[kaps1311]

Being a Jeep Compass owner for last 4 years, I would like to share my experience of recent servicing done on my Jeep Compass. Having boasted about the professional approach during the purchase of my Jeep Compass in 2019, It was only prudent on my side to pen my experience. I have tried to keep it unbiased and leave upto the forum to be the best judge.

The Jeep dealership changed hands in Goa in June 2023 if I remember correctly. Goa was without any Jeep dealership & Service Centre for 6 - 7 months. The owners had to travel 150kms + to the nearest Service Centre for service. With the new dealership & Service Centre coming in, it was a great relief and moreover I feel lucky to have the Service Centre adjacent to my workplace.

The 4th servicing was due and hence sort an appointment for servicing with ODO at 48K approx. Was promptly provided appointment on the 7th Feb.

My car’s 1st Visit to Service Centre
Reached the Service Centre on time. They had only 2 SE’s attending the customers. May be not many vehicles coming in for servicing. I waited for the Service Engineer assigned to me to complete his previous customer. From the conversation that was taking place between them, clearly the customer wasn’t happy about something. Once he was done with, I requested for the following work required to be done on my car.
1) Normal servicing 60K (4th service)
2) Squeaking sound while in motion. Probably from the bonnet. Felt like to metal parts rubbing against each other.
3) Headlight alignment.
4) Wheel balancing and alignment.

We then took a test drive to check out on the squeaking sound. I pointed out squeaking sound and the Service Engineer says he has heard it and would ask the technician to address it.

I get a call at 2.00 pm from the Service Engineer that servicing is almost done. I am told by the Service Engineer that the sound is due to worn out brake pads and rotor and needs replacement. Total cost 18k. I told him that the sound is heard when the car is in motion and not while I am applying brakes which I had clearly made him hear during the test drive of my car. Told him I would get replacement of brake pads & rotor done later.

At 4.00 pm I give a call to know if the car is ready. I am told it is and I tell the Service Engineer to keep the service bill ready so that I can pay and leave immediately.

I reached the Service Centre at 6.00 pm and to my surprise the car wasn’t ready. The Service Engineer was busy handling the same disgruntled customer. Had a short discussion with the customer and understand that he was in the Service Centre throughout the day and had travelled more that 50kms and wasn’t happy with the way his concerns were handled.

Waited patiently until 7.15 pm when the car and bill was handed over to me.
1) The wheel alignment was not done. (Charged Rs.2,514/-)
2) Headlight alignment was not done.
3) Car was not cleaned. (Charged Rs.760/-)
4) The squeaking sound not addressed.

I was handed over a bill of Rs.24,000/-. (Rs.16,000/- parts & consumables and Rs.8,000/- labor). Was told that the car would be collected next day from my workplace for completion of remainder of the work. Then I was handed over a feedback form which I filled up giving an overall 7 points out of 10 and suggested for timely readiness and delivery of the car in the feedback form.

My car’s 2nd visit to Service Centre
The next day on the 8th Feb there is no communication from the Service Engineer until 10.00 am. I myself gave a call reminding the Service Engineer about the pending works on my car. The car was picked up at 10.30 am from my workplace. Told the Service Centre that I needed the car by 12.00 noon as I had to leave for a pre-scheduled meeting.

The car is not returned until 1.30 pm. My visit to the pre-scheduled meeting had gone for a toss. The car is returned. The cleaning of the car, headlight alignment and wheel alignment were done, however the squeaking sound persisted and was not addressed. Since I had to travel, I could not follow-up on the issue.

On the 23rd Feb I got a call from the Service Centre dealer relationship desk seeking my feedback on the servicing done. I explained the above unresolved concern and spoke for almost 10 mins. I was assured that the squeaking sound issue would be resolved and I was requested to provide 9 points out of 10 on the online feedback form from Jeep. Though I was a bit disappointed, I thought to myself being a new dealer and with limited staff it would take time for them to streamline the processes.

My car’s 3rd visit to the Service Centre
My car was then called in on 27th Feb for repairs to the squeaking sound. Took the car there and all the while the squeaking sound persisted. The moment the car was given to the Service Engineer for a test drive no sound at all. However, the Service Engineer assured me that he is aware of the sound and would ask the technicians to address the same. At 4.00 pm I give call to the Service Engineer and he does not bother to respond. I call the Service Centre desk and am told that the concerned technician has already left for the day and the one who is now attending to my car will give me call. I get a call at 4.30 pm and the Service Engineer gives me the same reasoning that the sound is due to worn out brake pad and rotor. It meant that the Service Centre had not attended to my car all this while at all.

I lost my cool, gave earful to the Service Engineer and told him that it is not because of the brake pad and rotor and that the sound is continuous while car is in motion. I call the Service Centre desk and blast her saying they have pathetic and incapable SE’s and technicians. I rush to the Service Centre that very moment. By the time the whole Service Centre team is at my car peeping into bonnet and inspecting the car. I request the technician to get into that car and test drive it. Guess what……..! there is pin drop silence throughout the test drive of 15 mins not a sound. I told them I would record the sound as soon as it reoccurs and share the same.

The moment I drive out of the Service Centre the sound appears again. All the while, the car being used that evening, the sound is heard. I immediately recorded it on my mobile. Next morning, I share it with the technician and he assures that my car will be taken up for repairs. For two days, no one bothers to call. On 29th evening I message and call the Service Centre desk and escalate the same it to the GM service as well.

