My GenV Dealer/Service Journey Experience

[ViperTony]

So, got a recall notice for the seat position sensor/airbag (P52) and a campaign for the door node module reprogramming for the window learn feature. I started this journey last fall when the recall was first announce but parts unavailable. I live in CT and while Viper techs have been non-existent here for decades it hasn't gotten much better. I knew that it would be a long journey to find someone, if at all, around here but I'm determined to give it a try.

I visited the DriveSRT.com website and looked up dealers. I figured any dealer that shows the Stryker logo would have techs and certified to work on/sell the GenV. The list was short. About 5 dealers in CT that I could research.

Dealer #1:
I contacted this dealer in October of last year. Service guy was knowledgeable about the recall but stated parts were unavailable. He would order them when available and contact me when they arrived to schedule an appointment. I asked for the name of Viper tech but he would not give me the name nor let me speak with him. OK. Anyway, winter came and went, no phone call from the dealer. I called the dealer in February. Another rep stated "Yes, we have you in our system and the part has been ordered. We'll contact you when it arrives." March, April and now May but no call from this dealer. I called the dealer, got a different rep and he told me the part wasn't ordered. I said "Thank you but good-bye"

Dealer #2:
I contacted this dealer in March since Dealer #1 was sluggish. Same drill. I knew the P52 recall details so I had to walk him through it. They've never done one, it's OK, but damn. Looked up the work to be done based on my VIN. Said part would be ordered, etc. I asked if they have a certified Viper tech WITH experience working on Vipers. He said yes and would put me in touch with him when he was back from vacation. OK. Told me he'd call within 2 weeks. Mid April, I call after not hearing back. Different service tech. Tech says he shows the part as being ordered but not arrived yet. He told me it would 3-5 days for the part to arrive and that he would call and schedule an appointment. I said that if it takes 3-5 days and it was allegedly ordered a month ago then...um...I smell b.s. He said he doesn't know why it's taking so long to arrive. Mmmk. Today, a month later after the last call, I called back. Got a different service tech. This guy was really beyond clueless. He couldn't find my information in their system then he found it almost 1/2 hr into the call. He says he shows the part in stock. I asked as to why nobody called me like they promised to, his answer was "I don't know". He asked me if I want to schedule an appointment, I said yes but I'd like to talk to the Viper tech first. He said it was not possible because they had only 1 tech and he was busy. He did offer to let me speak with him when I bring the Viper. I agreed. Appointment scheduled.

I realized I forgot to ask about a loaner car. P52 states the dealer must provide a loaner to the customer. Called back and got clueless again. He said "No loaners". I asked him if there would be a better day when a loaner would be available. He said "You don't understand, we don't offer loaners. Period." OK. I thanked him, cancelled my appointment and went to dealer #3 today. It wasn't due to the loaner but none of them gave me ANY confidence they knew what they were doing. Sorry.

Dealer #3:
Progress or so I thought. Not only was the service rep knowledgeable, courteous and on top of it but they had the part in stock!!! Woo-hoo!!!! I would also be able to speak with the Viper tech when I bring the Viper in. Great! When I asked about the loaner she said "Only if it's part of the service contract." I'm like What?!? She told me that if I purchased a service contract when I bought the Viper, then Yes, I would get a loaner. Ok, this is news to me. I read the paragraph from the P52 that explains the loaner. She says I understand we don't give out loaners we use Enterprise Rental for that and it's free to the customer if you have a service contract. She was going to speak with her service manager to get "clarification". I told her to take her time.

Now, I'm fully aware of the service problem. But as I wrote earlier I was determined. This is really messed up in so many ways it's....it's so full of fail it's a win. Really. Meanwhile, my new Dodge Ram....I've had ZERO issues with service from one of these dealers. It's the complete opposite of how they handle the Viper service process.

Dealer #3 just called. Can't wait to hear the VM. I'm going to end up shipping the Viper to Woodhouse, I just know it.

[swexlin]

Tony, I haven't had the recall done yet, but my dealer and tech are both aware of it. I'll just wait until the fall when I have the car PA inspected and have it done. That being said, while it may not be normal procedure for the dealer to give a loaner, if FCA MANDATES in the recall that the dealer provide a loaner, and they won't, then report them to FCA. The recall is FEDERALLY mandated, I think (right?) so they must do what Corporate says? I could be wrong.

[C.J]

The description of the first two dealerships makes me wonder about the hiring process dealers use up in CT.

