Unprofessional Car Dealer / Car Servicing

LWaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 01:20

Today I took my car out to be serviced at one of Perth "trusted" dealers (you can probably guess who) and upon reviewing the dashcam footage I am shocked to find out that they were "hooning" and "rev bombing" my car. I am also concerned about the fact that they also were pressure washing under my car bonnet while the engine was on… (That can't be good for the electrical / air intake).

I am trying to figure out what is the correct thing to do in this situation.

Should I raise up a complaint at the dealer and hope that they will fix the issue internally (unlikely)? Or should I report them to the car manufacturer/MTA WA hoping that those guys would throw their "weight" around and do something?

For info, I am not looking for a refund as in fairness they did do the service after all. I just do not want them to do this to another customer and also put the public community at risk (again).

Thoughts? And other body I should report this matter to? If I report it to the Police, wouldn't my car get impounded under the hoon laws in WA?

And before anyone asks, no, I will not be publicly naming and shaming nor posting the videos here.

Automotive

Comments

  • jaffar on 18/05/2022 - 01:37
    +3

    Call them up and set up your demands. They messed up and you've got them on camera. Police won't care because they can't ID the driver. If they don't budge you can always call Tracey.

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:57

      Agreed RE: your police statement.

      I will think about my demands before calling them.

  • Overclocked91 on 18/05/2022 - 06:31
    +5

    Speak to the service manager and tell them what you have and what you would like done.

    • pharkurnell on 18/05/2022 - 13:19

      tell them what you have and what you would like done.

      Which in reality is what….

      • Dean29 on 18/05/2022 - 13:39
        +1

        Blackmail

        • pharkurnell on 18/05/2022 - 13:43

          new free car each month or the vid makes youtube

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:58

      Yeah, I will speak to one, I know for the fact that I don't want this to happen again to me or anyone else. But I will think up some demands, just indecisive at the moment anyhow.

  • Euphemistic on 18/05/2022 - 07:15
    +14

    To start with, this is your interpretation of the video and may not be the full story.

    Were they truly hooning or were they testing the acceleration fully to ensure the car was performing properly? Or was it a legitimate burnout or something else actually illegal? If they were driving it illegally get stuck into them. If they just planted it up to the speed limit it’s not illegal, but probably not a good thing to do for a customers car.

    Were they ‘rev bombing’ (whatever that is) or listening for a misfire or something? As much as you consider these ‘hooning’ it might be the dealer considers it a thorough test or ‘blowing the cobwebs out’.

    They probably pressure wash all engine bays the same way and either avoid the intake and major electrical components.

    What sort of car? Fancy pants sports car or a Camry? Maybe you don’t drive hard, but the car can easily handle whatever they did.

    You’ve got every right to raise your concerns with the manager of the dealership and see what their response is. If the response is not suitable, escalate.

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:42
      +1

      Hey Euphemistic, great comment and I love your perspective on the matter.

      I do not inherently disagree with any of your points, and you're right that it's all down to interpretation.

      To clarify my interpretation, my definition of hooning is not just doing burnouts or causing loud exhaust/engine noise, or slightly going pass the speed limit. But rather my definition of hooning is unsafe driving in public roads such as doing speed trials/speed runs (0-100+km/h) in a community build up area (with lots of houses around, that's over 50km/h above the speed limit which could have gotten my car impounded), swerving in and out of cars and making the wheels lose traction across corners due to hard acceleration.

      I drive a rear wheel sports car, and it's easily a 4 second car. In fact, one of the service centre people who took it out for a drive did a speed run and timed it, he said "duddde, it's like 3.6s…" when he took it up to 100km/h+. I am not sure how many speed runs do you need to do to adequately test out the car during service, and maybe my interpretation is unreasonable, but I personally think that taking it out for multiple speed runs (3 times) is taking a p*ss.

      Regarding "rev bombing", I think it's very clear cut, one worker peer pressured another worker into unnecessarily revving the engine for my car during when my car was in the process of being washed so I find it highly unlikely that they were trying to listen for misfires, it's just a blatant disrespect for other people's property.

