2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Peeling Paint

[RedSled]

My 97 has large sections of paint peeling from the passenger door. It started out about a year ago with tiny blisters. The blisters have spread over the entire passenger door, the hood, drivers door, and are starting to appear on the back quarter panels.



I am furious! I called Chrysler customer service and complained. They told me to take it in to my dealer. I took it in and the dealer said they had to have "district" representative come out and have a look. I just got a call from the service rep that said, there is no need for the district rep to see my truck, there was no way with 140,000 miles chrylser would pay to have it fixed.



Has anyone had luck with having Chrysler fix the peeling paint problem? I never would have bought this truck had I known the paint would fall off in 7 years. What a bad joke.

 

[redram]

Yes,



I have a red 96 3500 SLT and have had the upper half of the truck (from side mouldings up) repainted by the dealer for a 500 deductible. Had to agree to have the front and rear windows removed so as not to leave a 'fresh' paint edge at the windsheild seal area that might peel. That was with about 128,000 miles and 7 years old at that time. I also was very nice talking with the service manager, not demanding but asking for his help / assistance. My truck was fading on all horizontal surfaces but had started to crack on the roof rather severely. No peeling, just delamination. My bill was a bit over $1000.

Was it worth it? I guess it was although they did not clear coat the red and the hood is now fading again. Also, even though I had to pay to have the windows removed, they did not even bother to remove the third brake light (two screws) and some other things. Just typical lack of craftsmanship. All in all, it was worth it.

You may have set a table that may not favor getting a deal similar to mine however. Maybe it can still be arranged. Do a search on Google.com - I know that there are some groups trying / have done class action suits against DC for peeling paint. You make your truck's paint condition sound very severe with the peeling on the side panels, etc. - does the truck look like it has been babied and well cared for or does it look like a 'general contractor's beater?'

If your truck is otherwise clean - give it a shot. I went it with the attitude of all they can say is no, it would not be covered and went in with the attitude that being nice has a better chance of someone wanting to help me rather than the 'blithering mad consumer' angle.



Good luck.



And yes, I think DC quality parts sucks. But then, most things are 'price driven' and we end up getting quality similar to price.

My door window weather strips rusted, I've been driving for 5 years without a fuel guage due to DC's crappy fuel module quality (not just the fuel sender, my whole module needs replacing), I'm on my third throttle cable, second set of front calipers, foil thin rear bumper (replaced with a Ford 250/350), stupidly designed center seat (replaced with a Ford Van Console), crappy stock AM/FM Cassette radio reception (fixed with a Blaupunkt), a peeling leather steering wheel (2nd one), a falling headliner, leaky third brake light, no sound insulation on the ext cab rear wall, failing power door lock, starter contacts, etc. However, my truck is 9 1/2 years old and I plan to hang on to it and I am not having any regrets.

 

[RedSled]

RedRam,



Glad to hear you have had some success. I have been on the phone for a while today trying to see if I could get Chrysler to pay for at least some of this, but they are unwilling.



I called the Chrysler customer assistance number and explained the whole situation to them and asked very nicely if they would please help. The representative I talked to put me on hold and called the dealer. She came back on a few minutes later and said



" I'm sorry, the district manager has refused your claim, there is nothing I can do to help you since the district manager has refused it. "



My truck has been well taken care of. I have washed/waxed regularly, never run it through car washes, and it has been garage kept. No, it is not a contractor truck. I bought it because I wanted a truck that would last 10-15 years.



This is truly unbelievable!!



Can anyone explain in detail, what exactly is the problem with the primer that Chrysler used on our trucks?



I have seen several websites that mention the primer as being bad, but no details. I am considering the small claims court route, but not sure if that will get me anywhere.

 

[Jschafer]

My truck (green and Driftwood) started peeling after 6 months They told me then that they would not paint it (It had 15k miles it was out of 12/12 warranty). I kept after them and called Chrysler direct nothing worked. After about 4 Years the dealer ship that I bought it from changed Managers and the new one got them to Re-paint the Driftwood, I had over 100k on it but the finally painted it. The job they did was poor and they didn't get enough paint on the edges of the wheel wells and then it rusted, so I didn't gain a whole lot.

Last fall I just repaired the rust and changed both doors and re-painted, Truck looks good again. I have had most of the problems as on the above post but the Engines are great and most Fords I have had are just as bad.



