Jeep Dealership & Jeep SA refusing to take ownership of their negligence to conduct root cause analysis prior to my engine blowing up.

Dear Arnold Chatz Constentia Kloof

I am directing this message to you as the owners and dealer principal of the group hoping that I will get an ear to listen to a customer because I have been dealing with Barret Smith (Dealer Principal) without any luck.

I must point out that I am very disappointed with the manner how Barret and Mr Beumer from FCA Group dealt my escalation for the dispute I had with Arnold Charts Contentia Kloof.

1. To me he has been very defensive. 2. As a Customer service Manager, I found his input at the meeting we had on Friday the 16th March with the dealer Principal at Arnold Chatz Constatia Kloof to lack apathy to understand the Customer’s concern. Not once was he ever concerned about how we are doing as Jeep Customers first and foremost? We explained to them the horror experience when the car broke down with black smoke coming off the bonnet (duh, think the Ford Kuaga examples), how my family was traumatized, how my wife had to see the doctor on Monday the 26th Feb after the freak accident on Sunday the 25th? 3. We explained to them how they never cared how we getting by because our SRT8 broke down and in their dealership, Roelof (the Customer Service Manager never cared or bothered to ask about that. Interesting before the Breakdown of the 25th of February, my car broke down two weeks earlier and Anolrd Chatz Constatia then offered me a courtesy car because they had done an incomplete JOB when they replaced the Radiator… so when they are at fault, they are quick to come to the customer assistance but when they claim not… you are Just a number as they mentioned in their summarization of the meeting that they are making a business decision not to assist us and not to take ownership of our current problem. And this is the Dealership that I have spent over R260K on them to maintain the car since it came out of the maintenance plan… so to me the inference is that Jeep take care of their cars owners only when they are still within the plan and once that is out, you are on your own. 4. I am in possession of the recording for the meeting of the 16 March, which if we get an opportunity for you to listen, hopefully you can put yourself in our shoes and understand where we are coming from.

So here are the facts that I dispute Reolof response on the nature of my problem.

My problem Statement is that, I have notified Anorld Chatz that my car has excessive oil consumption since October 2017, and again on the 2nd December 2017 when I brought the car in (this time it was not for a scheduled service interval) but the engine/oil light was ON. The last time I complained about the oil consumption was again in February 2018 the car came in for the Radiator fic and few days later when it came for the 180k service.

In their response : (Copy available in need) 1. They claim in point 2, that no service was carried out at 150 000km on the 24th April 2017. That statement is FALSE ( see attached named, 150k Service). The service was carried out on the day. I then had to wait until the 13 June 2017 for the brakes because they didn’t not have stock on Brake Pads. So the fact that they only invoiced on the 13th June 2017 does not mean that we didn’t do the service in April 2017. Also I need to also highlight that the fact that I had to wait for almost 2 months for my brakes to be replaced, now in hindsight says my life was put on risk for two months while waiting for parts. 2. So point 2 on their response does not hold water based on the above statement. I challenge Constatia Kloof to prove me otherwise… And if need be let them produce the CCV footage to prove me otherwise. 3. They Claim in point 4 that 165 000 km service was done at 169 591 which is correct. I just point at this stage that the service was not being done on the tee (i.e. 165k at 165k, and so on) because the service advisor mentioned that because the car is out of service maintenance and I am paying for it not Jeep if it was on motor plan, we don’t have to adhere to the last kilometre reading. At this point I complained about the high OIL consumption, but instead of conducting a root-cause analysis on the excessive oil usage, all they did was to re-fill the oil (see attached named, 165k Service and that I specifically wanted them to investigate the excessive oil consumption). 4. They claim on point 5 that the JOB card said “Check Oil Level”. I in fact drove into the dealership when the engine/oil light display was on, so I was panicking because it has been on for some time without going off (see attached named 181k Oil Change). On their report, they listed that they filled 7 litres of oil and also note that oil change was due. But I ask/challenge them, did they investigate by conducting a root-cause analysis to find out what is causing the excessive usage? 5. They claim on point 6 that the 180 000kns was done at 189 383 kms, which is true. I however don’t see in their report that I asked them to investigate the excessive oil usage again, but they never bothered to look at the oil aspect of the service because at 181 383 kms oil change above, Stannic Fleet noted that we won’t change oil when I come for the “180 000” service in February 2018 as it was done in December 2017 (see attached named 180 service). It therefore says to me that unless they are to gain by charging a customer, they will never investigate and advice a Customer accordingly? 6. Lastly all the inference about the misaligned services intervals – I ask why were they happy to take my money if the service intervals were out? Did they ever inform me that if it is misaligned, it will create problems?

7. Then in their conclusion in the NOTES, note 1 states that there were 12 ignition cycles, 304 minutes and waring indicator ON. This is absolutely true because the warning sign will come on and off (never consistent), I challenge them to aslo go back before the incident they highlighting that how many other ignition cycles before this one were observed because I can categorically state that they were many and in many occasion I will drive to the dealership and all they do is to drive my car to their workshop and RESET the warning light.

8. I don’t understand the reference to the owner’s manual in point 2 of the notes. I submit that I am a lay man and I trust the SME on the matter hance I have always nrought my car to be looked after by them and I never took this car anywhere ealse.

9. Point 3 also states that I operated the vehicle without oil…. I submit that each time when the oil light comes on I will either bring the car in at the dealership to be inspected if I can do so or if not I have topped up oil at the filling stations – I have submitted the invoice to that fact to Reolof.

10. So in Conclusion I find Reolof’s reply and conduct before, during and after the meeting on the 16th March 2016 at the dealership to be very defensive, protecting the dealership and I must say that on the day of the meeting it was clear that a script has been rehe****d between him and the Dealer Principal. He is not putting himself in the customer’s shoes as all.

I hope you will attend and give my concern the highest customer service it deserve and amicably resolve the matter.

Regards, Muthivhi Ndadza ********** 034.