Loaner policy on Warranty Work?

[mikepvg]

I assume that DC has no written policy regarding a loaner vehicle on warranty repairs that take more than 24 hrs.



I'm very interested in finding out what everyone's experience is with various dealers regarding warranty work that will take longer than 24-48 hours & getting a loaner vehicle.



Thanks!

Mike

 

[fj40tom]

I have picked up a rental everytime the dealership has had my truck. It doesn't matter if they have my truck for 4 hours or 9 days.



That being said, I did get one of the extended policy that my dealership offered.



Cheers,



tp

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I have picked up a rental everytime the dealership has had my truck. It doesn't matter if they have my truck for 4 hours or 9 days.



That being said, I did get one of the extended policy that my dealership offered.



Cheers,



tp

Some of the folks who came into the service department of the dealership I worked at, would arrange for a new car test drive with the saleman they bought their vehicle from that's in for service. If the salesman is good, they can allow you to drive the demo one for 2 to 3 days at no charge. Just depends on how well the dealership and you get along. They usually have a few cars that are demo units with alloted mileage on every lot, just ask to look at a certain model and take an extended test drive, who knows, you might end up trading up by the time your truck gets done.

 

[BHolm]

There is no policy against getting a loaner but more importantly there is no policy to provide one. It is completely up to the dealer, they are not obligated to do anything for you. Their "out' is that I am pretty sure it is stated in the owners manual somewhere that they do not provide service loaners.



I spoke to my salesman about coming in for the second failing injector. I have a 30 min drive each way and my wife is not to hip on going back and forth. He was bummed to hear I was having problems and told me he would "try" and arrange a car for me next time in. The idiot service manager told him, with me standing there, that "I don't have any cars back here, you guys have all kinds of them up front" Nice old school attitude, hope I don't have to deal with that guy.



It is all through DC, when I take a big buck Mercedes in for service they send me off in a Grand Am :{ though they do pay for it. I think they ALL need to get on the bandwagon with Lexus, they offer a new Lexus to drive period. As mentioned above, what a great way to keep customers happy AND expose them to new products in the line. Anymore the products are so similarly capable between manufacturers, it isn't the product, it is the service. Anybody at DC listening??????? Didn't think so

 

[klenger]

I think that a free loaner is part of the extended service plan, but not part of the normal factory warranty. If the dealer offers you a free loaner, he's doing you a favor.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I think that a free loaner is part of the extended service plan, but not part of the normal factory warranty. If the dealer offers you a free loaner, he's doing you a favor.

The word "dealer" and "favor" are taboo to use in the same sentence. There is always a way the Dealer is looking to benefit from their actions, they can write off the loaner as a demo or charge it back on DC for customer satisfaction etc.

Loaners are not guaranteed, and not promised in just about any contract I had presented to me as a service writer, we did it as a sales lead to upsell the customer to a newer vehicle. Also if the repair issue was getting tense with the customer for repeated attempts, we'd do it as a goowill tactic to prevent a *****ing customer from throwing a fit in front of other customers, then we'd charge it out to the manufacturer or regional rep's. No dealer will give away anything, there is always a money string to pull somewhere.

 

[PJ]

I bought the DC 7/100k zero deduct warranty. I get a loaned on the first min of my visit, even if Im only getting an oil change and dont want to wait. Tomorrow, Im leaving my truck before closing so they can do a cold start up for the white smoke. I usually have my pick of anything Enterprise has on their lot. Sometimes its a Cadallic, sometimes a Lincoln LS. . Just depends on what they have. Never a small rice rocket. Being in Grants Pass Oregon, home of all the BLUE HAIRS, most all of them have to have their Chrysler 300's or Fleetwood's to feel at home! :-laf :-laf :-laf

I usually try to take the day and go on a fun drive to the coast, about a 200 mile round trip. Sometimes i head to Northern Calif to see my son's. I say, why not? Its unlimited mileage and im not putting the extra miles on my CTD! :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[Bob4x4]

If you sprung for the Chrysler service contract,you will be given a rental for up to 5 days for any covered componet failure even during the first 3/36 basic warranty. If it takes more than 5 days,call the D/C 800 number and they will probably extend that time. Chrysler does have a program for in house rentals,but the dealer participation (money)must be high because there is always a waiting list to get into one



Bob

 

[mikepvg]

I'm not familiar w/ the DC 7yr/100K warranty that you purchased.



Is that some extended version of the basic 3yr/36K Dodge warranty with perks?



But I understood that the basic Cummins engine components warranty is 7yr/100K anyways, so I'm a little confused on what you have purchased?



Thanks!

Mike

 

[PJ]

I'm not familiar w/ the DC 7yr/100K warranty that you purchased.



Is that some extended version of the basic 3yr/36K Dodge warranty with perks?



But I understood that the basic Cummins engine components warranty is 7yr/100K anyways, so I'm a little confused on what you have purchased?



Thanks!

