A (Matt) Slap in the face.

Bizarre · #1 07-15-2004, 09:44 PM

(I hope nobody minds the double posting of this, but I fell I must let all of you know of this little adventure).

Well, maybe you read my thread before about getting new
water pump, pulley, and crank and cam seals.

Went in to pick up beloved SVX yesterday from the lovely Subaru dealership in Newark, DE.
Greeted with horrible alternator whine, and two beat
vibration coming from engine. Told them to fix it.

Pick her up today and I have the following new damage to report.
(You can see the lovliness in my newly created locker.)
1. Cracked timing belt housing mount. Left side
2. Ridiculous nut, washer, and bolt holding it on.
3. Damage to my passge. side door where they slammed it on my
brake Club.
4. All 4 top mounts for the double cooling fan are overtorqued and broken.

I guess they did not like making them go back and fix their crappy half-**sed repairs.

Needless to say I am furious. I generally expect to get my car back in slightly better condition than when I bring it in. $800 bucks this cost me. The GM was there and tsk tsked at the damage I was pointing out. "Oh, I've never seen this in 20 years". (Oh please)

Larry was right. Shoulda gone to that guy in New Town Square or the guys in Jersey. That's what I get for rushin' and not talking to everyone here first.

Oh, and they tried to con me into new boots (ergo new axles).
I bet they smashed them with a shop knife. Would not surprise me after this.

I am now going to fight these bozos for a total refund.

Fuming,
Bizarre

LarryIII · #2 07-16-2004, 04:34 AM

BIZZARE,

Sorry about your troubles I hope theat they make it right. Thanks for the warning. I'll put Matt Slap on my s**t list, right under Concordville Nissan Subaru. I guess I won't buy a new Outback XT from them.

PS: You can add Matt Slap to the good/bad/ugly shop list on this site.

zarmien · #3 07-16-2004, 08:54 AM

When I went to look for my SVX I went there and looked at a 92 pearly they had. Well there was rust everywhere one the car and it took them four tries to start it. oh yeah it had 120k on the clock and and was "clicking" really loudly. I was like Hells no! Every SVX that I saw at dealerships was worse off that the private sellers that i saw. Matt Slapp Subaru is a shady place IMHO!!

Greg

GreenMarine · #4 07-16-2004, 09:06 AM

I hear ya man!!! I sure am glad that I'm not in Maryland!!! I say take their @$$3$ to court!!!! Get the money outta them!!!!

svxpert · #5 07-16-2004, 09:35 AM

there a newer Subaru dealership. They have new Subaru techs, probrobly never seen a SVX. Its too bad you didn't get to my place. My tech is a Senior Master Tech from Subaru. Well, if anyone needs service, shoot me an e-mail and good luck with the car man.

GreenMarine · #6 07-16-2004, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by svxpert
there a newer Subaru dealership. They have new Subaru techs, probrobly never seen a SVX. Its too bad you didn't get to my place. My tech is a Senior Master Tech from Subaru. Well, if anyone needs service, shoot me an e-mail and good luck with the car man.

That may be an excuse to people that like hearing excuses... One thing that I do is this.... If I take my car somewhere to get worked on, I talk to the service guy that is gonna be working on the car. I ask him if he's ever worked on an SVX before. If he says "Yes" then I hold him fully accountable for everything that happens to the car. If he says "no" then I tell them that there are service manuals in the trunk, "Use them"... If he didn't want to use them then I would take the car somewhere else or do it myself...

Always be careful about who you let work on your car... I am and my car's condition (besides being wrecked) shows. Again, good luck... I wouldn't take any of thier excuses... They are a Subaru dealer no matter what. If they work on a car (weather they've done it before or not) then they are responsible for that car...

ex.---> I am rated to work on the F-18 weapon system in the Marine Corps. If I decide to go work on a AV-8B Harrier's weapon system (this would never happen in the military) and I screw something up and the pilot ends up crashing his jet then I go to the Brig for a really long time... Point being, if they are not qualified to work on that car then be careful....

Bizarre · #7 07-16-2004, 10:34 AM

Thanks team. Semper Fi.

I will update you all tomorrow night on what they say.
Bringing in SVX bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Saturday morning.

I am like a Jedi when it comes to emotional control, but these morons have introduced me to a new emotion: Rage

My wife has an explosive temper (if I am Mt. Pinatuba she is Krakatoa, Vesuvious, & Mt. St Helens rolled into one)
and we are a great team when it comes to things like this.

