SIO2GA
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- RODNEY
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2023
- Threads
- 9
- Messages
- 64
- Reaction score
- 40
- Location
- LOCUST GROVE
- Website
- www.digforcrystals.com
- Vehicle(s)
- JEEP GLADIATOR RUBICON DIESEL
- Occupation
- MINING/MINERALS
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey Everyone, I thought I'd relay something that I found out this past week. I took my Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Diesel to Chronic in Griffin for one of my free oil changes. I usually change the oil at a dealership at 6,000 miles and then have a local shop change it with my own oil the next 6,000 miles and so on and so forth. The recommended interval is way over that at 10,000 miles. After hearing about Dealerships using the wrong oil I thought that out of curiosity I would ask what kind they used. I didn't expect to hear an odd answer and I figured that any dealership would lie before giving an odd answer. But guess what I got? An odd answer.
I asked the lady at the service desk where you pay what kind of oil they used on my truck. She said to ask a service tech so I walked over and asked what kind of oil they used. He said, "5w-40". I answered, "well, yeah, I figured that, but what kind of oil/". He then answered "full synthetic". I detected some hemming and hawing at the point so I said , "okay,, I know that is required but what KIND of oil was used". I fully expected him to say Pennzoil, or Mopar, or Castrol, or any of the others that Jeep recommends. But no, that's not the answer that I got. They used "Kendall". Ever heard of it? I sure as heck haven't! So I said "Kendall?!!?". "What is that, and is it even approved for my Truck?". A lady had to run check with the shop and of course she said it was Kendall that was used and that it was approved by Jeep.
Great, just Great! I felt absolutely sick and wished I hadn't of taken my truck there. I also knew that I was pretty soon going to go have it drained out and some sent off to Blackstone to see if it was up to spec after a little use. I'm not the biggest fan of Pennzoil, but it is what Jeep recommends, and what I expect to go in it, and what I'll put in it until the warranty is out.
The Jeep diesels are expensive and when I bought the one that I ordered in March, 2023 it was really expensive. I didn't get a matching color top, or color fenders, a steel bumper or leather seats (but did get everything else) and it was $74,560 after delivery, tax, tag, title, etc. I don't want any off-brand cheap oil in my truck! And at the dealership it is loaded with nice chargers, nice big ram trucks, nice Jeeps, and mostly all of them are $60,000 at least. All these folks pulling up to the dealership for service and oil changes in nice $60K+ vehicles and I bet not a one has a clue that they are using off-brand cheap oil! I bet over half would be mad if they found out, too!
I had intended to write the owner but hadn't gotten around to it. I have bought new cars at Chronic and even used cars as secondary vehicles from chronic, dating back to the 90's and I have always thought that Chronic was okay. But seeing that they just spend over a million to upgrade their lobby (per an employee) and to find out they use cheap oil to make a lousy $8 dollars or what have you, really yanks my chain.
So today I get a survey from Jeep asking about my "Jeep Experience". Oh, really? So naturally I filled it out and wrote quite a few paragraphs about what I didn't like and what could be improved. As I wrote then, I get a nice new truck every 4 or 5 years but I take care of them like it was going to be my last one or that I was going to keep if for 20 years. And that I was upset that the dealership did a Jeep sponsored oil change and used-off brand cheap oil that would probably negatively affect the longevity of my vehicle. The dealership can get away with crap oil and the motor is not likely to seize up under warranty, but it won't be long after the warranty expires that trouble will arise if you haven't been using the proper oil and changing the oil on a proper schedule.
If you go to Chronic for service - or know anyone that does- you or them might want to ask what kind of oil they use for oil changes. And maybe ask for proof.
But I can tell you that they exclusively use Kendall. The shop manager called me and told me that he had been working on cars for 40 years and didn't like Pennzoil and that Kendall was good and he liked it. Oh , boy! I told him that if he liked it he was welcome to use it on his ride and ought to buy a 55 gallon drum of it for his own use but I didn't want it in my $75K truck! I expect the Jeep dealership to put in Jeep recommended oil and that I think that most other people expects or at least hopes that is what is happening. The guy said "he couldn't get Pennzoil, and would run out and have to go buy it at O'Reilly's by the case." I had a reply for that too, and suggested a management class. I can get Pennzoil and I'm not a big fancy shop manager so why couldn't he? Ever heard of figuring out your monthly usage and ordering double for a month and staying ahead? And that he absolutely should be going to O'Reilly's as needed when he was out of Pennzoil. He reiterated that he liked Kendall and didn't like Pennzoil. My response is that I was glad he was happy personally with the oil being used but it is really if the customers like it, not him. And really it boiled down to what Jeep recommends, not his personal likes. I then asked if Kendall had bought him a bass boat, fishing tournament tickets, or something like that? Because it sure looks really funny that they are using an oil that I had never even heard of.
It really does make the dealership look either awfully cheap or that kickbacks are happening. I'd go with awfully cheap as being most likely.
He kept on saying that Kendall provided a certificate. I told him that I make small batch oil myself and type up a certificate to go with every batch, but my certificate can't really be relied on, and that I doubt Kendall's was any better. I ask him had he ever tested this oil and sent off a sample to Blackstone after a 5,000 or 10,000 mile oil change to make sure the oil was still okay and he said he had never occasioned to do that. I laughed and said "Forty years and not one test??". But he loves it!
