Stealerships at it again.....

Ok, so I take the 97 2wd Jeep to the dealer, and tell them that stearing has to much play in it, thinking they know what to do (big mistake). So what do they do? Replace the trackbar and the tierod at the end of the pitman arm. WTF does the trackbar have to do with the loose steering? I said the seering wheel has to much play, not that it wobbles around teh road. Did they even touch the wheel? I mean, all you have to do is try and turn it and you can feel the wheel moves freely until it catches or soemthing? They then charge me 200 bucks to unscrew 2 screws. The problem still isn't fixed. Going back this morning. Anyway I can argue this out?

I'd start with having a service advisor drive it with you in it. Then show them the $200 bill and ask them how this improved the situation Give them a chance to fix the problem. sounds like they just tossed a couple of the primary parts at it and hoped it worked. Don't make demands, show them the problem and the paid bill and let them decide to solve it. Don't get anywhere with this then get serious with them. BTW ask for your old parts!! The track bar is likely still good.

A worn track bar causes the axle to shift laterally as you turn the steering wheel, and the result is a lack of precise directional control. Steering feels kind of "vague." If all you told them was "steering is loose" the track bar would be a logical thing for them to replace. They should, however, have road tested the vehicle before turning it over to a technician in order to try to pinpoint the diagnosis, and they certainly should have road tested it after the repair to ensure that the repair corrected the problem.

Start with the service manager, progress to the general manager, and if that doesn't work speak to the owner. If they still don't make good, file a complaint with the BBB and with whatever agency in your state licenses repair facilities.

I guess the term that comes to mind is an old computer term. Garbage in, garbage out. You did read the repair order you signed, right? What did it say? Did the complaint sound like what you were experincing? Loose steering can mean quite a few things. Maybe you should have been more specific as to what the problem actally was, and you also should have made sure the service advisor understood and the repair order said exactly what the problem you were experencing actully was. Most shops have a dispatcher that gives the repair ordere to the tech for it to be inspected. The service advisor is only involved after the tech diagnoses the problem. Another thing, are you sure the parts they replaced weren't bad? As eagle said, the track bar and tie rod end at the gearbox are known to fail. I just get a little tired of people bashing dealerships. Not all are out to just screw the customer. There is a certain amount of responsibility on the consumer to explain what exactly the problem is and then make sure it is written down correctly. Again, garbage in, garbage out.

Bryan

If you didn't do any diagnoses yourself before you took it in and tell them what you thought it was then I'm not sure what the problem is with what they have done so far. In reality to have a dealership replace the trackbar and tierod (and I'm guessing check the alignment) and only charge $200... well that's dirt cheap. They may have been bad, you didn't mention checking them before taking it in or that you knew they weren't bad.
Now to the fact that the problem is still there I do see your gripe, they should have replaced the steering shaft and steering steering gear box as well and charged you another $800 +. Remember when you go to the dealer you are going to get brand new OEM parts which are high dollar, not rebuilt Autozone stuff. Dealer service depts generally replace whole parts, they don't just repair whats there like a local repair shop would.
Wish you luck getting it all straightened out,
Mike B.