If it is like my truck was, it is the primer that is the problem, it all has to be stripped off, they can't just sand smooth an re-paint.

Good luck

 

[CarlJensen]

Do a search on "paint jobs" or "paint warranty", something like that. There have all ready been many small claims cases against DC which they have lost. There is a procedure you have to go through to get any action but I can't recall all of it (CRS).

 

[WestTN]

The paint system is a water based EPA compliant system. It has a very narrow tolerance for application error. The time between application of primer to application of paint is critical, as is the temperature of the ovens. GM seems to have more trouble with this than Chrysler or Ford.

 

[CarlJensen]

This came from the question I asked on the DTR site. I know someone has gone through this drill and laid it all out. He won, by the way!!









If you go to www.google.com and search for "Dodge paint peeling" you'll see you're not alone.



Apparently Dodge hosed up in their procedures when painting vehicles a couple of years.



Although 10 years later might be a little long to try to get them to 'fess up and offer assistance, it might still be worth a properly worded letter to Chrysler accompanied by a few pictures.



Spraying the affected areas with a couple coats of good primer might help in the short run.



________________________________

Ed Anderson

 

[TFabian]

My 96 started to blister/crack on the hood and roof over the last couple of months. I plan on stripping the hood and roof and painting it either flat or satin black. Never liked the glare from the hood while driving. After 10 years and 150K miles, I don't think it is worth trying to get it repainted unless they would do the entire truck, which I doubt they would

 

[RedSled]

Does anyone have the details?

Well, I have been searching the we and found lots of references to bad primer as being the cause for the delamination.



If in fact the primer that was applied was some how defective, wouldn't Chrysler legally have to warranty this?



My reasoning goes like this:



This is a latent(hidden) defect, created at the time of manufacture that became a material(obvious) defect only recently. The vehicle was purchased under warranty with the faulty primer, had I know this when it was under warranty it would have been fixed free of charge.



What I have not been able to find is any hard facts or proof that the primer was defective.



Has anyone seen a report or study that details what primer was used, and exactly what the problem is. To those that have gone to small claims court on this issue what evidence did you present that the peeling was caused by faulty primer?



I would love to send a letter to Chrysler and copy the BBB, local news etc. detailing exactly what they did with the primer and why they should pay to fix it.



Just an afterthought here. I think I am going to change my name from Redsled to "primergraysled"

 

[crabman]

Web Sites

Try these sites:

HERE

AND HERE

crabman

 

[diesel DOG]

My friend had a Ram Charger back a while. The dealer repainted it SEVEN times, the entire truck. It just keep peeling. I guess the kept doing crappy jobs. Never looked bad just never stayed on. I had a Ford in 89 and they repainted it even with a slight peel by the windshield.

 

[redram]

Well, I have been searching the we and found lots of references to bad primer as being the cause for the delamination.



If in fact the primer that was applied was some how defective, wouldn't Chrysler legally have to warranty this?



My reasoning goes like this:



This is a latent(hidden) defect, created at the time of manufacture that became a material(obvious) defect only recently. The vehicle was purchased under warranty with the faulty primer, had I know this when it was under warranty it would have been fixed free of charge.



What I have not been able to find is any hard facts or proof that the primer was defective.



Has anyone seen a report or study that details what primer was used, and exactly what the problem is. To those that have gone to small claims court on this issue what evidence did you present that the peeling was caused by faulty primer?



I would love to send a letter to Chrysler and copy the BBB, local news etc. detailing exactly what they did with the primer and why they should pay to fix it.



Just an afterthought here. I think I am going to change my name from Redsled to "primergraysled"

A simple google search turned up this law firm that claims to be involved with Chrysler peeling paint.

http://www.freedweiss.com/



Check it out - you sound disappointed enough that this may be something that you would want to pursue further.



Cheers and good luck.



Redram

 

[EBottema]

I am ready to sue dodge over the peeling paint on my truck but I went to a local case over the same issue, original owner and way less miles and newer truck then mine. The judge did not find Chrysler at fault which shocked me! However, they did agree after the case was done to pay for half the paint job. The judge said he would have given the guy 100percent if he proved the paint was defective and showed proof that chrysler knew it. I still am looking for that info then i can go ahead with my case

Erik

 

[RedSled]

Ebottema,



I think you just nailed my hesitation to do exactly the same thing.



