Buying used Dodge from dealer? BEWARE!

[danandamy]

DC is surely number 1 in customer relations #ad
Ya'll check out this story on LEMON DODGES

[This message has been edited by danandme (edited 03-18-2001). ]

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Thought a buddy's rig smelled like citrus. When he brought it in for service a year ago a part was to be ordered with the vehicles coding sys ... . in went the #'s out poped the printer ribbon and 15 sheets of repairs. Now its life is a service vehicle for LARGE Construction sites.


<hr>
<font color=#E02020><font size=3>Truck Bio:</font>
Y2K+1 <font color=#2F4F4F>3500 4X4 Quad Cab</font> Powerpacked , Jakit's Front End Leveling Kit with 255/85R16 <A HREF="http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/" TARGET=_blank><font color=#2F4F4F>BFG</font></A> <A HREF="http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/catalog/radial_mud_terrain_ta.html" TARGET=_blank><font color=ff0000>M/T's</font></A> Custom Rhino Liner (see tool man's truck feature)DeeZee Goodies, Hadley air systems 150 psi comp and air storage. Rubber side down & shiny side up can get a smile at the end of each day(hopefully)<A HREF="https://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb//Forum17/HTML/001793.html" TARGET=_blank><font color=#E02020>See The Rig Here</A>

<A href="mailto:ToolManTimTaylor@aol.com">#ad
</A>



[This message has been edited by ToolManTimTaylor1 (edited 03-21-2001). ]

 

[dewdo]

Hey that is nothing new. All the manufacturers do it including Phord. My son ended up buying a "lemon return" from a local dealer who said it was traded in by an elderly gentleman who liked driving a new truck every year.

The best way I found to combat buying a lemon buyback, flood damage, or a rebuild is to pay about $20. 00 and subscribe to "Car-fax" It is a three month deal and all you have to do is to send them the VIN and you will get back a complete history of the vehicle. They also track the mileage in case someone sets the odometer back. I used the service when my daughter was looking for a used car and saved her from buying one rebuilt total wreck, two high mileage cars that showed low mileage on the odometer, and one flood damaged car. It is well worth the money if you are in the market for a used vehicle. I found out that if a car passes through Utah then a red flag should be raised on that vehicle because of their lax laws concerning rolling back speedometers.

Dewdo in the other Washington

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2000 Ram 3500 4 X 4 dualie W/B-D Exhaust Brake, Auto-Loc, Armr bed liner, DeeZee running boards, mud flaps, steps, leather, white with color splash on sides, would like to BOMB it, but after warranty. VA Box waiting to install.

34' King Of The Road 5th wheeler & 11. 5 Arctic Fox pickup camper. Winter in Arizona (Martinez Lake)

 

[Paul Herioux]

Just an an opinion from a dealer employed technician.
This is pretty much normal practice for any of the major auto manufactures as Dewdo said.
When these buy-back vehicles come in from the DC auctions they have a form tape inside the windshield listing the reason the vehicle was bought back and all repairs performed to try and correct these problems.
This form has a line for the customer buying the vehicle to sign and a SIGNED copy has to be sent back to DC. These vehicles are sold with a 12 month/unlimited mileage bumper to bumper warranty that begins the day the new owner signs for the vehicle.
Many of the so-called buy-back vehicles have no other defects than a first owner that decided they didn't like their vehicle any more and nit-picked it to death calling DC until they got tired of hearing from them. Most of the diesels I've seen come from the auctions were bought back because the the original selling dealer didn't have a diesel tech that was worth his uniform costs. Let's face it, most of the tech's working on diesel in DC dealerships are car technicians that got sent to a two day class(if their lucky) and the warranty manager waved his pen over them proclaiming them to be "diesel techs". I was born and raised on a farm and have been around deisels my entire life and still consider myself to be in this group. I have learned more about MY beloved Cummins in the last year from this website than I have learned or will learn from DaimlerChrysler. My best advice is to check out the dealer you are considering buying from carefully. Most of them are very good honest people, but as with anything, a few bad apples spoil the basket. When buying a used DC vehicle ask to see a VIP report on the vehicle -if they look at you with a blank stare tell them its Function 14 on their DIAL system. It will list all warranty repairs done in last 24 months, original owner and selling dealer, and what remaining warranty is on the vehicle.
Sorry this rambled on so long long but I had to get some stuff off my chest.
Paul Herioux
Master Certified DC service tech '92 to present and a new Cummins bombing fool.

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89 w250, 47rh trans, cleaned up exhaust, Dynomax bullet muffer, 3" lift

[This message has been edited by Paul Herioux (edited 03-20-2001). ]

 

[Challenger-II]

Paul Herioux,

I salute you my friend for your candid honesty!!! It is a generally well known feeling that most techs really dont know their butts from their elbows about these trucks. It is a sin that they let someone with minimal training loose on these beasts. In my experience, I have to do the diagnosis and try to convince them to agree. 95% of the time I know more than they do. You sound like somone who has a good attitude about their abilities and I for one wished you worked at my dealership!! Sorry to get down on techs, but I have seen too many monkeys screw up my vehicles worse than when I brought it in.

 

[RKohn]

Dewdo,

Carfax is kinda cool. It showed DC as the only prior owner on my truck, but who knows what kind of sick stuff they did to it.

It also doesn't explain why I don't have a VIN plate on my dash. I wrote to the Attorney General's office and ask them what they thought.


Paul Herioux,

If you were anywhere else but Yooperland I'd tell you to be careful that DC doesn't send their corporate goons after you for telling it like it is. I think you're safe though, cause they're all scared of the bridge unless it's deer season.

Got another recall(brake hoses). Hate to take it to the knuckle dragging idiots down here. If I want it done right, I'll have to fix it after they screw it up.

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Y2K Red Stealth Sport 2500 4X4 QC SLT+, 5-spd, 3. 54 LotsaSpinDiff, 265-75-16 LTX's (Don't Michelins ever wear out?), DC's dead cow/vinyl interior and 4-wheel don't stop anti-lock brakes, Roll-N-Lock bedcover. What silencer ring? (More fun than my 98 SST)

 

[Tilesetter Too]

Yep, They all do it. I almost bought a 98 Suburban 2500 4x4 until I accidentally ran into a previous Suburban owners website and nightmare tale problems. He had his brakes completely replaced 5 times in 12,000 miles, numerous other engine problems and other items on the truck attached badly. His drivers seat rocked back and forth several inches from the day he bought it. GM finally bought it back (by court order) and resold it 2 months later.
I worked as a car salesman for 3months and its the worst job I ever had... and I used to wipe peoples a**ess in a hospital.
I guess this all goes to show you why you should do your homework before buying a vehicle.