The straw that broke the camel's.....

[amykevin1973]

Well fellas it is over. I want to thank all of you for all the help and support in all of our cummins woes, you have been a immense help to me and will be missed. I have owned about every vintage '92 '95 '98 '01 and now a '05 and dodge has done it again, my allegiance is no longer. I have held strong with injector pump issues, (92, 95) lift pumps (98, 01) brakes, front ends KDP's and everything in between. The only thing keeping me sane is this website and the ingenuity and perseverence of the people who post here.



My latest lament that has caused me to throw in the towel is my '05 that just the other day suffered a broken lower rad clamp overheat scenario while pulling a measly 5000lbs trailer, burying the temp gauge before the I realized and shut down. After waiting 6 hours for "roadside assistance" (including the tow truck being sent to the wrong state) the truck was finally towed to the dealer. Dealer's answer was to refill w/coolant and replace clamp and call me to tell me the truck was ready to go... didn't even rinse off red blood off block/engine bay. No oil change no empathy for owning a $43000 truck that overheated with only 11000 and 3 months on the ticker. The best the dealer could muster was I guess we possibly owe you an oil change after I explained to him oil cooking on the turbo ect. Of course I know Dam Chry phone number by heart and spoke to them twice, and i love to be "handled" by them... . 'yes sir' I am sorry sir ... and so forth, and after being passed back and for between dealer and Dam Chry no where. What did I expect? I have lost a injection pump at 105000miles... past experience dictates future performance.

I build homes for a living and I some days wish the approach that Dam Chry has to customer service would work for me. But then I realize I have pride in what I do, my name and my product mean a lot to me so i could never sink to the lows that they have and continue to. I am no longer angry after almost 15 years of loyalty I am sad and disappointed that I couldn't see the forest through the trees. They have crapped on me since day one but I hung in there thinking it would get better but... This year I will spend $75000 in new trucks (one purchase already made regretably and one new purchase to replace a 95 dually) and only half of that money will be spent on a dodge. The real sad part is that most of us buy the cummins out of need not out of want, if my backhoe doesn't make it to work I don't eat, simple cause and effect. I feel dodge doesn't realize this market is a very serious one, it certain isn't the 1500 market to tow the bayliner to the lake scenario. To illustrate this when your truck does go down how many of you get a direct replacement ie another cummins as a loaner. Last time they tried to offer me a 'Ranger'. What the hell is a 'Ranger' I asked? out of jest of course

This is not written to convert anyone but to let a select few know that they are not alone, cut your losses and move on. This has been a zero sum game for me.

I will never own another dodge again, and I know that most of you will say Ford/Chevy are the same or worse but...



Thanks again to all of you who have gotten my trucks back on the road again. There is a silver lining to every situation and the TDR is just that, to you new guys hang in there and pay attention to the old guys who have been posting here they will save you tons of heart ache and tons of money. You guys are great. Be nice when you pass your next Duramax, it might just be a former TDR who just had enough of 'yes sir' and 'we're sorry sir'



Thanks



kevin



ps for sale 05 2500 4x4 driven to church and back every sunday. Only been 280 deg once. Free oil change w/sale. $41999

 

[DPKetchum]

I agree with all that you said except the loaner issue. Should have been thankfull a set of wheels was being LOANED to get you around much less what kind size etc. . Sorry but the loaner issue is a BIG sore spot with me. As far as builders I hope your as good and fair as you say cause you are a rare one.

 

[amsoilman]

Sorry to see you go! I suppose if I had as many problems as you, I would be in the same boat! However, I am not as my CTD trucks have been working out great for me.



Best of luck too ya!



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[klenger]

Hope things work out well for you.

 

[amykevin1973]

Loaner reference

Sorry the loaner reference was a sore spot but what I was eluding to was the necessity these trucks are to many owners. When a general contractor or a framer or excavators truck goes down, it isn't like owning a Dodge stratus, taking a map and coffee cup out at the service dept and catching the bus. Most of us are piece workers meaning no work no eat. Job boxes, service beds ect go hand in hand w/our vehicles. To own a vehicle that approaches entry level housing prices without a small measure of protection built in can be more than frustrating.

To put it another way. When my backhoe goes down, Case sends out service man w/another hoe. Skidloader same deal. . (btw same size and capacity) They, John Deere, Case, Cat, know and truly understand the commercial aspect of their business I only wish Dodge knew the market they have tapped is the same.

Thanks again for letting me vent here, I hope not to offend but I guess this could be considered theraputic for me.

 

[McRat]

Yeah, I'd be ****** too. Somedays are certainly better than others, and that one sounded like it wasn't one of your better ones.



Understand that a modern vehicle is made of thousands of parts, and at least 200 of them can leave you stranded if they fail. The fact of the matter is that vehicles are better than ever before in terms of reliability, but they will never be perfect. They are made by folk just like you and me, and sometimes they make a mistake.



Is there a silver lining to your misadventure? Maybe not, but since you were driving a truck with advanced computer controls, it shut the engine down far ahead of actual engine damage in most cases. It is unlikely it really hurt anything.



So sell it if you like, but if you go shopping for perfection, you're not going to find it. If I were you, I caulk it up to bad luck, find a 4-leaf clover and tape it on the dash.

 

[J.Post]

Does Ford or Chevy offer a equel replacement when they break down? I'm not trying to stir the pot, just wondering.

 

[Yo Hoot]

All that and this only your third post?

 

[Bob Wagner]

I hope things start going better, what a loss

 

[GBoatright]

Your not going to get a towing or service truck from Dodge, Ford, or GM as a loaner. They would have to keep a giant fleet of trucks on hand just for this purpose, and that's not going to happen. Your best bet is to find a truck that has the least problems to keep you out of the service shop. Right now, the Cummins is probably still that choice. At least they fixed you up fairly quickly, and the radiator problem would be considered rare. I can see giving up on a truck with repeat problems, but you won't find customer service any better at the other manufactures. They all have customer service rep's that can't do anything but console you. Good luck.

