Secret City Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM — Local services in Oak Ridge

I am very disappointed with this dealership. First of all, we purchased a pre-owned Chevrolet Silverado 1500. On a Thursday evening. They had it posted on their website ready to sell yet the vehicle was not cleaned and it seemed the truck was not properly inspected. I test-drove it and I felt this vibration and shuddering while driving. We assumed the issue was the cupped off-road tires. There was heavy vibration and shuddering. We decided to request we would do the deal providing they replaced all the tires along with, the cabin, oil, and air filter change with an alignment. From Thursday, we took delivery on Saturday still waiting for the tires to be ordered. Saturday evening we got a check engine light. The vehicle’s engine was missing profusely. We went to Autozone on Saturday to find out what the code was P3441.

Diagnostic trouble code P3441 stands for “Cylinder 6 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit/Open.” The PCM sets it when it detects improper voltage or resistance within the cylinder 6 deactivation/intake valve control circuit.

What this means is there was a possible VLOM valve lifter oil manifold failure. This issue doesn't come overnight and the shuddering should have given the tech an indication yet they wrote off in the vehicle inspection that there were no engine problems.

On Monday we brought it back and the service writer could not give me a time when they could do the diagnosis. I should have had priority as it was a newly purchased truck. I followed up Tuesday and they still couldn't tell me a time. They said it was a mandatory 3-day turnover of diagnosis. I never heard this before in any service department. They could have told me they were booked up for 3 days. Well, I took the truck down the street because they reminded me the service warranty plwe purchased from them could be done at any repair facility but I would have had to pay a deductible somewhere else. I felt they pushed me off their service department. Their answer was they were not a Chevrolet service department. Yes, it was a Dodge Jeep but any service department should be able to diagnose especially if they are selling other brands. Soni took the truck to Car Fix Oakridge. The issue was a failed VLOM, lifter, and pushrod.

The warranty company adjuster told me I should take the vehicle back to the dealership from where I purchased it. I told them I did not want to as I had no faith in their service department. The warranty company seemed skeptical and asked the dealership to provide the vehicle inspection report and official work order as we believed they conveniently conjured these documents up without the proper check.

The dealership reminded me that it was an as-is vehicle. Any good dealership would help customers on vehicles thst didn't make it one day from delivery.

As I took the truck to a new repair facility I noticed a TPMS light on from the new tires they replaced. I could not bring it back till the vehicle was fixed. A few wek later. I scheduled a 9:30am appointment to fix a simple TPMS tire sensor issue. I was there ALL DAY till 5:30 pm as the service manager David said it was an odd issue as they could not program the two TPMS sensors. They said they went through three sensors and still could not fix it by 5:30pm. They told me they would order all four new sensors to fix the issue and i would have to come back next week.

I took it to Big O Tires on Clinton Hwy. I told them the dealership couldn't get the TPMS Programmed. Well it was a simple fix. The two sensors they found were broke off in the tire. The service manager at Secret City said he himself spent one hour trying to program the sensors. Any good tech would know if your machine cannot detect sensors therefore it can't be programmed. There is no way he spent one hour diagnosing this issue when Big O Tires found the problem in. Few minutes of inspecting the sensor.

I felt the service department manager David lied to me blowing me off to another day for diagnosis or they were just completely incompetent.

This was a miserable...

This review is for the service department...

My 2019 Jeep Wrangler Sahara was purchased from Secret City, brand new, in July 2019. I have had all of my service and maintenance performed at either Secret City or their sister lot, North Knox in an effort to keep the lifetime warranty on the vehicle. On Tuesday morning, April 23, my Jeep would not start in my driveway. My husband was able to jump start it successfully, and I drove to work. After work, it had to be re-jump started, and I drove directly to AutoZone to purchase a battery. In about ten minutes, the woman at AutoZone had grabbed a step stool (my Jeep is lifted), removed my battery, tested it in the store, and reattached the battery to the Jeep. She said the main battery was fine, so my problem must have been the auxillary start/stop battery, which AutoZone cannot change.

My husband called Secret City to schedule the service on Friday, April 26. He was told that he would have to call the parts department himself to order the batteries before scheduling the service. Because this is my daily driver, he asked if he could bring his own batteries to be changed, and they told him that he could. He made the appointment for Friday.