The fur will be flying.
Adrian (Bizarre)

ps. Larry, want to meet Saturday afternoon?
ps. SVXpert - I will be in touch soon. Please PM me with a quote for rear wheel bearing replacement and boots/axles (front) replacement. I'd rather give my hard earned coin to you.

benebob · #8 07-16-2004, 12:11 PM

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Ya should've done a search of Matt Slap. I definately had some issues with their idiot department (opps I mean lack of service department). Be firm and talk/deal only with the highest up person you can. Be fair but don't give an inch. Tell 'em you'll picket out front with a sign telling everyone about your experience.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...ight=matt+slap

Funny though how quickly Larry forgets. Must be that all protein diet he's on.

Chiketkd · #9 07-16-2004, 12:18 PM

I've never liked Matt Slap especially when I was looking for an SVX and they had a '95 LSi on their lot with ~90K miles and were asking around 10K for it!

-Chike

CigarJohnny · #10 07-16-2004, 12:19 PM

Bizarre, I know how you feel and it's actually nice to know I am not alone (although I'd rather neither of us had to experience this). I went through a similar deal recently with my SVX and some body repairs I had done up here at Faulkner Subaru in Bethlehem, PA. Best of luck in your dealings with them. I will be watching this thread to see how you are making out.

Link to my dealings: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...threadid=19562

Johnny

svxpert · #11 07-16-2004, 02:51 PM

<<ps. SVXpert - I will be in touch soon. Please PM me with a quote for rear wheel bearing replacement and boots/axles (front) replacement. I'd rather give my hard earned coin to you.>>

P.M.'ed you how many axles you need? both?

#12 07-16-2004, 03:14 PM

Interesting guys, my family buys all our cars from Matt Slapp. I even got my Red SVX from there. Never had any problems, I love the place. I do have problems with ym brakes though, they "fixed" them about 3 times but there still not right. Oh well, Im getting rid of it anyway. Matt Slapp is bringing in a F-150 or a Ram 1500 for me. Im tired of the SVX. It was a good car but a truck is more my style. Plus a truck with a firefighter liscence plate on the front looks a lot better than my SVX with it on it. Mine was FWD anyway. So soon here my SVX ill be sitting on the used car lot at matt slapp. Its a 94 L FWD, bone stock except for KN Filter and Hiper white bulbs. Paint on mirrors sucks but other than that its not bad. Its only got like 58,000 miles i believe now, I think im only the second owner.

zarmien- I know the Pearly SVX you were talking about. That thing was a piece of garbage. the only reason that was sitting on there lot was because it was a long time customers who traded it in. It was WAY WAY over priced though. Matt Slapp does get some real nice used WRXs though.

One more thing, I know a few of the mechanics at Matt Slapp drive SVXs themselves. Just a note.

#13 07-16-2004, 11:03 PM

Bizarre: I recommend you report your complaints to the Better Business Bureau. Good luck with everything.

Bizarre · #14 07-17-2004, 08:20 PM

Well, went in today with the SVX. They fought fist, tooth, and nail as expected. Got the usual boilerplate sales seminar catch phrases:

"Never seen this in my 20 years as a mechanic."
"We were voted #1 in service out of 520 dealerships."
"Your car is 9 years old, of course the plastic will break."
yadda yadda yadda... you broke my car.

Got the runaround for awhile then I asked for:
1. two new fans
2. one new left side timing belt cover
3. total refund of $800
4. replace my left door interior. (see locker)
5. 12 month warranty for labor on H20 pump and pulley.

They offered with much chagrin:
1. two new fan shrouds (OK I can handle that)
2. one left side timing belt cover (oh sure)
3. no refund ( uh oh )
4. repair my left door interior ( OK I'll buckle)
5. no extended warranty. (that confident in your work eh?)

Given this was the asst. Service Manager and THE service mgr does not work Saturdays. I said I had to consider their offer and would contact the mangler... um manager.

I was going to ask for an entirely new Timing Belt Shroud mounting plate (correct me in terminology please). The plastic plate between the covers and the block. But I decided not to press on that one.

Then I get home and think... gee maybe more crap is broken underneath where I can't see. Crawl under and "voila". Two more broken timing belt cover points and another funky bolt washer set up. And yes they broke the mounting plate too. (see locker Damage by Matt Slap II)

I'd like people's opinion on this one. Is the timing belt box supposed to be "airtight"? The rubber seals seem intact.
Should I ask for total repair? I think I should.

Graduating from rage to wrath,
Biz

SubaSteevo · #15 07-17-2004, 10:22 PM

Well I did my timing belt/water pump myself, and I can tell you that the holes on the cover break very easily. As long as its not moving and hitting the crank pulley, and there are no noticeable spaces between the cover and gasket, you should be fine. But go for as much of a re-repair as you can get.