Do dealership service centers routinely drive your car to their personal homes?

[Anonymous]

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/woman-says-dealership-was-supposed-repair-car-she-tracked-it-employees-home/OEID7V575ZBIDCY4E4YZ2SZ4HM/?fbclid=IwAR0C0Z2zypGK-Z2QHVmcMVOXQQ9x1sPWZzYD3QxKWHo9xjWB7McoV3uMOwE



GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Imagine taking your car to a dealership to get it fixed and then later finding your car at someone’s house.

That’s exactly what one woman says happened to her, and now she wants answers.

It all began with a problem with Eileen Owens’ truck.


“All of a sudden it will rev real high,” Owens said.

But then Owens said she faced an even bigger problem after taking the truck to Mall of Georgia Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Fuford to get fixed.

“It was like the service person couldn’t give me direct answers,” she said.

She said that after nearly a week of no updates on the status of the repairs at the dealership, she decided to check her truck’s GPS tracker online.

“I saw that it was in Loganville. And I’m like, ‘Why is my car in Loganville instead of the dealership in Buford?’” she said.

So she went to the address, some 20 miles from the dealership, and recorded it all on video.

[Anonymous]

Not at the dealerships that my son has worked for. But, they do routinely drive them. If a problem is difficult to diagnose, they may need to do a few drives as part of the diagnosing of the problem. Then there will be a drive after its fixed to be sure that the problem really has been resolved. From my son't perspective, he often hates driving the cars because so many of them are just filthy and gross. But, it's his job.

[Anonymous]

But they drove her car over 300 miles - that's some hell of a test drive.

[Anonymous]

My mechanic does this. He is an independent mechanic, not part of a dealership. I drop my vehicle off at his business and tell him about whatever funny noise it is making. Then I fill out the paperwork, leave the keys there, and he drives it to his home after work and back to work the next morning. By then he has figured out what is wrong and fixes it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mechanic does this. He is an independent mechanic, not part of a dealership. I drop my vehicle off at his business and tell him about whatever funny noise it is making. Then I fill out the paperwork, leave the keys there, and he drives it to his home after work and back to work the next morning. By then he has figured out what is wrong and fixes it.

That seems totally reasonable.
But the OP’s car being driven 300 miles is abuse.

[Anonymous]

That absolutely shouldn't be done nor is that a test drive. Something sounds off. Years ago a dealer called and asked if a mechanic could drive it home overnight as he lived 45 minutes away but it was to replicate the problem and they had my permission. Only problem was he didn't make it home and they had to tow it about 15 minutes out... they should have listened to me.