I cannot find irrefutable evidence that Chrysler did something wrong. Lots of circumstantial evidence, but no smoking gun. There are too many web sites dedicated to the cause, but none of them have evidence stating:



XYZ is the primer used by Chrysler, and here is a statement from the company that manufactured XYZ telling Chrysler that it was faulty.



There is lots and lots of circumstantial evidence, and lots of people stating they have won in small claims court.



I too wish I could find the smoking gun. My guess is Chrysler has done everything they can to cover the tracks.



You could build a pretty strong circumstantial case, but thats betting that the judge will side with you over a major corporation.



One of the links someone provided above has another link to this.



cause of delamination



This appears to be a reference to a court case, but the references are to Chryslers paint process in the early and mid 80's. I need something that explains the paint process in the late 90's. Maybe it was the same, maybe not. I wouldn't want to go to court based on just that document.



I have tried unsuccessfully to find more details about this case, but have not found anything else so far.





I have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, and the Department of Consumer Affairs. I also sent a complaint to our local NBC station that offers assistance in unfair business practices. I have copied the local dealership on all of these. I am hoping if I make enough noise they will make me an offer.



I took several pictures this weekend of the peeling and bubbling. I will try and post them some time in the near future for all to enjoy.



If anyone has successfully gone to small claims court with Chrysler and won, What evidence did you present. Circumstantial or good hard facts?

 

[SGastelu]

repainted free

reedmen dodge in pa repainted mine for free. good luck.

 

[CarlJensen]

"A simple google search turned up this law firm that claims to be involved with Chrysler peeling paint.

http://www.freedweiss.com/"



I just got a reply from these folks. They are putting together a class action on the lousey paint. I will reply with all the info requested and see what happens, maybe DC will stand up to the plate on this but I doubt it!

 

[AfterBurner]

Any updates?

And how about aftermarket paint shops? Can you get a good job done at a non dealership place, and what is the normal running price (full truck)?

 

[WBusa]

Don't place too much hope in a class-action lawsuit. If history is any guide the case will take years to move through the courts. Best-case scenario, IF it ultimately results in a judgement against DC then the law firm will make millions in cash, and the class members will likely have to settle for something trivial like $500 off on your next purchase of a new Dodge Ram. Worst-case scenario, no judgement at all.

 

[RedSled]

chrysler sucks (long rant)

I have all but given up! I guess thats what Chrysler wants. I have met with the BBB and they blew me off. Then I met with my state department of consumer affairs, and really thought we were going to get somewhere. They guy who was working my case has worked similar cases against GM and Ford. He said there was a 50-50 chance they would do anything.



They had a meeting with a district rep out of Atlanta where my complaint was presented. Basically the person representing me said I wanted a new paint job under warranty because the original primer was defective. It was defective when the warranty was issued.



The Chrysler rep said you cant prove that! HE said your vehicle has 150K miles on it that is 7 times the warranty period. (I hope he isn't an engineer for chrysler with that math).



They replied to me and the state commision with a letter stating the reason my paint is peeling is because I did not wash and wax the vehicle properly.



What BS!! I washed and waxed my vehicle on a regular basis!!



My only choice is small claims court, which I would still have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the primer was defective. Every bodyshop I have talked to says the primer is defective.



TOO BAD NISSAN OR TOYOTA DON'T HAVE A CUMMINS ENGINE. I WOULD BUY ONE IN A SECOND.



I have had too many issues with this truck to list in a 150k miles.



I also own a nissan pathfinder with 150K. The only non-wear part I had to replace was an exhaust manifold. I went into the parts department at Nissan and asked for the manifold. The parts guy asked me why I was replacing it and then went and got the service manager. The service manager then explained that Nissan was aware that many of the manifolds have cracked and would replace mine free of charge. Not only the part, but the labor also.



HMMM by chryslers math that is 7 times the warranty period and they informed me when I was about to spend my hard earned money.





Is the cummins engine really worth the piece of @@@@ truck it comes wrapped in???



Does anyone know where I can find unrefutable evidence that the primer is bad? There is all kinds of advice on how to get Chrysler to pay, but no hard evidence on the primer.

 

[Driftwood Ram]

I tried to get mine painted. There is an old post around about it. I went through all of the steps up to small claims court and somehow could not get my s**t together enough to file.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80316&highlight=peeling

I just tried to inquire at the law firm previously mentioned and it came back "undeliverable".