      Fair enough about pressure washing my engine bay, however he definitely was not avoiding my intake (I can see him spraying it into the intake clear as day).

      I guess one of the reasons why I posted in the first place is because I am kinda torn about what I should be doing. The people in question are either young apprentices or young in age, and I would feel horrible if they got fired over this. I guess I will just have to work out whether they should be reported, disciplined and potentially fired or walk away scott-free. Regardless, there is no way that I would post the videos online on a public forum as I would have no control over how the situation would blow over. The best I could do is slice the video on youtube and take out all user identifiable info/items out of the video, but even then one could easily trace back the location of the service centre based on the street address/surround areas.

      • Euphemistic on 19/05/2022 - 08:48

        If it’s as serious as you say, go back to the dealer and raise hell. Social media at your choice.

        Never EVER go back there.

        • boomramada on 19/05/2022 - 11:25

          Look like a serious issue or troll post. Not much evidence to go by other than personal interpretation.

  • doctordv8 on 18/05/2022 - 07:33
    +3

    Very first place to start… Talk to the service manager. Then come here if you need further clarification.

  • MS Paint on 18/05/2022 - 08:45
    +4

    "hooning" and "rev bombing"

    Please elaborate

    • boomramada on 18/05/2022 - 08:50
      +1

      Testing the breaks?

      • sidesw1pe on 18/05/2022 - 09:46
        +1

        "Testing the breaks?"

        Testing to see how they can break the car

      • pegaxs on 18/05/2022 - 09:48
        +3

        Testing if it breaks?
        or
        Testing the brakes?

      • Xistn on 18/05/2022 - 09:49

        Brakes…

  • Kaz0551 on 18/05/2022 - 08:54
    +9

    Share the video.

    • pegaxs on 18/05/2022 - 09:49
      +6

      I want to see this "hooning" and "rev bombing" for myself.

    • SF3 on 18/05/2022 - 10:36
      +1

      A OzB news exclusive!

      You heard and see it first on OzB forums!

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:45

      I will think about it, see my above comment for Euphemistic.

      I may be open to doing a video snippet without any user identifiable info, though the rev bombing occurred in the workshop so at best all I can do is upload the audio only.

  • p1 ama on 18/05/2022 - 09:14
    +1

    Today I took my car out to be serviced at one of Perth "trusted" dealers (you can probably guess who) and upon reviewing the dashcam footage I am shocked to find out that they were "hooning" and "rev bombing" my car.

    What car do you drive?

    The vast majority (> 95%) of cars on the road are not worth "hooning" in.

    • picklewizard on 18/05/2022 - 14:12
      +1

      Mate I used to hoon in a Honda Jazz. You can hoon in anything.

      • Xistn on 18/05/2022 - 15:38

        Oh.. you were THAT person.

  • Peter Enis on 18/05/2022 - 09:31
    +4

    Video or it didn't happen.

  • MS Paint on 18/05/2022 - 09:41

    I am also concerned about the fact that they also were pressure washing under my car bonnet while the engine was on… (That can't be good for the electrical / air intake).

    Why the concern? You don't drive your car in the rain? All modern cars have plastic shrouds covering the vital components.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/05/2022 - 13:56
      +1

      Designed for rain? Yes

      Designed for pressure washing with the bonnet up? Probably not.

      • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:46

        Exactly my concern, they were clearly spraying it on the air intake of my car as well :(

  • FoxJump on 18/05/2022 - 09:53

    I would be surprised if they could rev-bomb my Prius C.

  • pegaxs on 18/05/2022 - 09:55
    +1

    And for anyone that needs a translation, "rev bombing" is the act of slipping your car into neutral or pressing the clutch in, pinging the engine off the rev-limiter and then dumping it back into drive/taking your foot off the clutch.

    It's more of an act done by motorcyclists when they are cut off by a car and they are too stupid to remember where the horn button is.