My DD had the driver airbag module replaced and it was a 20 minute service appointment. Called to line up the appointment (they too had to order the part), got to the dealership at 7:30 a.m., guy had the paperwork all ready, got a coffee, logged into work, finished coffee, and bam, the car was ready. Car was fine (I'm assuming they replaced the module as the repair order had a s/n for the part on it), and I'm back home by 8:30 a.m. And that is on an $18K Honda Accord. For a Viper, you think the red carpet would be rolled out.

A local CJD dealership here (Capital in Garner) is great to work with. Excellent Viper techs, very organized, very friendly, and only the Viper Tech will drive the car. I like it. :)

[ViperTony]

So Dealer #3 called back and changed their tune on the loaner. A service contract is not required but they won't give me a loaner unless the recall work has to be performed. That's what it says in P52. I'm OK with that. So...she tells me it will take about an hour to remove the seats and determine if the shims are needed. I said OK but while I can wait an hour....I just can't wait 6 hours for the dealer to get to it. I explained to her that the seats must be removed in order to take the measurement and determine if shims are needed. She agreed and read the procedure to me from P52. I like that. Supposedly, I'm going right in and will meet the tech before they do anything. As for the tech, like the other two dealers....their tech is on vacation this week. These techs must have gotten a group rate together and went on vacation the same time. :smilielol: It didn't help matters when she told me that "We don't sell many Vipers so we don't work on them a lot". I like her honesty. I'm going in and will watch the process. Will post my experience next week.

[Propsail]

Tony, were any of them Papa's Dodge?

-Craig

[ViperTony]

Tony, were any of them Papa's Dodge?

-Craig

No, they're next on the list.

[ViperSmith]

What a cluster.

[timberwolf]

No, they're next on the list.
Tony this crap scares me. I wish we could have Tator dodge back and our problems would go away. It would be nice if we could get a petition going and sent to SRT to allow Chuck to do warranty work on these cars as no one else is clearly capable.

[99RT10]

Dealer #3 just called. Can't wait to hear the VM. I'm going to end up shipping the Viper to Woodhouse, I just know it.


What a bunch of BS. Sorry you have to deal with that Tony. Let me offer my services to fly up and pick up your Viper in person and drive it very carefully to Woodhouse Dodge.





:D

[SlateEd]

Tony, thanks for keeping track of this odyssey in detail.
I understand completely if you don't share the names of the dealerships on the forum, but please do seek a way to send it on to Dodge for their information, including dealership names...

And it's so stark in CT... In Greenwich, Stamford, Westport you've got Miller Motorcars bending over backwards for their clients regardless of whether you buy a Veyron or an $85k Maserati.
Greenwich and Danbury Audi both treated me really well with a lowly S4.
It's such a competitive area being within reach of both NYC and the Gold Coast... WTF

[TrackAire]

Very frustrating to say the least. When my wife bought her Range Rover in 2013, I was worried about reliability and how good the dealer would be. Other than a couple of oil changes (at the dealer) the car has been flawless until about a 2 months ago when it hit 30k miles. I had just washed it and took it on a frontage road by my work for a quick blast to remove any water left before the final wipe down. Just as I hit 90 mph, a warning came on the dash that said reduced power. Hmmm...drove back to work, no check engine lights, everything ran normal. I called the dealer and they recommended I bring it in at my convenience. Went out and started the car and it ran normal with no reduce power message. I then thought that maybe I got water on some air intake sensor, etc and that triggered the warning due to the cold water, etc. I figured I'd wait and see if it does it again. Sure enough, about a month later the wife is punching it to get ahead of some traffic entering the freeway and she got the same reduce power message. Ok, something is wrong. Called dealer, took it in 24 hours later and dropped the car off. They too use Enterprise Rental for their free loaner cars (fleet of mid sized 4 door Jaguars).

That afternoon the service writer calls to say that the cars computer shows a faulty fuel pump (the car has two since it is supercharged). They checked the faulty pump but could not get it to fail on the test bench. The next thing he said shocked me.....I was expecting him to say we're putting it back in and see if it acts up again. Instead, he says since the pumps are in a tough location to get to, he is replacing both pumps just to be on the safe side. He was going to have them shipped over night and the car would be ready tomorrow afternoon. I dropped the car off at noon and it was ready 24 hours later. Needless to say, I was impressed that they suggested in replacing both pumps to be on the safe side.

It is funny how things go in cycles over the years with our perception of customer service and who is good and who is lacking. I still don't think major manufacturers actually understand what is important to the consumer when dealing with cars that are considered upper end. I hope FCA really works towards making the after buying experience just as special as when you drive off the lot for the first time. It's not like these guys are making minimum wage at the dealerships. It should not be that hard to get decent help that cares and listens to the customer....but it has to come from the top down and hopefully someone at FCA is listening.