Mike

The DC warranty covers everything else. Ya know, all the stuff that is made by Chrysler and assmebled in Mexico. . Bumper to bumper. It also makes the warranty on the motor a ZERO deductable. . Not $100. 3 years from now and something like your power window or worse yet, the computer that controls EVERYTHING on your truck. . If you didnt filp the bucks for the extended warranty, you will sure wish you did! The warranty cost me about $2k. Most major repairs like a new rear end, trans, or anything electrical, will most likely cost you more than $2k. Then the plus is you even get a rental until they give you the truck back. I feel it was a good $2k spent. If you sell your truck before the warranty ends, you can also sell it back to DC! I just did that with my 04. Hopefully, you never need to use the extended warranty but, if you dont have one, I feel there is more of a chance that you will need one!

Its more like an insurance policy. . Oo.

 

[DPKetchum]

If you ran a dealer and I know I'll get some flaming fior this but a busy dealer can't LOAN auto's. There RENTALS and someone somewhere is suppose to pay for them. If new autos are used they are devalued by a lot. Some are charged back to the sevice dept. some charged back to sales dept. Some to D. C. or whoever. The point is it eats up every bit of profit thats made in the repair of vehicles repaired under warranty. sometimes it makes a HUGE dent in Sales profits. Factory claims for every loaner they pay for(rental)it matches or exceeds the amount spent on the repair! Of couse not every time but darn close. Then folkes even grumble about the KIND of rental(loaner)they get. Darn you can't win sometimes no matter what. I worked in a dealer that did lots of loaners(rentals)and one day the owner and G. M. had a meeting and said its made a lot of folkes happy BUT its making us in the red. hate to do it but its OVER. Period! If its covered by D. C. or extended service contract fine. But if a minute late in being returned etc. Someone will have to pay. Eaither the service writer or the FOLKES driving that rental. UNDERSTAND!Lots of CUSTOMERS keep them DAYS longer then allowed. Sales did auth. some etc. But it was a mess and a lot of unhappy folkes. It was just to darn exspensive to do it the way the cumsumers want. I'm sure Lexus/Mercedes etc. its built into a PRICE some where! Lots of time and energy spent of the loaner/rental thing. LOTS. At times service writers and office spent more time and paper work/phone calls on that issue then the repair by ten fold.

 

[diesel DOG]

one advatage of GM, one day loaner till it's fixed. Dealer tells me bring it in then it just sits there for a few days some times

 

[catoiler]

OK try this on for size;you make an appointment to get your truck fixed, they tell you they are ordering the parts so it won't be down to long as we don't give loaners. So you drop if off on the day they set for you expecting the parts to be there and you go on your merry way! call a few days later and nope it is not done yet. make a drive by and it is sitting in the back lot where it was on the first day. go by again a few days later and it is still in the same place,go and talk to service writer and he says they are waiting for parts. wait you thought they were ordered before the truck was dropped off but no another lie by the trusted service writer!long story made short don't belive anything they say. also they don't give loaners without buying the extended warranty(at least that is what DC says)Whats the point of buying a new car or truck that breaks down and they don't give you something to drive while they fix THEIR problem. My truck and my wifes van will be the last new cars i will buy ever again. The next ones will be a year old and not be bought at full pop so i don't expect a loaner if it does break down. (also not to mention the deprecation on a new car,the van lost $12,000 in the first year!) Sorry for the long rant as DC in my opinion sucks at customer relations!

 

[PJ]

Well, I just dropped my truck off at the local dealer for a cold start up tomorrow on the white smoke issue. Also to have both sides weatherstrip TSB done. By the time they had me written up, the guys from Enterprise were there with my 2005 YukonXL loaner. Who says that the DC extended warranty was no good. . The local guys here treat me well. This is the second 3 gen Cummins Ive bought from them in the past 1. 5 years.

The way I see it, If you dont give the service writer crap, they will treat you just fine, not to mention wash and vaccuum your truck on every visit.

Life is good in Oregon! Oo.

 

[mikepvg]

PJ



Whats the weatherstrip TSB all about?



Thanks!

Mike

 

[PJ]

Both front doors tear the weatherstrip up by the rear view mirror

 

[RustyJC]

It is all through DC, when I take a big buck Mercedes in for service they send me off in a Grand Am :{ though they do pay for it. I think they ALL need to get on the bandwagon with Lexus, they offer a new Lexus to drive period.

Hmmm... . any time I take my Acura 3. 2TL-S in for scheduled service, I get an Acura TL to drive. My car is washed and vacuumed when it's returned as well. Can't comment on warranty - it's never been in for a warranty problem!



Rusty

 

[mikepvg]

Do you know the TSB number?



TIA

Mike

 

[NDanecker]

I only had bad experiences with 3 dealers I went to. All three did not acknowledge the 'extended care option' I paid extra for when I purchased my truck with the extended 100k warranty. They all played dumb, and it was like pulling teeth to get them to offer a loaner car. Most dealers don't even have a fleet of cars and work something out with a $30/day limit with a local car rental agency (enterprise). DON"T BUY THIS EXTENDED CAR OPTION _ NOT WORTH IT IMO!

Personally, I'd never pay for this option again. I just bought a USED BMW x5 and get a loaner car EVERY TIME I bring it in for service - warranty work or for just changing the oil. No questions asked... ... and its a USED vehicle, not new!!! I also did NOT pay for any sort of special warranty. It came included with the CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) purchase.

Here is another thread worth reading:

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114711&page=1

 

[VStahl]

My extended service contract supplies a loaner for any visit to the dealership. My dealer has an agreement with Enterprise. they have to provide me with one of their nicer rentals and they pick me up.