[Doug D]

She took it to the dealer this morning and got her loaner back. The mechanic made a point to talk to her and said to walk with him outside because he "couldn't say what he needed to tell her inside the dealership." Once outside, he went on to explain that while he is happy to continue to service it, he can run codes and swap out parts from now until eternity but it will never be a reliable vehicle. He said that parts are becoming hard to track down and he feels that Chrysler is ashamed of the engine. He also stated that he agreed with her plan to drive it until the day the warranty is up (less than 6,000 miles left) and trade it in. He was sympathetic but he made a point to say that he felt it was unlikely that the dealership would "do the right thing" and buy it back, so trading it for something else is her best bet.

If it were me, once they fix it, trade it right then and there. I wouldn't want to deal with anymore headaches. I can't see owning and paying for any vehicle that is constantly in for repairs (warranty or non-warranty).

 

[aldo90731]

My girlfriend's EcoDiesel saga has continued...

She got her truck back on Friday after almost 3 weeks in the shop (they were waiting on parts). I happened to be with her when she got it back. We drove it off the lot and immediately noticed a bad vibration when accelerating. She called the dealership to let them know it would be coming back on the following Monday (we picked it up at closing time and she needed to drop me off at an appointment so we couldn't just turn back around). They claimed to have driven it 30 miles after repairing and it was problem free, but I figure "problem free" is a relative term when servicing EcoDiesels. I drove it Saturday while we were out checking on the horse and running errands, and the vibration was worse. Yesterday, we didn't take the truck out any, but today she drove it to work this morning and the check engine light came back on.

She took it to the dealer this morning and got her loaner back. The mechanic made a point to talk to her and said to walk with him outside because he "couldn't say what he needed to tell her inside the dealership." Once outside, he went on to explain that while he is happy to continue to service it, he can run codes and swap out parts from now until eternity but it will never be a reliable vehicle. He said that parts are becoming hard to track down and he feels that Chrysler is ashamed of the engine. He also stated that he agreed with her plan to drive it until the day the warranty is up (less than 6,000 miles left) and trade it in. He was sympathetic but he made a point to say that he felt it was unlikely that the dealership would "do the right thing" and buy it back, so trading it for something else is her best bet.

She's saving her money to put a big down payment on something else and plans on making a purchase in January.

That sucks.

BTW, it is not up to the dealer to buy back a vehicle; it is up to FCA. It does help FCA make a decision on a buy back, though, when the dealer and the customer are on the same page.

 

[06PTElectricBlue]

My girlfriend's EcoDiesel saga has continued...

She got her truck back on Friday after almost 3 weeks in the shop (they were waiting on parts). I happened to be with her when she got it back. We drove it off the lot and immediately noticed a bad vibration when accelerating. She called the dealership to let them know it would be coming back on the following Monday (we picked it up at closing time and she needed to drop me off at an appointment so we couldn't just turn back around). They claimed to have driven it 30 miles after repairing and it was problem free, but I figure "problem free" is a relative term when servicing EcoDiesels. I drove it Saturday while we were out checking on the horse and running errands, and the vibration was worse. Yesterday, we didn't take the truck out any, but today she drove it to work this morning and the check engine light came back on.

She took it to the dealer this morning and got her loaner back. The mechanic made a point to talk to her and said to walk with him outside because he "couldn't say what he needed to tell her inside the dealership." Once outside, he went on to explain that while he is happy to continue to service it, he can run codes and swap out parts from now until eternity but it will never be a reliable vehicle. He said that parts are becoming hard to track down and he feels that Chrysler is ashamed of the engine. He also stated that he agreed with her plan to drive it until the day the warranty is up (less than 6,000 miles left) and trade it in. He was sympathetic but he made a point to say that he felt it was unlikely that the dealership would "do the right thing" and buy it back, so trading it for something else is her best bet.

She's saving her money to put a big down payment on something else and plans on making a purchase in January.

Honestly, if was her, I would walk right into that dealership and tell the service manager what that "person" said. His opinions are irrelevant. As a representative of FCA it's their job to fix her truck. If the vibration wasn't there before their work, it's on them. If it came new like that it's on FCA. I'm going to plop down some hard earned money for a truck in the near future. It hopefully will be a new one. I still have my last new truck, and it's 18 years old. I will not stand for these shenanigans, if mine isn't perfect when it get it, or if the dealer needs to perform warranty work on it, it better be fixed right, or they get to keep until it is.

If it were me, once they fix it, trade it right then and there. I wouldn't want to deal with anymore headaches. I can't see owning and paying for any vehicle that is constantly in for repairs (warranty or non-warranty).

