Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Has DaimlerChrysler Taken You For a Ride?

[KCanepari]

my 2000 with 118000 just died today, I'm going to start making phone calls!

 

[MMeier]

my 2000 with 118000 just died today, I'm going to start making phone calls!

Good luck... keep us posted !

 

[SnoKing]

Yeah, they told the Washington State AG on my behalf that the warranties run concurrently, and that it was in the Warranty Booket that way. The word concrrently does not exist in the Warranty Booklet as far as I know. And it took them three months to do that.



I wrote a letter to the Chairman of Chrysler today, after no one replied to an email blasted to a list someone on DTR gave me. I think there are only three people that actually got money from them.



And they want us to come back some day and buy a new truck from them. NOT!



I have rights to GM employee discount via EDS retirement and would be looking at their trucks if I was going to buy a new one. SNOKING

 

[MWinters]

VP 44 issues - my update

Well, after not having any luck w/the Dodge Customer Relations people, my local dealer did call me 2 days ago to tell me the district rep went to bat for me & did get some money back for me Oo. My local dealer did not tell me how much as he wanted it to be a surprise, but did tell me it would be "significantly more" than $1000. I originally had $3800 invested in the failure, plus a few extra days in a motel while out of town.



So don't forget to use your dealer & his contacts if possible. I have bought 4 trucks from the same dealer, & it has been the same salesman each time. This is a small town dealer, & it's kinda nice to know all the people there & most of them recognize me & call me by my first name (which is kind of amazing since I have not been in this dealership for over 5 yrs now. )



I'll report back how much money I received when I see the check



Good Luck to all on this problem



Mike.

 

[KCanepari]

So I called dealer this morning and he looked on the computer (knowing my VIN no> and that it was a 2000) and it said that the 5 yr/100000 DID cover it. so I'ts going down 1st thing tomorrow and we will see!!

 

[SnoKing]

Good luck, keep us posted! SNOKING

 

[MWinters]

Snoking,



I also have Employee Discount thru where I work & have used it previously on GM purchases. I have antied up & bought a new off the lot 07 w/a 5. 9 & was surprised that Dodge also offered this. I think I got 1% off invoice ?



Mike.

 

[KCanepari]

Denied, no way no how, they wouldn't even pay for part of it. the truck is already at the dealer and seeing I don't want to pay to get it towed I'm picking up a reman pump from blue chip and there putting it in. I called cummins and they said it was all up to dodge, and by the way there very aware of the "gray area" in the wording of the waranty.

 

[KCanepari]

how many of you would seriously get together and go in on a class action lawsuit?

 

[Thomas]

Denied, no way no how, they wouldn't even pay for part of it . . .

A complete read of the first post in this thread should tell you what to expect from Chrysler and their dealers. They are not going to roll over easily on this one.

My strategy was pretty well laid out in that post:

• Have the repair done and the truck back in my hands
• Obtain documentation that shows the denial of warranty
• Demand that the warranty be honored or face civil action

The Small Claims Court system where I am has a limit far in excess of the repair cost, doesn't allow lawyers, and makes it real easy to file. I gambled by paying D/C's inflated prices with the belief that any semi-intelligent judge would rule in my favor. The repairing dealer knew I was right and that I would prevail in court. He put the pressure on D/C—not me.

. . . there very aware of the "gray area" in the wording of the waranty.

I'm curious as to what the gray area is. The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Part 701, linked in the initial post, along with the 2000 Warranty Information booklet clearly show in simple English (as required by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Part 701) that the two warranties in question run consecutively.

There is no gray area. The only reason an intelligent person would suggest there is a gray area is if they were attempting to slant things in D/C's favor.

 

[KCanepari]

well if they inteded it to be a 8/136 warranty they would have advertised it that way. it says 5/100, even if it kicks in after the 3/36 runs out it doesn't clearly say you get an additional 5/100

 

[SnoKing]

It says on page 12 that the 5/100 Cummins Engine Warranty begins at the end of the basic 3/36. It does not say that it continues. They used the word "begins". Federal laws says that all warranties or parts of warranties begin at in service date, unless it is noted that any part of it starts at another time. Page 12 states that the Cummins Engine Warranty begins at a different time. The word concurrently does not exist in the warranty booket. What Chrysler wrote and what they intend are not necessarily the same.



SNOKING

 

[Thomas]

well if they inteded it to be a 8/136 warranty they would have advertised it that way. it says 5/100, even if it kicks in after the 3/36 runs out it doesn't clearly say you get an additional 5/100

Here is a new link to the applicable federal law as the link in the almost year old post has changed: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:

I suggest you read CFR 701. 3 (a) and CFR 701. 3 (a)(4). They're the bold text.


§ 701. 3 Written warranty terms.

