Is it just me?

Taking cars in for repairs is probably not anyone's favorite thing to do, but it's usually just another errand. Unless I have to deal with one particular local dealer. Then, something is bound to go wrong.

On the other hand, Mike has generally had good experiences there, so usually I just let him deal with them, and take my cars elsewhere when I have a choice.

My worst experience was many years ago, when I had to have the cruise control fixed, and they replaced the blinker-like stalk on the steering column. When I went to pick up the car, my hand just barely brushed the center of the steering wheel, and the horn honked. It happened several more times, and so I went back to the dealership. The service rep wouldn't admit that they could have possibly done anything to effect the horn, even though they are both on the steering column. In frustration, I went home, where Mike was able to figure out what they had messed up and fix it. (A part had been replaced backwards.) Since then, I've avoided the dealership at all costs.

But we got a recall notice on the white car, and at about the same time the check engine light came on, so we had to take it in. I called and made an appointment. And my curse kicked in again. When we dropped it off in the morning, strangely, they had no record of my having made an appointment. By 4:30 in the afternoon, they had just started working on it, so I had to wait around before I was able to pick it up after work. They explained the cause of the check engine light, and the part that needed to be ordered, so we took it home. Five days later, I still hadn't gotten a call about the replacement part, so I called to check on it. The parts guy left me on hold for several minutes before eventually disconnecting me. When I called back, he wouldn't explain the delay, just that the part would be in this Monday. I'm pretty sure all he did was figure out that they had never actually ordered the part, and had to put the order in when I called to ask about it. Unfortunately, I've got too much bad history with these guys to give them the benefit of the doubt.

We'll find out next week. But you can bet that the car I buy this summer will not be from this dealer.