Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) 24v gone at 14,000 miles

[Sky]

What is unbelievable to me is that they didn't even try to see what the problem was? You took it in to the dealer and they just look at it and say "the filter failed"? WTF??? If they would have just put a "little" effort in trying to find the problem then they would have seen it wasn't the filter. I just cant understand how a dealership could do this. I hope this never happens to me if it did that dealership would lose so much business they would be throwing money at me to shut up! Yup everyone that tried to walk in that door to buy a vehicle would get my story. Lets get 13k signatures of Cummins owners showing our support and "concern" of this situation. Don't let them walk over all over you.

 

[JTroiano]

Take it to another dealer. I have customers that drive 150miles to see us at our dealer when they have three other dealers in the same town. There are good dealers and then there is bad dealers. It hurts all of us if people try screwing the good dealers.

Jon T

 

[GDouglas]

JTroiano, I know that what I suggested is not well accepted by most folks, but I used to be a technician at a Ford dealer and saw how bad dealers really screw over most folks, even those with mild modifications. I personally did not mind working on bombed vehicles as the owners of these vehicles took better care of them than the average person would. But if the service manager or shop foreman ever found out that I was doing warranty work on a bombed vehicle, they would try to void the warranty nationwide for that particular VIN #.



It doesn't matter which Dodge dealer does the warranty work, they all get paid by DC to do the work. The dealers are just a franchise that have to conform to warranty guidlines to get reimbursed from mother DC for any warranty repairs. Dealers that try to weasel out of warranty work probably don't have a competent diesel tech on their staff to begin with. I am sure that if you try my recomendation at a dealer with a competent diesel tech, they wil probably come to the conclusion that the oil pressure relief valve was indeed the probable cause for your failure and warranty your engine as it should have been done in the first place.



I am not in the business of screwing over people for my own gain, but when I see someone getting screwed over, then the only way to get justice without a lawyer is to play the game like they do until you get the upper hand. Remember, it doesn't matter which dealer does the warranty work, they get paid by DC to do it. The end result would be that you have your truck fixed rightfully under warranty, and no one is out any money except DC for covering the warranty.



Good luck!

 

[JTroiano]

I am the shop foreman and we do allow warranty work to be done on bombed cars. Most dealers do. If the bomb is the cause of the failed part then it isn't covered..... Example air flow meter is dirty and causing a code. The oil from the K&N is the problem. The customer is informed and has to pay. The same car has an engine knock it is under warranty because it cannot be proved that the K&N is the cause. If I twisted the driveshaft on my truck I would pay for the repair because the engine is putting out to much torque.



What you are saying is way beyond what should happen.



To many people think like you and it is just wrong.



I will always side with customer if possible.



He needs to call other dealers and explain.



Jon T



I'm done with this conversation.

 

[GDouglas]

JTroiano, I would like to thank you for being a part of what seems to me to be one of the good dealers out there. Most of us out there have no way of knowing about a good dealer until we have to deal with them such as whiteknight. I personally have very little respect for the modern day legal system and all the lawyers and judges that are a part of it, and if I can remedy any problems that I have without using these money hungy manipulators, then that's the way I'll choose to handle my business. At least what I suggested doesn't take any money out of the pockets of any innocent parties, which I would not have any part in any kind of dealings like that anyway. I am an honest person up until I get the dirty end of the stick, then it is time to play the game by their "rules".



It is not my intention to cheat anyone out of anything, but it sure sounds like the cause of whiteknights problem is the oil pressure relief to begin with, so if it gets covered by warranty, then that would be the right end result anyway.

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

The warranty has been denied. Now he has to prove it wasnt his fault or the oil filters'. That seems wrong to me since I read the magnuson and the dealer has to PROVE that his oem approved filter caused the failure. This is a major pawning off of responsibility by a dealer. Once again isnt the mopar just a rebadged fleetgaurd? I think whiteknight knows whats up. They were talking about having a third party inspect the filter. Dodge denied the warranty just by opening the hood. That doesnt sound legal to me. Dirty Ba$tard$. Im into guerrilla action they are lucky its someone else bending over and not me. What comes around goes around.