Tony, hope your car gets fixed with no more additional drama.

[viper_eddie]

OK I might be blasted a bit for this, but has anyone ever come across a Dodge dealer with an overall good rating on a site like Yelp? Or any new car dealer for that matter? I was happy, relatively speaking, with the buying process for my Jeep but after that it was all down hill.

I realize there are a few dealers on this site who have a stellar reputation with Vipers but as far as their overall rating goes...well same old reviews online.

[Newport Viper]

I still don't think major manufacturers actually understand what is important to the consumer when dealing with cars that are considered upper end.

I went to a Dodge dealer and opened up the door to take a look inside of a Gen V. 30 seconds later the "sales" team got out the key and locked the car up. Didn't even say a word to me. LOL

MB didn't have any problem throwing me the key's to a $200K++ supercar for a test drive when I pulled up in a 10 year old Viper.... And the rest is hisssssssssssssssstory...

[F2V]

...... I'm going to end up shipping the Viper to Woodhouse, I just know it.

Exactly what I'm doing Tony! Woodhouse piks up my '13 G5 here next week (still enjoying Florida, not looking forward to the roads back home) for rear brake ducts & PCM install, updates and recalls, problem with SRT performance app. Then back to Chuck for misc service, etc...damn shame Dodge hasn't authorized Tator's to warranty service Vipers!!!

[ViperJon]

The Woodhouse trailer can only take one car at a time right?

[F2V]

The Woodhouse trailer can only take one car at a time right?

The I believe so Jon, but better to check with Mark.

[pythonpete]

It just amazes me that our area went from the best with Chuck Tator to having NO ONE to service our cars.

[kickinasp]

Not to flame this anymore, but just some basic facts. Dealers are not owned by FCA. Dealers can and do have certain polices that may differ from dealer to dealer and FCA for that matter. FCA has no or little control over these polices. What FCA can do is based on CSI (Customer Satisfaction Rating) offer dealers certain hard to get vehicles, price reductions on parts, larger kick backs on car sales as an incentive for the dealer to keep the customers happy and provide good service. The dealer is independent and can do what they want when it comes to offering a rental, etc., even if FCA is picking up the tab. If the work can be done in a few hours, many wont offer the rental. If it takes longer, FCA realizes in many cases people can not be without their car for that long and will offer a loaner for the night and picks up the tab as part of the warranty or recall work. Some dealers just plain don't have that many rentals available sometimes .

[mjorgensen]

The Woodhouse trailer can only take one car at a time right?

Funny you should ask this question LOL, I just ordered a 44' custom trailer to make getting cars here more cost effective, unfortunately I will not have it for 9-10 weeks they say. I had it built so I'm able to haul 2 SRT Jeeps so 2 Vipers will be easy. If it works out well I may be able to replace most of out fleet of trailers with these and helping the Viper community get to and from us will be much more efficient.

[ViperTony]

Tony, thanks for keeping track of this odyssey in detail.
I understand completely if you don't share the names of the dealerships on the forum, but please do seek a way to send it on to Dodge for their information, including dealership names...

I will share the names but only after I visit them and speak with their respective service managers/techs.


It just amazes me that our area went from the best with Chuck Tator to having NO ONE to service our cars.

If nothing else Chuck was THE GO TO place for warranty-covered service pre-Chrysler bankruptcy-fiasco. Not only was he the shit up here in these parts for warranty work but Viper owners would ship him their Vipers for warranty work too. How many botched 998 recalls alone did his shop fix?!? Hundreds? Why Chrysler won't allow his shop to service Vipers under warranty is inexplicable.

I think there may very well be techs that can service our Vipers under warranty in CT. From what I've witnessed so far, there's a big disconnect between service rep -> service manager -> viper tech in these shops. It could very well be a case whereby the tech is more than capable and credible but the service depts/dealers don't know/care about Viper service because they don't sell any Vipers. If I call for my RAM, holy shit the service process is like clock-work. Call for the Viper, not so much. They don't know what to do with it which is not surprising because they don't know how to sell it. One of these dealers had a 2013 GTS listed for $179K up until a few months ago, roped off in the showroom.

This is why I'm willing to go through the process here to confirm my suspicions. I want to at least be able to say that I tried, I followed the process and the results were XYZ.

