Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Need Advice - perhaps legal

[Justice Dunn]

This post is regarding EPA requirements for extended warranty on emissions related parts.



Need: source of evidence of Federal requirement



Story: 1999 2500 in services less than 4 years with 55,000 miles developed cracks in exhaust manifold discovered during normal service by my repair shop. A call to the large Phoenix dealership indicated that exhaust manifold was covered only by 3/36 factory warranty. I had my shop replace manifold and paid the bill.



Info on the TDR site indicated that this should covered under emissions warranty 5year/100,000. I called Chrysler customer service who claimed manifold covered under 3/36 for light duty trucks. Heavy duty (10K or more) covered under 5/100.



I then read the warranty book carefully which confirms Cummins has certain engine parts covered under 5/100. I call the customer service again and got them to agree the part should have been covered BUT only if repair done at a Chrysler dealer



I wrote a letter to the Customer Service Manager and Chrysler CEO with no positive results.



Can anyone help me document Chrysler's responsibility to follow Federal requirements covering warranty of emissions related parts. :{

 

[WadePatton]

Try the FTC and anybody else you can think of. Make a hobby of it. Call 'em twice a week every week. Don't yell, just be persistent. Stay on DC, eventually somebody may pay to shut you up... but I wouldn't count on it.



And quit going to that dealer.



Not worth legal action, but you can have fun with them.





And next time it cracks put on an ATS!

 

[dresslered]

Can't promise anything, but sometimes all it takes is a letter to the correct department. I had to replace my own lift pump since the dealer didn't know the time of day. I sent my letter to:



Daimler-Chrysler Customer Center

P. O. Box 21-8004

Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004



I received a check which included the full price of the lift pump from Cummins, overnight delivery, and a 1-year membership to the power boosters club.

 

[Justice Dunn]

That is the same Customer Service ( or lack thereof) that I sent my letter to. This is the one listed in the warranty book delivered with the truck.

 

[mchelius]

What dealer are you talking about. Please let me know so i don't take my new truck there!

 

[Justice Dunn]

Bill Luke- I have a sad story with this guy which is also a sore subject and the reason I stopped going to "stealers" right after the 3/36 warranty was up. But in this case my shop selected Bill Luke because they get mopar parts there. Bill Luke's was selected at random.

 

[mchelius]

Oh-No, Thats where i bought my truck!!! I wonder if there are other bad experiences with them?

 

[Deezul1]

Sometimes small claims court will get you your money back. Often its cheaper for a big company to lose in small claims court by not showing up than it is to fight you. I have a friend who was in the motor rebuilding business and went to court 3 times in response to suits filed by customers and he lost all 3 times. He built real good engines too. The customers were sueing for engine failure when there was overwhelming evidence that these engines were run without oil and he had photos, oil anylisis, and burnt parts to show and he still lost. This has been a fairly common thing among shop owners, to have courts rule against them no matter what so give it a try

 

[DCMille290]

OK, here's my experience on this matter. While on the road from GA to MA I developed the dreaded manifold crack.

I was under the understanding, without asking, it would be covered under the 100K engine warranty. I already had 80K+ on the truck. After the repair was done I was presented with a $700+ bill or they keep the truck until someone says different.

So I paid the bill, drove the truck up to MA.

I then starting reading the owners manual and found that if my truck serial number had the letter "G" in the eighth position that it was considered a HD truck and the warranty did indeed cover the exhaust manifold. A call to DC customer service confirmed that info and coverage and then I made a rather rude call to stealer, general manger and got a check overnighted to me from GA.



Good Luck. I have been there.



DC Miller

Marbleman

 

[illflem]

Toyota replaced my cracked manifold after 15 years and 250k miles for free, said the emission system was warranted for life by law. They didn't even ask nor did I know the manifold was cracked, the truck was in for something else. Sure wish Toyota offered a HD truck with a diesel, I'd drop these Dodges in a second and never buy another Chrysler product. Their service sucks. What's up with folks having to be rightfully afraid of taking their rig in for service or even a recall?

 

[JHansen]

Hear where you're coming from Bill. I've been a Dodge guy my whole life-my truck all in all has been a pretty decent vehicle-and the local dealership has treated me very well. But DC upsets me to put it mildly..... refused to do the breather TSB on my truck because it was over the base warranty-keep in mind it still has lots of engine warranty left. I guess they'd rather have the engine go south and try to find some way to wiggle out of the claim... ... Then you've got the ongoing lift pump saga coupled with crappy track bars (I fixed that myself with a DT) and even crappier steering boxes (mine was sloppy right off the carrier, adjusted multiple times and finally replaced under warranty-now it seems the new one is in need of adjustment)-no wonder people look for alternatives. I'll be keeping this one until the fenders fall off-when the time comes that depreciating it isn't viable anymore I'll move it to personal service-but I'll be looking long and hard at its replacement... .....



Jason

 

[georgej]

On my 2001 3500 one of the booklets with warrantees and things claimed that the Cummins has a lifetime warrantee on the exhaust system!!! I don't have the book here at work but maybe someone else can verify this.



good luck, George