P. S. isnt it 36k bumper to bumper that internal warranty crap is for after the 36k and on to the 100k engine warranty. Plus there is an additional warranty for emissions equipment for 70k. Everything is covered for 36k. Like someone said the oil changers have no certs. Ask them if their oil changers are ase at the dealership. Its a crappy dealer take it to a good one. Its a warranty issue no question. Try another one what could it hurt.

 

[Pit Bull]

I guess I miss understood also? I thought by reading this that DC is claiming that the filter was not put on correctly?? If it was a question of the filter being bad then I would of thought that when Fleetguard said that there was nothing wrong with the filter that DC would of gone ahead and fixed the engine. Mopar is a rebadged Fleetguard and Fleetguard is owned by Cummins and is one of the recommended filters for our trucks. If it was me I would make one last call to whomever at DC makes the call on this type of thing and then it would be time for a Lawyer and some major negitive advertising agains't DC. I also read in the TDR that Cummins takes these types of engine problems back to the factory and does a tear down to figure out what caused the problem. If we were on one of the other brand sites we would of been asking for the VIN# after the first post This just seems like a real string of bad luck, first one in a million filter blowing up or whatever caused the oil to escape and then the Dealer it is taken too does not want to do Warranty work and make $$$ and denies the warranty before they know what is wrong with the engine and then DC backs up the dealer even after the filter is analized by Fleetguard as OK?? It just seems very

 

[esommer2500]

If it were me

I would go directly to the nearest Cummins shop. Explain to them what happened. You may or may not want to tell them all the crap you have gone through with DC. If it were me I would want to know what caused the problem. And since DC doesn't want to take the time to figure out what ACTUALLY happened, take it to Cummins. Again, this is just my suggestion, I hope something works out for you.



Eric

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

Alright. Here is what Ive gathered. If we change our own oil we void our already useless warranty. Can they dictate to us where to buy our diesel too? Here it is. If it takes a ase cert. mech to change oil. Have DC change your oil and sue them for voiding your warranty by using a non ase mech.

What ever happened to they have to prove what caused the failure. Id sue em just to have them prove it. Breach of contract. I wonder if they know how much bad publicity they are getting over the bs they try to pull. I want their heads on a plate. Can we all send money to a fight the dealer fund. Im willing to donate 100 bucks. If we dont take their bs anymore they cant shovel it on us.

P. S. im serious about the 100 bucks.

Hang Em High

P. P. S Ive seen the Vin # crap on the other sites and that is for small minded people. You must be lying cause this truck is so awesome and so is the dealers and corporation. Why would they deny your warranty. You mustv done something wrong.

 

[JTroiano]

Maybe someone should forward these posts to someone higher up at Dodge that understands what customer service meens and is willing to take care of the issue. It wouldn't hurt and may get them to open there eyes. It should also be attached with a letter exlpaining how big the TDR is and the amount of people that read it. This thread has been read by almost nine thousand people!!:--) Get a lawyer to write it or some one that is great at opening people eyes. This battle can be won!



It can be done honestly!!



Jon T

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by Big_Daddy_T



P. P. S Ive seen the Vin # crap on the other sites and that is for small minded people. You must be lying cause this truck is so awesome and so is the dealers and corporation. Why would they deny your warranty. You mustv done something wrong.

I know what you mean that is why I brought it up, we don't need or ask for a VIN # because we can believe that this #### can happen with DC and the Dealers that we hear about. Now don't get me wrong I know a majority of the Dealers would not of treated this member like this but we do see it happen enough that we can all easily believe it Very sad, I hope this has a happy ending.