On Friday morning, I pulled my Jeep into the service bay and explained the situation, including pointing out that my batteries (both main and aux) were in the back of the Jeep. I also asked that the old batteries be placed back in the Jeep so I could return the cores. Tanner (who was very nice) hooked up his computer to my Jeep in order to get my customer information...VIN, name, address, etc, and I went to the waiting room to wait. We were told it would likely be about an hour and a half to change both batteries.

Two-hours after I checked in, Tanner came to tell me my Jeep was ready, and I followed him to the service area. He had me sign the receipt, gave me my keys, and sent me on my way. He did not mention anything at all about any problems with my service, and assured me that the old batteries were in the back of the Jeep.

When I got home, approximately 20-miles away, my husband discovered the old main battery and the NEW, unchanged aux battery in the back. He called and asked why the aux battery was unchanged, despite the fact that this was precisely why the vehicle was in the shop. He was told to return to the shop and they would speak to the actual technician about the problem.

The technician (Edgar Garcia) informed my husband that my Jeep does not have an auxillary battery; that everything is handled from the main battery. Google says otherwise. Apparently, sometime during the 2019 JLU Jeep production years, they stopped adding aux batteries. My husband was told the VIN number indicated whether or not your Jeep has this battery.

Here is my issue. Tanner pulled my VIN number immediately, and did not mention that I had no aux battery. We specifically told him we were there to have this changed, he still said nothing.

They took my Jeep into the service bay for an aux battery change, and still said nothing.

I picked my Jeep up after service, and STILL noone told me the aux battery was not changed.

I was charged AN HOUR AND A HALF of labor for Mr. Garcia to change a battery. The main battery that is on top of the engine. The battery that AutoZone had out and back installed in ten-minutes, and would have changed FOR FREE. I initially paid $331.81 labor for a ten-minute job. When my husband complained, he was given a "discount" of being changed only an hour, so I would up paying $237.81 LABOR for a ten-minute job that could have been done for free on Wednesday at AutoZone.

My husband and I wasted two-drives to and from Oak Ridge, two-hours of our time, and $237.81, and got an apology. I'm not sure I will be returning to Secret City for...

Run away! Just buy online and stay at home. At least then you will know the facts before you do anything and not be lied too! This place is a joke. Old school lie straight too you sales tactics. They straight wasted 3 to 4 hours of my time, the gas it took to drive the 3 hour drive to get there and back because they did nothing but lie too get me there. They will say anything to get you there to try and sell you something. I was contacted by text from their "sales" team. I explained my difficult circumstances to get financed at this time, then they called. I talked with the "manager" as I was told Jesse. I explained too him my situation and told him I was probably going to have to wait on my credit score to catch back up. Jesse insisted they were different, and they didn't like to waste their time so if they didn't think they could do anything on the vehicle I wanted they wouldn't wan't me too come in. Jesse then proceeded to tell me that Secret City doesn't pull your credit until you have been on the lot, found a vehicle that you test drive and definitely want. Only then do they pull credit. So I said ok. I'll give it a shot. I drove the hour and a half to get there. He told me to ask for Tyler when I got there and he would come get him. I asked for Tyler and he came out. Tyler is an actual salesman. I never saw Jesse the "manager". Tyler took my info and input it into their system. Went to the printer and came back with a form for me to sign. I signed and he said Ill be right back, instantly my phone alerted that my credit had been pulled. Remember I hadn't even looked at a vehicle yet, let alone decided on one for sure. When Tyler came back I told him what the "manager" had told me about how they do business. Tyler then told me that Jesse didn't sell cars that he was just an internet guy. So then we went into the exact procedure I had told Jesse on the phone that I didn't want too do and was told "we don't do that". The old bait and switch. Well the vehicle we told you on the phone that we were pretty sure we could do, well its not going to work. But wait we can definitely get you in a car just not that one. So I said I'm her so lets play the game. What are the cars you can do. We looked at 3 drove 1 then I said ok lets see what the numbers are that you can do on this one. My phone went off again, and I didn't check it this time. Guess what, we can't do it. Which is what I had told them before I let the "manager" assure me they were different and I had to come there too even run my credit. I had told Tyler to make sure the actual manager knew what had happened. He said he already had passed it on. I then left and when I got down the road I remembered my phone and checked it. It was my credit monitoring again. So in all while I was there for an hour or so I had 8 hard pulls on my credit. Which is foolish. Shot gunning I think its called with no cares given to your credit score. I called back to hopefully talk to the real manager, and guess what...he had just stepped out so I was sent too voicemail. I left a mesaage with my name and number and asked for a call back. No return call. Just a sad way to do business in this day and age. I will not be buying anything from...