    • AdosHouse on 18/05/2022 - 13:17

      I remember watching a video years ago of some young idiots doing rev bombing, doing it in drive , then while moving forward throwing it in reverse, rinse and repeat. Best part of the video was the clutch shattering at full rpm. Pieces punched through the transmission housing, one piece even punched through the main chassis rails, plenty went out through the cabin and sides, and yet somehow every piece missed the idiot driving.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/05/2022 - 13:59

      But they were just testing for a misfire :)

  • SF3 on 18/05/2022 - 10:39

    Were they speeding? get them done for that!

    OP, we need dashcam video evidence!

  • Bid Sniper on 18/05/2022 - 11:29
    +1

    Once person's "hooning" is a mechanics "testing".

    If my engine builder didn't "hoon" my car, Id call him out for not doing his job.

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:51

      Good point, I don't disagree with your comment, but have a look at my reply to Euphemistic's comment for further clarification.

  • bobbified on 18/05/2022 - 12:31

    And before anyone asks, no, I will not be publicly naming and shaming nor posting the videos here.

    If it was that bad, why not post the video? Worried that it will just show that you're being over-dramatic?

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:54

      Fair call, I understand why someone would think this.

      Have a look at my reply to Euphemistic's comment for further clarification.

      • bobbified on 19/05/2022 - 09:15

        Well, my attempt at reverse psychology failed! lol

  • Hithere on 18/05/2022 - 12:33
    +1

    one of Perth "trusted" dealers (you can probably guess who)

    I tried guessing but I gave up. Who are they?

    • Euphemistic on 18/05/2022 - 12:37
      +1

      Obvs where spackbace works. He’s the only dealer you can trust.

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:52

      Hint: There's ads everywhere on TV/newspapers about the dealership being the most "trusted" dealer in Perth…

    • Domicron on 20/05/2022 - 00:00

      Google says

      John Hughes are WA's most trusted car dealership and mechanical service provider. We're the place to go to find the best new and used cars in Perth.

  • pharkurnell on 18/05/2022 - 13:20

    So what do you expect to happen?

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:48

      As I mentioned in my original post, public safety and also blatant disregard to other people's property.

      If I report, then it will discourage others in the workshop to do the same stupid things they did in my car…

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 18/05/2022 - 14:18
    +2

    No video = no proof = move on.

  • FLICKIT on 18/05/2022 - 14:59
    +1

    I'd upload the video to Youtube, (maybe keep it as "unlisted" at first, so only people with the link can view it), then email the link to the dealership and ask if this treatment of customers cars is normal…. (Share the link with us also, it will help with advise)

    • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:50
      +1

      I was thinking of this, though I don't want to get the people involved fired so I might just remove people in question identifiable info from the video. See my comment above for Euphemistic.

      • geekcohen on 19/05/2022 - 06:08

        They would be able to narrow down who is working on the car most likely.

  • WaveZero on 18/05/2022 - 23:10

    Sorry all, I have been busy at work and recently got back home. I will post some replies back to a few comments tonight to further clarify on some specific details.

    Thanks all for your feedback / comments (good & bad), I do appreciate it as it gives me perspective on the matter on each side of the fence.

    • Venustrap87 on 19/05/2022 - 07:57
      -1

      Wat car u drive mate 3.6s car sounds quick

      • Domicron on 19/05/2022 - 23:59

        Supra? Mustang?

  • Domicron on 19/05/2022 - 23:53

    Now i am intrigued to check out the cam footage when my car went for service.

    Probably won't be much for a sub 5 second car and an automatic.

  • DragoBoyz on 23/05/2022 - 21:52

    I would contact the service manager. They may want to see the tapes. They might try to offer you something to keep you quiet who knows.
    I imagine the driver will be fired immediately and rightly so. Dumb young kid mucking around with something that isn't his putting people in danger. Needs to learn a lesson like this before he kills someone.
    Don't worry too much about the pressure washing. They leave it running so the engine is hot and the water evaporates quickly. Unless they are spraying it directly into a pipe after the air filter box nothing will happen.

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