 

[dalton4]

GDouglas, your idea for taking the truck to a dealer for servicing and then back in for a warranty job overlooked one key point. The truck most likely has a case file from all of the previous actions to solve this problem. I feel things would have started being known big time when the dealer punched in the VIN #s. This would have put the owner in a bad position due to previously recorded evidence given to DC by the owner.



Just my 2 cents worth.



Jerry

 

[GDouglas]

dalton4, Yeah, by now it has been about a month so far for these guys fighting back and forth with their dealer. It might have been a good plan to try after the first meeting with the dealer when they said that they aren't going to cover it. By now it is probably a red flag case now that a DC rep has been asked to evaluate the case above and beyond the dealer level. Maybe since after changing the oil again and noticing some engine noise only when the pressure droped, they could change out the oil pressure relief to try to get some steady oil pressure and trade the thing in on 2003 model. I am sure that after the dealer finds out that they have a noisey engine later after the trade on their hands that the "warranty" will magically reapear for that VIN# and it will get fixed under warranty after all. End result= DC covers the warranty like it should have been in the first place, and whiteknight is out of whatever depreciation on the age/mileage of the trade in.



I hate bad dealers and the lawyers that it takes to fight them. The little guys like us still lose no matter what the outcome.

 

[JR2]

Here is what I suggest... Whiteknight needs to post the name and phone # of the dealer along with the Service managers name as well as the owner of the dealerships name. Then on our own each of us can call the service manager and in a very polite way tell him what we think of how he does business and that we are telling all our friends about this. We would also need to mention where we are from and that we are members in a large group that will no longer do business with this guy. What do you think??



I feel blessed to have a good relationship with my service manager. He is a very good guy as long as you are honnest with him and don't try to hide stuff from him.

 

[Amianthus]

JR2, you mean like this?



Dealer Survey



I think that he should pad his case a little bit and bring it to a Cummins dealership and have the problem diagnosed there. Yes, it will cost some money, but he will have concrete proof of what caused the failure. He should then inform DC that he has incurred some expense from the mis-diagnosed problem with the engine. He may get DC to reimburse him and it will force the dealer to fix it. However, this might only happen in a utopic world.

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

I definitely think they should take it to cummins and have it looked at. When cummins shows whats wrong the dealer will have to fix it. Ive used cummins in the past to do the dealers diagnosis for him because they were too incompetent. Once I had cummins saying what failed they were quick to fix it. Even though they had diagnosed something completely different. Common sense told me they were wrong so I got a second opinion. It works.

 

[dseabaugh]

I also would like to know the name of the dealer. The truck I drive now came from up in your area and I certainly don't want to patronize anyone who treats a customer like this. we have enough of those kind of Jerks in Southeast Missouri. PM me if you wish.

 

[whiteknight]

Yesterday dad got a call from someone identifying him self as a Chrysler factory rep. He left a message and number Dad was dear hunting) for dad to call him back so maybe thats a good sign. My father-in-law is retired from the Chrysler plant in Fenton, MO but the guy he was trying to get a hold of was on vacation until next week so I don't know where this guy is from. I have my fingers crossed.



As for the dealer, I am a little reluctant to post their name because of a thread I saw on an RV site were some people had posted a problem they were having along with the RV manufacturer's name, and that manufacturer found out about it and sued the customer. But I will tell you that there is only one Dodge dealer here in town were we live.

 

[Big-D]

Hang in There...

Tracy ~ Stay the course buddy for you have a lot of backing from this group. Keep us posted as to what your Dad finds out from the telephone call.

Dave

 

[Dfeland]

Here is what I would do!

Find someone that the dealer does not know. Take the truck there and trade that mother in on a new one. That way when the engine goes bad its there fricken problem. My dad is a retired factory rep out the the phoniex zone office. I told him about this and he just shook his head. There never should have been any question about it being warrantied or not. Go through arbitration and they will fix it. At this point since it is running and all the most they are going to do is drop the pan and maybe put new bearings in it. I would get rid of it. I love dodge but this is bizzare.