[City]

Tony this crap scares me. I wish we could have Tator dodge back and our problems would go away. It would be nice if we could get a petition going and sent to SRT to allow Chuck to do warranty work on these cars as no one else is clearly capable.


Exactly what I'm doing Tony! Woodhouse piks up my '13 G5 here next week (still enjoying Florida, not looking forward to the roads back home) for rear brake ducts & PCM install, updates and recalls, problem with SRT performance app. Then back to Chuck for misc service, etc...damn shame Dodge hasn't authorized Tator's to warranty service Vipers!!!


It just amazes me that our area went from the best with Chuck Tator to having NO ONE to service our cars.

Me thinks there is a recurring theme here. Although I doubt Chuck would be inclined to restore his Dodge dealership alliance even if asked.

[GBS]

It's a sad state of affairs and involves more than just the dealers in CT area.

[F2V]

Me thinks there is a theme here. Although I doubt Chuck would be inclined to restore his Dodge dealership alliance even if asked.

I seriously doubt a 'dealership' would be in the cards, but an authorized factory Viper service agreement, should be a great hand to hold for Dodge, their Viper customers and Chuck Tator. This is a no brainer! A write in campaign tried to keep his dealership (selling new cars) when Chrysler pulled the pulg, but failed. Now that the dust has settled and new management is well in control, maybe a campaign for authorized service, spear headed by the VOA would get Dodges attention...nothing ventured nothing gained. I don't know Chucks feeling on this, but it does make good business sense imo.

[timberwolf]

I seriously doubt a 'dealership' would be in the cards, but an authorized factory Viper service agreement, should be a great hand to hold for Dodge, their Viper customers and Chuck Tator. This is a no brainer! A write in campaign tried to keep his dealership (selling new cars) when Chrysler pulled the pulg, but failed. Now that the dust has settled and new management is well in control, maybe a campaign for authorized service, spear headed by the VOA would get Dodges attention...nothing ventured nothing gained. I don't know Chucks feeling on this, but it does make good business sense imo.

I agree. In addition, I wish there was a way to get the attention of regional technicians to chime in on the board. Enthusiasts, who have Viper experience. Perhaps sourcing them through lists of dodge specific certifications. Instead of trying to knock on dealer doors, perhaps we can go the other way. Just an idea...

Maybe we can ask Chuck himself his thoughts on this. Maybe he's up for it, or at least be able to refer someone? Or find a candidate that we can encourage a dealer to hire? IF said dealer is guarenteed x number of Vipers, then they may be inclined to hire this guy. It's far fetched but possible.

[mjorgensen]

I have actually used Chuck for the occasional "sublet", but Chrysler will not allow a bunch of that. Chrysler sees that as a last ditch effort and want the dealers to try first... unfortunately...

[Madmav]

I feel your pain vipertony, they make you feel like a king when you buy a viper, but when it come time to have anything done to it no one is willing to help.

[Granger73]

Who's the closest dealer to Chuck?

[LmeaViper]

It's a sad state of affairs and involves more than just the dealers in CT area.

Hmmm....have some first hand dealings myself that have me scratching my head.

[ViperTony]

Update. I had the P51 recall work done today and the tech was great, professional. He took good care of the Viper, followed the recall instructions, no damage, went well no issues with the tech. I would definitely use this tech again. The dealer/service center not so much. And it was as I expected: The service department doesn't give a shit about the Viper or even getting more Viper service customers.

I was surprised to find out that they did not update the PCM or plug in the WiTech at least according to the service mgr. The reason, according to the service manager: "We only do that if it's needed, we don't want to create problems that don't exist by installing the updates." :saw: When I spoke to him on the phone days prior he assured me they would do just that "Oh yeah, the tech will plug in the witech and perform any updates needed on your Viper". I tried to explain the P18 but it was akin to talking to a pretzel. He couldn't find in the computer. This service mgr, actually, the three people behind the service desk, collectively can't figure out which end of a paper bag to stuff things into. The tech had left before I had a chance to drag him into the conversation. I'm going to drop by tomorrow and check with the tech tomorrow about the updates.

[plumcrazy]

sad, that is standard in the dodge dealerships. none of them are worth the time to talk to.

[ViperJon]

Who's the closest dealer to Chuck?

Roanoke. Unfortunately.

[yellowmz3]

Can Chuck do anything with the gen 5 vipers? Does he have all the diagnostics needed?

