Dealer pried my fuel door open at state inspection

[akimmel]

Yesterday I took my car to a nearby vw dealer for its yearly inspection (Massachusetts). Normally I'd go to the gas station closer by but the dealer is open on Saturdays. Today I noticed a ding above the fuel door which caught my attention because I hardly drive this thing anywhere and (previously) all the panels were totally straight. Looking closer I noticed marks above the door on the lip of the sheet metal, and the rear most clip that holds the painted cover onto the hinge is broken. Recently I've noticed that I have to lock and unlock the car once or twice to get the fuel door to unlock, and I think the actuator was failing. They must have found the same deal when trying to look at the cap, and just pried it open. Now the door doesn't lock at all, and can be opened whether the cars locked or unlocked. So now it needs PDR, a new door cover, and a new lock actuator. I'm gonna call tomorrow and see how they want to try to rectify it. This is why I don't let other people touch my car.

 

[DELETE]

I'd be so heated. They have to fix it and then you just never bring it there again. I go out of my way to avoid dealerships at all costs, only for parts. I'd rather die under my car then let fools touch it.

 

[kevinkar]

Wow. I bet they push back and refuse to work with you. Maybe they will but I'd bet against it. Good luck!

 

[akimmel]

Yeah if not the actuator part is like 40 bucks on fcp and from what i've seen, that ding will take like 30 seconds to pdr out. And I have a DA to buff the whole area. It's just infuriating that I put so much effort into keeping it nice and some ahole fucks it up in the 20 minutes they had it for.

 

[Cuzoe]

Whoever did that needs to be better trained. And if they have been trained their superior needs to take some disciplinary action. This is so simple. You try to open it the right way and it doesn't open you call the owner and notify them

Then you the owner will tell them how to proceed. That could be open it by any reasonable means necessary, and you absolve them of liability (which they should probably ask for in writing, even something informal like shoot the technician a text). Or you tell them not to open it and you come open it yourself and/or reschedule the work.

 

[gixxerfool]

I’m like you and this is why I avoid letting others touch my car. When you contact them, do your best to stay calm and pleasant and stay to the facts. They can’t argue any facts and if you stay calm they can’t say you were belligerent. These components will take any extra ammo they may have to not help you.

 

[crxgator]

Why do they need to open this for a safety inspection?

 

[PerceivedShift]

Are you sure it wasn't a thief? Why would the dealer need to pry the cover open for a safety inspection, especially if they have the key?

 

[Strange Mud]

I can see the dealer inspecting the gas cap as part of safety inspection (emissions). I would be surprised at this level of incompetence but you never know. It very well may have been a thief. If you were having issues before that does strengthen the case against the dealer.

I would bring it back and show them. The dealer was just in there....

 

[akimmel]

Are you sure it wasn't a thief? Why would the dealer need to pry the cover open for a safety inspection, especially if they have the key?

The actuator had been sticking in the locked position. But I just called them and they said they would have no reason to open it for a state inspection. And it sits in my driveway pretty much 24/7, so that leaves someone trying to steal my gas I guess.

 

[Strange Mud]

https://www.mavehiclecheck.com/motorists-basicinfo

item #14 is gas cap.

 

[Acadia18]

The actuator had been sticking in the locked position. But I just called them and they said they would have no reason to open it for a state inspection. And it sits in my driveway pretty much 24/7, so that leaves someone trying to steal my gas I guess.

Call them back. Inspecting the fuel tank cap is on the list of things to inspect for MA.

 

[swcrow]

This is precisely why:
#1 - I have a shop
#2 - I only take my car to that shop
#3 - if the most trivial of things needs to be done, refer to #2

 

[PerceivedShift]

Yup, most dealers have absolute crap techs. Maybe you might get lucky in the game of chance where your car gets the one decent tech at the dealer. But I for one don't want to leave my car up to chance.

 

[Strange Mud]

state inspection needs to be at an authorized place. No DIY. but in this case the "we don't need to open it" is not the truth

#notme.gif

edit: I would be back there in person with the name of who I talked to. is there bare metal on pry marks? Combine that with no rust and the circumstantial evidence is making the tech look guilty