Verify the Complaint

Verify the Customer Complaint: Experience the symptom!

Most troubleshooting starts the moment you receive a written description of the customer complaint. The complaint is the customer's description of a symptom that they are experiencing with the vehicle.

Symptom
A symptom is any circumstance, event or condition that accompanies something and indicates its existence or occurrence.

There may be multiple symptoms that are created with one problem.

An example is a defective thermostat: If the thermostat is stuck open the the heater out put will be insufficient, also, if the engine can never reach operating temperature then fuel mileage and performance will suffer. Which one of these complaints (symptoms) would lead you to the problem faster?

What is important to remember is that the customer may only complain about one symptom. It is the job of the technician to be a detective and carefully observe. There may be another symptom not complained of that directly points to the root cause of the problem.

Steps to Verify The Complaint

- Before getting in the vehicle, review the R.O., confirm this is the correct vehicle.
- Is any additional information needed about the complaint? Certain questions to the customer can help narrow this step.
- Is the problem intermiffent? What are the conditions (roads, temp., speed, etc.)? What is the frequency of the occurrence?
- Test drive if driveability related or the conditions require, duplicate conditions as stated by customer
- Was the complaint reproduced?
- Is knowledge of system or vehicle sufficient?
- Review Reference Training material and owner's handbook for a description of feature operation.
- Research complaint in SIB's,
- Research past repair history on vehicle.