment to fix it if it isn't. Good luck,I think I'd still go to a dealer to check for more damage so at least you could come back on Walmart for cost.

Charlie and Sue

tweir · 01-13-2005, 02:22 AM

I've been a mechanic for nearly 40 years. I've seen so really botched "shade-tree" repair jobs and have also witnessed chain-store/chain-lube joint goof ups. After working all week on other folks' vehicles, the last thing I want to do is spend time on my day off working on my stuff---unless its our RV or my fishing buddy's boat. Our local Chevy dealership's oil change prices are very competative; not to mention they always put a 5 buck discount sticker on the mileage reminder. The only downside of using the dealership is all of the new "stuff" on the lot---kinda makes your eyes glaze over and puts weird "shopping" thoughts in your head...!One last note: I've used the same dealership for the past 18+ years and "customer loyaty" does reap returns. Had an in-tank fuel pump go out on our personal truck. The unit was out of warranty by nearly 3,000 miles. I had mentioned to the service writer at the dealership prior to the failure, that I was having intermittant "hard-start" conditions when I had the truck in for service. When the darn pump went out, the dealer fixed it---no charge. I had just installed an in-tank pump at work on a customer's vehicle that same week, and I do know how much this costs. In effect, the dealership wrote off about 600 bucks---sorta; see, I got that glazed look in my eyes while waiting to pick up the truck and these weird "shopping" thoughts took over my rational thought processes: I ordered a new truck...!

Gene Chaltry · 01-13-2005, 03:25 AM

Steve, Glad you found it before you left. I had my oil changed at Wally World a few years ago in Idaho. They put the wromg oil in. Glad I caught that before we left. They drained it and filled with the right oil.

Bill and Ann · 01-13-2005, 03:46 AM

Wow! Scary reading. I will stick to having my work done by a dealer.

Joyce H · 01-13-2005, 04:38 AM

Thanks for all the heads up. Sorry to hear about all the problems. Steve, how about a report on the campground you are staying in on Tybee Island - Maybe under Campgrounds- How is the weather holding for you, temp, etc.? We want to spend some time in Savannah area when we head back north in early spring.

RC and Samantha · 01-13-2005, 09:45 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by OntMont

I seem to remember we had a lot laughs around the campfire at the MOC Rally about Steve's "Adventures in Wallyland". This one is not so funny as the "bomb scare", and we do hope all can be made right.

Oh gosh John, I remember that! LOL I think most of us had tears rolling down our faces we were laughing so hard. I'm trying to remember the "bomb scare" but this old mind of mine is forgetting.

Steve, let us know how it all goes with the fix. You've just about convinced us that we won't ever give Walmart a chance at servicing the truck unless we are stuck with no other choice.

Patty

stiles watson · 01-13-2005, 12:25 PM

Steve,
Thanks for the posting. It reinforces my hesitancy about using chain store mechanics. This is not just Walmart, but others also. If I can't or don't want to do it, it's dealer time. I also recognize that you can get bad service at dealers, but odds are somewhat reduced.

Dave e Victoria · 01-13-2005, 06:19 PM

Steve,
Sorry to hear about the bent plate. I agree with so many of the replies above .. I take it to the dealer or do it myself. I find the dealers are competitive on the little stuff and make up the difference on the big stuff. But, even at the dealers it pays to be carefull--for instance, the GM service people will try to get you to change out the internal filter on the tranny when Allison says it is an overhaul item.

But, You havn't told us haow the new truck tows. I'm sure you are on the road by now........

snowbunny · 01-14-2005, 01:44 AM

It's not just Walmart. Last fall after Pla-Mor I was in Cape Charles VA heading south when my change engine oil light came on. I was a bit surprised as we had a GM dealer do the change before we left on the trip but we proceeded to Norfolk and went to Pep Boys. Big mistake. An hour later I finally got the attention of a counter person and asked why it was taking so long. He informed me that they had one of the oil filters my truck took but didn't have the other and were trying to get one. To my knowledge the Duramax has only one filter so I asked to see the one they were looking for. They showed me the fuel filter, which I suppose, to a high school dropout on drugs was the right size and shape as an oil filter.

I got out of there as quick as I could and thank God the truck is still running.

OntMont · 01-14-2005, 05:38 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by snowbunny I was in Cape Charles VA heading south when my change engine oil light came on. I was a bit surprised as we had a GM dealer do the change before we left on the trip but we proceeded to Norfolk and went to Pep Boys.

If whoever did the oil change did not reset the computer for the oil change alarm, it will not know that the oil was changed and therfore come on before it should. I find that few of them do the reset, so I always reset it myself to be sure. The instructions are in the book, but I think it is "turn the key to "on" and press the accelerator pedal 3 times within 5 seconds".

snowbunny · 01-14-2005, 02:19 PM

Thanks Ontmont,
I discovered that myself when the oil light came on again after leaving PepBoys. I was more than a bit worried that something serious was wrong with the engine so I looked in the manual and found out about resetting it.

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