 

[amykevin1973]

3 posts?

All that and this only your third post?

Great thing about this website is that the regularity of problems aids in admin duties... . all one needs to do a forum search to aid in repair. No need to post about problems already addressed. Was hoping to show a trend of every gen truck to show this wasn't my first rodeo in the cummins world not to mention diesels in general but... that was the point of the rambling. I do all my own work on all my diesels once the warranty is up and not just oil changes and air filters and exhausts. Those of you who have swapped a 3208 cat in an LNT 8000 know what scope of work I am referring to.



Think about it for those of you who depend on your vehicle, where would we be without this website. I can say it has saved me thousands of dollars... easily! I tell everyone who will listen who has not heard of this post and owns one of these trucks to check it out. I can only hope there is a group of owners who are as helpful and knowledgeable as the guys on this forum.



Thanks for the best wishes, this is another example of the backbone of this site, we are all just squirrels gathering nuts and diversity is what makes this country great. Market choices and competition fuel better product and lower prices so I will head out and grab not one but two 4 leaf clovers and duct tape them to the dash, staple them and gorilla glue them just for good measure. After all it could be a chevy. I very well could be back but this situation is how I found my first CTD in the first place, the old ford diesel was driving me to drink :]

 

[MBreyer]

I dunno, the new Chevy's sit so low you might end up gorilla glueing the clover's to the windshield rather than the dash! LOL

 

[Heavyweight]

I know of (2) Ford Dealerships in CA that will give you a real truck if yours is in for any reason. That is how you do business. As for Dodge dealerships, I do not know of any, and hopefully do not have to find out. Good Luck kevin1973...

 

[Crunch]

This is not written to convert anyone but to let a select few know that they are not alone, cut your losses and move on. This has been a zero sum game for me.

I will never own another dodge again, and I know that most of you will say Ford/Chevy are the same or worse but...

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. Mine have been the exact opposite. I grew up in the 1970s and loved the cars from that era and the late 1960s. I hated "new" vehicles and figured I'd never own one. The cost, new-fangled parts, complaints I heard from friends and the cardinal sin of doing away with the carb had me on the outside looking it. Mid-July, 2003 I was sick of having to do regular repairs on my 1984 F-150, and it had been in an accident a few weeks earler so I ended up buying my first new vehicle, a 2003 2500 diesel.



I'm now eating my words. This 2500 is without a doubt and by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. I have yet to have my first problem with the engine, I'm going to get 60,000 miles on my first sets of brakes and tires, my fuel economy is twice that of my F-150 and with the exception of crazy temp readings on the console I have not had any problems with this truck. You may or may not have more problems with a Duramax or Powerstroke, but keep one old adage in mind: The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. Would you rather deal with issues like lift pumps and the occasional overheated radiator, or warped heads, bad injectors and fuel in the oil?

 

[JL penner]

Sorry to see you go, it seems you've run into a stream of bad luck with trucks. I hope you don't see the same treatment for Ford or Chevy.



There's a Ford dealer out here that has an '02 crew cab dually with a power stroke that it loans out. But it only has that one loaner. My girlfriend has only gotten it once out of the 7 times her new 05 F350 4x4 dually has been in the shop. 3 times she got an F150 and 3 times she got a Focus. She has pretty much had to kick and scream each time to get a loaner vehicle. The truck is in arbitration right now.



They all seem to have there problems. With technology comes more things that can break. :{

 

[DPKetchum]

Everyone needs their vehicle when it fails. very few have a spare just waiting on them. I was in the dealer service area for 25 years. It got to were it was IF they were going to get a loaner but what color,size,I think it was smoked in,smells funny etc. Rude,I have been RUDE. Get someone that gets towed in,in a loner never met,didn't buy it from you and then STARTS IN about zize,color etc. I just said FINE and reached over and took the keys back and said GO FIND YOUR OWN LOANER. You don't like the car I'm LOANING you then don't use it. No problem. I have had this happen to me SEVERAL times in ONE day. Plus the Backhoe company etc. you deal with I case know you have a operator thats going to use it in a normal manor. Our LOANERS get returned dented,filthy,dead on E,diapers stuffed under the seats,drugs left in them,not brought back for DAYS when their vehicle was ready!

 

[jlasich]

To put it another way. When my backhoe goes down, Case sends out service man w/another hoe. Skidloader same deal. . (btw same size and capacity) They, John Deere, Case, Cat, know and truly understand the commercial aspect of their business I only wish Dodge knew the market they have tapped is the same.

That's an awesome dealer right there. When I was farming and I had a $60,000 machine break down in the middle of harvest, I wasn't given another one to use unless I wanted to buy another one. In fact, I don't know of any farmer that has gotten loaner equipment. My only point is that it's the dealer, not the manufacturer, that decides if they want to offer loaner vehicles/equipment. Find a dealer that does that and stick with them.

 

[jlasich]

Those of you who have swapped a 3208 cat in an LNT 8000 know what scope of work I am referring to.

I've done two in the last week. Schlumberger trucks. First one was my first so it took a little longer. I just finished the second one today and it went much faster.



I'm curious as to what problems you experienced with all of your trucks and how many miles you got from each before trading in or selling off.

 

[evldsl]

Go chevy/gm don't go ford just my 2 cent's. " Man" I just painted my mail box mopar dodge engine blue and silver

 

[Texasrattler]

Kevin



Do you belong to Business Direct? If you do, thay are suppose to loan you a truck to continue your business. My son does and they have helped him a couple of times.



Pete