[ViperTony]

Update: Found a hidden gem,Met with the tech. Good guy. While I've heard of this place I've never visited the dealership. It's pretty cool. It's not the atypical Dodge dealership. Their showroom has a 50's style diner built into it, a small village and the showroom has classic muscle cars on display. That was a pleasant surprise. They're doing my recall work on the door handles. High hopes on this place. :D

As for the other dealership I visited: Something a Viper owner SHOULD NEVER WANT TO HEAR FROM THEIR SERVICE REP:

Me: I need an oil change.
Rep: Is this for the GenV Viper?
Me: Yes.
Rep: Does it take conventional or synthetic oil?
Rep: Yes, this must take synthetic right?
Me: No, they upgraded the oil to Canola oil.
Rep: Which oil?
Me: Are you seriously asking me this question?!?
Rep: Yes but I can't remember the last time we did a Viper oil change. I'll look it up in the computer.
Me: Ok............I wait awhile.
Rep: It doesn't come up on the computer because it's been so long since we've done one.
Rep: How many quarts of oil does it take.
Me: How many quarts does the service manual state?
Rep: Service manual?
Me: Ask your Viper Tech for this information.
Rep: Our Viper Tech? Hey <name not heard>, do we have a Viper tech? Because a customer is asking if we have one.
Me: WTF
Rep: Can I look this up and get back to you.
Me: Sure, take all of the time you need.

FWIW, it wasn't an issue just with this one rep, a similar conversation occurred with another rep there. Holy sh*t!

[dethred]

I am still getting internal emails from the sales guy that I had to deal with. He somehow thinks I am a coworker, but also still sends emails asking if I was still in the market for a Viper... which he sold to me 2 months ago. I'd venture to guess that 90% of everyone that works at car dealerships are in the low 80 IQ range. The trick is to find the one or two people that are above a 90 IQ, and stick with them for everything you need. But then you have dealers like Viper Exchange and Woodhouse that appear to be extremely capable... which means there will be many dealerships that have no one to trust with your car.

[ViperTony]

Miracles to do happen. I'm happy to report that I've found a reputable dealership/Viper Tech here in CT. The dealership is Papa's Dodge in New Britain, CT. The Viper Tech is Dean. I had a chance to meet and speak with him. Dean performed all outstanding recalls, campaigns and updates on my '13 yesterday. As it turns out, he's been a tech for quite some time. They are not your atypical Dodge dealership. Inside the showroom is a 50's-style diner, dance floor, barbershop and the showroom contains classic and muscle cars among the new Dodge/Chrysler/Ram/Jeep models. Pretty cool. It felt like I stepped into a gear-head village. It may actually make for a great local Viper event location especially since they are big in the classic car show scene and dream rides for special Olympics.

The service desk is well run. People behind the counter are professionals. Dean is a professional and treated my Viper as it were his own. After I dropped it off he called to let me know that he found a small indentation on the driver's door panel. It was fine, the indent was from the seat belt getting caught between the door. Though small and unnoticeable Dean let me know about it which is a good sign. Sometimes it's the little things that matter.

He performed the door handle replacement and programming on both doors without issue. Also uploaded a few PCM updates that were outstanding, the Uconnect update, etc. I also had the oil changed which is the first time 9 years that I didn't perform a Viper oil change myself. I'm getting lazy. The service desk kept me informed throughout the day as to the status of the work. Overall a pleasant experience.

I will be going back if more recalls or services is needed on my '13.

[swexlin]

This is good to hear Tony. I must admit, I'm a bit nervous about the door handle recall. I probably wouldn't have it done, but since my door panel is loose anyway (warranty fix) I'm having them do it when it goes in for service in a couple months.

[myoungs]

This is good to hear Tony. I must admit, I'm a bit nervous about the door handle recall. I probably wouldn't have it done, but since my door panel is loose anyway (warranty fix) I'm having them do it when it goes in for service in a couple months.

Mine is in right now for the door handle recall. My driver's window fell down in the door and won't move. They had to order a new glass for it saying that the retainers are gone. Must have never been installed correctly. Probably only had the window up and down a couple of dozen times. I can't find (internet searches, etc) that anyone else has had this issue. Anyway, figured while the door was already apart, go ahead and do the recall too!

We have a good dealer in the Columbus, Ohio area. Ty at Crown is the SRT/Viper service mgr. Trust him with the Viper and the SRT Challenger. Nice to work with a real "car guy". They did the seat recall for me telling me how they tape off the car, etc. to avoid damage when getting the seats in and out. It's a very tight fit!

BTW, they always check for, and install, the latest software updates. However, I did the radio hack update on the Viper, the Challenger and the RAM, all worked perfect!