(a) Any warrantor warranting to a consumer by means of a written warranty a consumer product actually costing the consumer more than $15. 00 shall clearly and conspicuously disclose in a single document in simple and readily understood language, the following items of information:
(1) The identity of the party or parties to whom the written warranty is extended, if the enforceability of the written warranty is limited to the original consumer purchaser or is otherwise limited to persons other than every consumer owner during the term of the warranty;
(2) A clear description and identification of products, or parts, or characteristics, or components or properties covered by and where necessary for clarification, excluded from the warranty;
(3) A statement of what the warrantor will do in the event of a defect, malfunction or failure to conform with the written warranty, including the items or services the warrantor will pay for or provide, and, where necessary for clarification, those which the warrantor will not pay for or provide;
(4) The point in time or event on which the warranty term commences, if different from the purchase date, and the time period or other measurement of warranty duration;

I also suggest you read the 2000 Warranty Information booklet, in particular, the Cummins Diesel Engine Limited Warranty, partially copied here:

2. 6 Cummins Diesel Engine Limited Warranty

A. When It Begins

If your truck is equipped with a Cummins Diesel
Engine, the Cummins Diesel Engine Limited
Warranty begins at the end of the 3/36 Basic
Limited Warranty period, and covers the cost of
repairing those parts of your truck engine listed
that are defective in materials, workmanship, or
factory preparation.

B. Parts Covered for 5 Years or 100,000 Miles
In trucks equipped with a Cummins Diesel Engine,
ONLY the following engine parts and components
are covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles, whichever
occurs first:


The Cummins Diesel Engine Limited Warranty clearly and unambiguously fulfills the following portion of the federal law shown above: The point in time or event on which the warranty term commences, if different from the purchase date, and the time period or other measurement of warranty duration.

The items I cited never mention or imply the 8/136 you suggest should be written. The cited items clearly show, without question, that the Basic Warranty and the Cummins Diesel Engine Limited Warranty are consecutive warranties and not concurrent warranties.

 

[obert]

Is "The New Chrysler" going to step up and honor warranty? Or will warranty issues in general continue to be a PITA?

 

[MMeier]

Is "The New Chrysler" going to step up and honor warranty? Or will warranty issues in general continue to be a PITA?

I wouldn't get your hopes up too high.

 

[rickhans]

First, I fixed my throttle position sensor using the procedure described on another thread about the problem. I was impressed with how well the instructions were written and how it solved the problem of the engine dropping back to idle.



As to my earlier report on the vp44 replacement 3 years ago that I had to pay for, I finally found my receipt for it with my 2004 taxes and have scanned it in along with pulling the warranty book for '98 and 2004 off of Chrysler's web site as evidence that it should have been in warranty and that the same warranty information stays through 2004. I don't know if anyone has noticed the 2005-2007 warranty explanation, but it contridicts itself. It starts out explaining the 5/100 Cummins warrant and within the paragraph states that it starts at 0, but in the next paragraph "When it starts", it has a more detail explanation that it starts at the end of 36 months or 36k miles.



I contacted the dealer who did the repair (the svc. mgr. ) and he blew me off saying the same thing, runs concurrent. I tried to argue and he would not even listen, instead gave me the 800 number. I got a customer service rep who appeared to have no knowledge of the cummins warranty so we spent time on the phone while he looked it up and agreed with me with what I was saying. But then he said he had to put me on hold to get confirmation, came back with the same old story his super said to tell me, runs concurrent. He told me that the 1st page graph "says that it runs concurrent" so I was prepared with an argument, at which time it became very adverserial. I insisted on talking to a manager and he refused to switch me saying his supervisor will tell me the same thing therefore he would not let me talk to him.



I have now filed a complaint with the Texas AG and with BBB. Is there any federal office to also file a complaint with? I told the AG I wish someone would start up a class action lawsuit. I own 2 Dodge trucks and a van, but as it stands now, I don't plan on ever doing business with Chrysler again unless they do something about this fraud they are comitting.



Any other suggestions for proceeding?

 

[SnoKing]

Good Luck, I wrote a letter to the new CEO of Chrysler a week and a half ago with no answer yet. That is after a millon or so email with CS, two demand letters and a complaint with the Washington AG. They told the AG after 3 or 4 months that the warranties are concurrent. But the worD concurent does not exist in plan english in the Warranty Information Booket. Think I will bUy a Chevy. SNOKING

 

[rickhans]

How about a class action lawsuit against Chrysler

I am thinking that maybe we need to start a new visable thread called "class action warranty lawsuit against Chrysler" and be very specific about the warranty issue and ask for quick responses with email addresses available for any one who would want to join a class action lawsuit against Chrysler.



If we could get enough names (I don't know how many would be needed), and find a good warranty attorney who will take it on contingency, I would think that with sufficient proof the lawyer could get a court order to force chrysler to provide ALL repairs done nation wide to the Cummins engine that most likely fall into this time period, it could be an extremely large class. (I am not a lawyer, but am an insurance adjuster so I am somewhat familier with the legal process).



I would like to see what others think about this who are watching this thread. Does anyone know of such a lawyer we might contact to guide us through this process? If the suit could proved deliberate deception, treble damages might be in order depending on what state it is filed in.

 

[MMeier]

Good Luck, I wrote a letter to the new CEO of Chrysler a week and a half ago with no answer yet. SNOKING

You're not actually expecting a reply from him, are you?

 

[rickhans]

from who? I don't understand the question. I would just like to see what other TDR members think about the idea. Maybe there are some members who have been involved with a ca suit before.