My car’s 4th visit to the Service Centre
The Service Centre desk provides me appointment on the 4th March. Promptly handover the car to the Service Engineer. That evening I am told that there was some lose screw of front suspension plate and the same was tightened and now there was no sound. They had tested the car extensively and handed me the keys.

As I am out of the Service Centre and the sound reoccurs. The squeaking sound persists and now I have no more patience to take my car to Service Centre again. Having kept my car for 4 days at different occasions there seems to be no solution with the Service Centre. On the 9th March I get a message from the Service Engineer enquiring if the sound could be heard. I affirm him the same expecting them to pick up my car for inspection. But no response. Then 16th March I get a message and call from Service Centre desk and I inform that the issue is not resolved. On 20th March I get a call from Customer representative for feedback and I am shocked to hear that the Service Engineer has informed that the issue is resolved. I send the Customer representative the recording of the squeaking sound and to date over a period of more than a month, I await the resolution of the same.

From the above experience I can summarize the following;
1) Staff is very courteous with customers at the Service Centre.
2) I was informed that the cost of spare parts/ servicing have increased and however the cost seems reasonable.
3) Process and procedures followed – Needs big improvement. Servicing leaves a lot to be desired.
4) Technical know how/ expertise – Overall experience they did not impress me much. Very limited staff.
5) Just because I am in the neighborhood, I managed to take the car to the Service Centre these many times. Alas, without resolution to my concern to date.

[stewie]

I can feel your pain.

I have a 10 year old Grande Punto that has only been serviced at Fiat dealerships.
The only thing they want to do is regular servicing. Anything that requires any sort of technical troubleshooting is shooed away as being normal or not a big issue.
But with my last visit, i've sworn off ever returning to company dealerships.

Another ordeal is getting the billing done after servicing. You would think they would make it easy for me to give them money. But invariably the SA would disappear after my car was ready.
I had a theory that it was just so i get desperate to leave and don't pay attention to the bill. Half the time they would have 1 or 2 line items added by the SA on his own to pad the bill amount.
And of course, half of the requested non-service work items would not have been performed.
<rant over>

I would suggest raising a ticket with the FCA helpdesk and maybe try a different dealership.
You could've gone to an outside garage but i guess your car must be under the warranty period and i would advise you to hold on to that tightly.
Even then, unfortunately, most good FNGs do not specialize in FCA vehicles.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes with FCA helpdesk.

P.S.: I would strong suggest you remove the attached pdf. It contains a host of information that should not be shared on the internet. You can mask those fields and then upload it.

[kaps1311]

Originally Posted by stewie

I can feel your pain.

I have a 10 year old Grande Punto that has only been serviced at Fiat dealerships.
The only thing they want to do is regular servicing. Anything that requires any sort of technical troubleshooting is shooed away as being normal or not a big issue.
But with my last visit, i've sworn off ever returning to company dealerships.

You are spot on. They address those issues where they can generate revenue by employing less time, whereas when some expert diagnosis are required and no revenue, more often then not they always ignore.

Originally Posted by stewie

Another ordeal is getting the billing done after servicing. You would think they would make it easy for me to give them money. But invariably the SA would disappear after my car was ready.

I had a theory that it was just so i get desperate to leave and don't pay attention to the bill. Half the time they would have 1 or 2 line items added by the SA on his own to pad the bill amount.
And of course, half of the requested non-service work items would not have been performed.
<rant over>

Looks to be the case now.

Originally Posted by stewie

I would suggest raising a ticket with the FCA helpdesk and maybe try a different dealership.

As I have said the next nearest dealership to Goa is around 200 kms

[quote=stewie;5743261]You could've gone to an outside garage but i guess your car must be under the warranty period and I would advise you to hold on to that tightly.
Even then, unfortunately, most good FNGs do not specialize in FCA vehicles.

Since Jeep Compass has lot of electronics and sensors. I always felt it should be under expert hands.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes with FCA helpdesk.

Originally Posted by stewie

P.S.: I would strong suggest you remove the attached pdf. It contains a host of information that should not be shared on the internet. You can mask those fields and then upload it.

Not sure if this can be done now. Thanks for bringing it to my notice Sir
Overall, I feel service centre's are crucial to Jeep. They have good products but the service experience is a killer.


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Thanks!

[Divya Sharan]

Well, it has been said a thousand times and the story stays the same - Fiat/Jeep SVCs have courteous folk, but they are not interested in ANY debug or troubleshooting. They would replace everything if thy could, at the customer's cost.

It took me a few years to build a rapport with the nice folks at my ASC in Bengaluru, now 70% of the staff has changed and the new people are back to fleecing tactics.

My Punto Evo is also only serviced through Fiat's ASC but it may just change.

They simply look at the ODO and make assumptions, add multiple charges from their own side and unless you are careful - you'd end up paying 20-30% more than you initially discussed (tentative charges).

[kaps1311]

The write up above seems to have worked and glad to see reach that Team-BHP has. The dealership yesterday took my Jeep Compass for repairs and addressed the issue of the squeaking sound. This was done in a matter of an hour. Took extensive test drive of the car and all seemed fine. I was also shown the lose screw in the dashboard which was the cause of the irritating squeaking sound.

It was quite satisfying to have a silent cabin that the Jeep Compass is known for. I would like to thank the team at the service centre for putting in the effort and resolving the issue. I only wished they had done this during my 1st visit itself. The experience would have been far different and a pleasant one. Special mention of Mr. Sameer Patel a fellow BHPian who supported in the manner possible.

All's well that ends well.... Wishing Jeep India & their dealerships Good Luck...