Atlanta dealership for service?

[gafx]

Any advice on a dealer for service and warranty work in the Atlanta area, preferably the north side.

Went to Jim Ellis for an oil change based on Google reviews, the service adviser was polite, but very disorganized and uninformed. I asked a few technical questions and she had a deer in the headlights look. Two people in line at service in front of me were visibly upset as they had issues with service upon picking up their cars. One guy had an Equus and they returned the car to him with error lights still lit on the dash and the tow hook still sticking out of the front bumper, he said it was his third visit for a trans issue and they keep returning the car to him with noticeable shifting problems. Another lady lady was having an oil change and a flat repair. They pulled the car out of service for her to pick up with the temp spare still on the wheel and no flat repair, she was livid after waiting two hours and they forgot to do half the job. These were just the examples in front of me, so I'm not very enthusiastic about going back to them. My oil change was ok, although it took 2 hours for "express service" with an appointment scheduled.

 

[Mark_888]

If you expect service advisors to be able to answer technical questions, you will often be disappointed. Even if they appear to know what they are talking about, I would not pay much attention to what they say because it is usually BS.

Hyundai dealers cannot repair the transmissions (other than a software update that may be available via a TSB), they can only tell you the issue is normal (which actually may be true), or replace the entire transmission (which obviously they are reluctant to do and requires HMA approval and a long time in the shop). Some Hyundai dealers even refuse to replace the fluid in the Genesis/Equus models.

Appointments at most dealers are usually a joke. I make an appointment for first thing in the morning, and get their at least 15 minutes before they open to have any chance of them working on my car in a reasonable time frame. Even then, they may have left-over stuff from the previous day that was not finished.

I do my own oil changes, so don't go a Hyundai dealer often. I have used Rick Case in Duluth for warranty repairs or recalls, but don't feel comfortable in recommending them. I used Ed Voyles Hyundai service one time, and that was a disaster.

 

[homeofstone]

I can tell you that Rick Case Hyundai in Duluth has no clue either as to how to service luxury cars. They did adhere to appointments and have a loaner for us but had terrible training for the Genesis and Equus. My dealer in Athens GA does have one tech that is well trained and knows his stuff but the overall customer service for a luxury car is lacking. Call around and ask if the dealership provides loaners for major service and talk to the service manager and ask about transmission service for the Genesis. If the serv. mgr says its not needed then mark them off your list as a reliable service department.

 

[gafx]

OK, thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately it was what I was expecting to hear, but not hoping for... I was worried about the dealer experience with Hyundai. I had miserable experiences with Honda dealers in the past, but nothing but outstanding experiences with luxury brands Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, and Porsche. I'm used to working with people who knew something about the actual cars they sell.

Does anyone know a topnotch independent Hyundai/Genesis mechanic around the north side? Duluth/Alpharetta area? I can do most work myself, but after a bad experience with Honda on an S2000 that burned more oil than gas, I learned the importance of a provable paper trail on scheduled maintenance for warranty protection... Thanks for any tips!