Two Questions (Possession and

[Sregorb]

First, I'm 33 days from picking up my ordered truck! Whoohoo! Nights now consist of..... I'm dreaming I'm arriving at the dealership to sign into debt and take possession of the BAT (Big A$$ Truck). What should I inspect/review/test/check???? Obviously a road test is a must, but should I be checking doc's for recall fixes or assume it's done and good. Also, if there was transit damage that they're not about to volunteer the info, how do you tell?



Second, are the service warranty's worth it? I've asked for the literature, and received it. But every time I talk to the salesman about getting prices for them he balks and does the, "Our finance office handles all of that. They'll want to see you in person to give your price". WTF? (What's That For? )



I'm sure I'll come up with other questions. Stay tuned for the next series of stupid questions from a Dodge-owner Wannabe.



This site rocks!



Brian

 

[K_Arts]

First off... don't waste your money on an exteneded warranty. Dealers seem to jack you around no matter what is wrong with the truck.



Now Repeat after me " I am my own warranty station!!"



When you finally get to inspect the truck. Test drive it, get her warm. Make sure the thermostat is working properly. Ask the dealer/Service department to see if they have changed out your clock spring (for the previous TSB). You may want to check for any type of Steering and or Brake Pull.



Just a quick note, when we took delivery of the wifes truck, it only had 3 problems with it. First off, it had a bad thermostat (temps wouldn't get above 150 degrees), also the Parking brake wasn't adjusted at all (I could actually press the brake all the way to the floor and the truck would still roll), and last was that darn Clock Spring.



One last thing, before you get the truck, make sure you invest in some Diesel Fuel Additive. Personally I stick with Stanadyne.



I hope this helps



Kev

 

[SnoKing]

Check this:

http://www.dodgeram.org/buying_info/Inspect.htm

SNOKING

 

[klenger]

I had a third party warranty on a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Cost me about $1100 for 6 year 100,000 mile zero deductable. It paid for itself when the rear axle needed replacement at a cost of $1200. When I sold the Jeep to buy the Dodge, the warranty transferred for a $50 charge. I think it added value to the vehicle. If I do decide to get an extended warranty, I would consider them again. The third party warranties are nice because the work can be done by most any garage, they have nothing to gain by voiding you warranty because of after-market mods like Dodge does.



Warranty Gold is at http://www.warrantygold.com/

 

[Pit Bull]

I'd check but I think Dodge just put a factory 7 year 100K mile drivetrain warenty on all new 2001 and 2002 Trucks. If you have not taken delivery yet you should get this warenty on your new ride. This should cover you.

Denny

 

[Sregorb]

Perfect!

SnowKing- THAT'S PERFECT!!! That's exactly what I was looking for..... and in easy checklist format.



Kev-Thanks for the heads-up on those items. Wha' you mean they don't come perfect right off the bat???? Out of curiousity, how much time did they take correcting the prob's? Come back to pick up the vehicle the next day or wait? I can't afford a major fix up before the vehicle's paid off so a warranty will be req'd (I'm not the most mechanical so don't foresee doing much of my own repair work. Maint-ok but repairs-uh uh.



Klenger and Denny- Yea I've got the price and info from warranty gold. Looks like the best so far. I've heard about the new extended warranty incentive and time will tell what's in effect when I pick up the truck (I fly out to dealership Dec 6) and current incentives end 15 Nov. Incentives are based on time of delivery, not time of order (too bad, it'd make life sooooo much easier). I'm still hoping for rebates (like the $2500 from a couple months ago!)



Brian

 

[K_Arts]

Re: Perfect!

Originally posted by Sregorb

SnowKing- THAT'S PERFECT!!! That's exactly what I was looking for..... and in easy checklist format.



Kev-Thanks for the heads-up on those items. Wha' you mean they don't come perfect right off the bat???? Out of curiousity, how much time did they take correcting the prob's? Come back to pick up the vehicle the next day or wait? I can't afford a major fix up before the vehicle's paid off so a warranty will be req'd (I'm not the most mechanical so don't foresee doing much of my own repair work. Maint-ok but repairs-uh uh.



Brian

As far as the repairs, I had my truck at home... so we just told them to keep her truck. Though the repairs should have taken a couple of hours at most. The Thermostat is right on top... 15 minute change, I really don't know how long it takes to adjust the parking brake or change out the clock spring.



As far as warranty goes... remember that our Cummins has a 100,000 mile warranty right off the lot. So you won't have to really worry about repairs to the engine for a long while. Besides the point. . if you really need major repairs to the engine. . somethings wrong. I have 23k on my motor. . and the only problem has been my lift pump failing at 7k. Unless the extended warranty covers the entire drive train. . bla bla bla... save the money and put it towards a DTT TC and VB!!!!



Kev