I normally don't have my oil changed at the dealership but I figured that I would use the 4 free ones because it would be just fine. I know many of you reading this - if you got this far - might think I am over reacting, but I take good care of my vehicles and this one was especially expensive. I used to think $50k for my last Tacoma TRD PRO was a lot, but now I see that was relatively cheap up against $75K.
Again, if you go to the same Chronic you may want to ask about their special off-brand oil that they use. I'm interesting in hearing what everyone else's local dealership uses - or at least what they claim they use.
I asked the lady at the service desk where you pay what kind of oil they used on my truck. She said to ask a service tech so I walked over and asked what kind of oil they used. He said, "5w-40". I answered, "well, yeah, I figured that, but what kind of oil/". He then answered "full synthetic". I detected some hemming and hawing at the point so I said , "okay,, I know that is required but what KIND of oil was used". I fully expected him to say Pennzoil, or Mopar, or Castrol, or any of the others that Jeep recommends. But no, that's not the answer that I got. They used "Kendall". Ever heard of it? I sure as heck haven't! So I said "Kendall?!!?". "What is that, and is it even approved for my Truck?". A lady had to run check with the shop and of course she said it was Kendall that was used and that it was approved by Jeep.
Great, just Great! I felt absolutely sick and wished I hadn't of taken my truck there. I also knew that I was pretty soon going to go have it drained out and some sent off to Blackstone to see if it was up to spec after a little use. I'm not the biggest fan of Pennzoil, but it is what Jeep recommends, and what I expect to go in it, and what I'll put in it until the warranty is out.
The Jeep diesels are expensive and when I bought the one that I ordered in March, 2023 it was really expensive. I didn't get a matching color top, or color fenders, a steel bumper or leather seats (but did get everything else) and it was $74,560 after delivery, tax, tag, title, etc. I don't want any off-brand cheap oil in my truck! And at the dealership it is loaded with nice chargers, nice big ram trucks, nice Jeeps, and mostly all of them are $60,000 at least. All these folks pulling up to the dealership for service and oil changes in nice $60K+ vehicles and I bet not a one has a clue that they are using off-brand cheap oil! I bet over half would be mad if they found out, too!
I had intended to write the owner but hadn't gotten around to it. I have bought new cars at Chronic and even used cars as secondary vehicles from chronic, dating back to the 90's and I have always thought that Chronic was okay. But seeing that they just spend over a million to upgrade their lobby (per an employee) and to find out they use cheap oil to make a lousy $8 dollars or what have you, really yanks my chain.
So today I get a survey from Jeep asking about my "Jeep Experience". Oh, really? So naturally I filled it out and wrote quite a few paragraphs about what I didn't like and what could be improved. As I wrote then, I get a nice new truck every 4 or 5 years but I take care of them like it was going to be my last one or that I was going to keep if for 20 years. And that I was upset that the dealership did a Jeep sponsored oil change and used-off brand cheap oil that would probably negatively affect the longevity of my vehicle. The dealership can get away with crap oil and the motor is not likely to seize up under warranty, but it won't be long after the warranty expires that trouble will arise if you haven't been using the proper oil and changing the oil on a proper schedule.
If you go to Chronic for service - or know anyone that does- you or them might want to ask what kind of oil they use for oil changes. And maybe ask for proof.
But I can tell you that they exclusively use Kendall. The shop manager called me and told me that he had been working on cars for 40 years and didn't like Pennzoil and that Kendall was good and he liked it. Oh , boy! I told him that if he liked it he was welcome to use it on his ride and ought to buy a 55 gallon drum of it for his own use but I didn't want it in my $75K truck! I expect the Jeep dealership to put in Jeep recommended oil and that I think that most other people expects or at least hopes that is what is happening. The guy said "he couldn't get Pennzoil, and would run out and have to go buy it at O'Reilly's by the case." I had a reply for that too, and suggested a management class. I can get Pennzoil and I'm not a big fancy shop manager so why couldn't he? Ever heard of figuring out your monthly usage and ordering double for a month and staying ahead? And that he absolutely should be going to O'Reilly's as needed when he was out of Pennzoil. He reiterated that he liked Kendall and didn't like Pennzoil. My response is that I was glad he was happy personally with the oil being used but it is really if the customers like it, not him. And really it boiled down to what Jeep recommends, not his personal likes. I then asked if Kendall had bought him a bass boat, fishing tournament tickets, or something like that? Because it sure looks really funny that they are using an oil that I had never even heard of.
It really does make the dealership look either awfully cheap or that kickbacks are happening. I'd go with awfully cheap as being most likely.
He kept on saying that Kendall provided a certificate. I told him that I make small batch oil myself and type up a certificate to go with every batch, but my certificate can't really be relied on, and that I doubt Kendall's was any better. I ask him had he ever tested this oil and sent off a sample to Blackstone after a 5,000 or 10,000 mile oil change to make sure the oil was still okay and he said he had never occasioned to do that. I laughed and said "Forty years and not one test??". But he loves it!
I normally don't have my oil changed at the dealership but I figured that I would use the 4 free ones because it would be just fine. I know many of you reading this - if you got this far - might think I am over reacting, but I take good care of my vehicles and this one was especially expensive. I used to think $50k for my last Tacoma TRD PRO was a lot, but now I see that was relatively cheap up against $75K.
Again, if you go to the same Chronic you may want to ask about their special off-brand oil that they use. I'm interesting in hearing what everyone else's local dealership uses - or at least what they claim they use.
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