Yep, get rid of it if they say it's been fixed. If you try to drag in the mechanic into the mix that basically said some things "off the record" it will end up being their word against yours about what he may or may not have said and the mechanic may end up getting fired for talking directly to the customer.

It's kind of like if you get your car fixed at one shop, but have a problem with their work and then take it somewhere else and another shop tells you all kinds of things that the first shop may have done wrong. I have found that what they may tell you verbally is very different than what they may want to put into writing, to put any blame on another shop, for fear of being dragged into court later, and anything you get verbally is just hearsay, and won't stand up in any court.

That sucks.

BTW, it is not up to the dealer to buy back a vehicle; it is up to FCA. It does help FCA make a decision on a buy back, though, when the dealer and the customer are on the same page.

 

[77 Monaco Brougham]

It’ll be interesting to see how the material holds up over the years, especially with two kids doing their very best to ruin them.

Thanks everybody! I may have to wait a few more years to get my Gladiator now though. My wife now says the Explorer is my car because I’ll be the one who drives it the most...so she gets to make the next purchase, a Porsche Macan perhaps. Granted I drive us everywhere so I’m the one who predominantly drives ALL of our vehicles...but I digress.

Stay tuned, the battle continues......

WHAT!?...No cats...dogs...or other various and sundry animals to pee and poo on the upholstery??

 

[jerseyjoe]

Thats interesting as I havent seen a dart or 200 in awhile around here

There are more 200s than Darts around here. Also a bunch more of brand X compacts and CUVs. Really don't need a pickup when a hatch is easier to park in a crowded shopping area. The way to introdce first time buyers to your vehicle is to be competitive in the market. If my first vehicle is a KIA then the next one will probably be the same. My dad introduced me to Plymouth with purchase of a Savoy wagon. Here I am 54 years later and my Son has a Ram.

 

[Zagnut27]

If it were me, once they fix it, trade it right then and there. I wouldn't want to deal with anymore headaches. I can't see owning and paying for any vehicle that is constantly in for repairs (warranty or non-warranty).

Yep, we did just that with the Audi. Check engine light was on and the air conditioner stopped working (again). They gave us a decent amount as a trade in, at least according to what I saw for the Blue Book price. And one can never underestimate the value of getting rid of a major headache and money drain. You may not get as much value as a trade in, but at least you won't be shelling out more money in repairs or time wasted waiting for a vehicle that's constantly in the shop. Cut the loss, and move on.

WHAT!?...No cats...dogs...or other various and sundry animals to pee and poo on the upholstery??

Our dogs are pretty good in the car, so no worries there. When they were puppies though, they would get car sick and then throw up on each other. I'll spare the rest of the details, as some here may be uncomfortable reading them. And they were the most destructive puppies we've ever had. As adults, they are as good as they were bad then. Now they're pretty much fire and forget.

 

[Doug D]

The way to introdce first time buyers to your vehicle is to be competitive in the market. If my first vehicle is a KIA then the next one will probably be the same. My dad introduced me to Plymouth with purchase of a Savoy wagon. Here I am 54 years later and my Son has a Ram.

I tried that with three of my four children. At one point the oldest had an '08 Caliber, the next one had an '05 Neon (purchased new) and my son had a '98 Avenger. It didn't take well. The oldest flipped the Caliber in a ice storm and now has a '12 Sonata which she needs to replace with a bigger vehicle as she has three children. My second oldest wrecked the Neon 9 months before paying it off. She bought an '05 Scion after that and now has a '18 Mazda C5. Son had a '98 Avenger for a few weeks. Bought it with the idea of fixing it up, but the repairs needed were more extensive than we thought. He ended up with an small Mercury followed by an '07 Avalanche and he now has a '16 WRX.

Wife now has a '14 Equinox after totaling her '10 Journey two years ago (black ice). As much as I would like to purchase another MoPar (Challenger most likely) I am open to other makes since FCA doesn't seem to know what quality is or how to keep a sufficient supply of parts on hand.

 

[90954]

Honestly, if was her, I would walk right into that dealership and tell the service manager what that "person" said. His opinions are irrelevant. As a representative of FCA it's their job to fix her truck. If the vibration wasn't there before their work, it's on them. If it came new like that it's on FCA. I'm going to plop down some hard earned money for a truck in the near future. It hopefully will be a new one. I still have my last new truck, and it's 18 years old. I will not stand for these shenanigans, if mine isn't perfect when it get it, or if the dealer needs to perform warranty work on it, it better be fixed right, or they get to keep until it is.

I don't disagree, and she is not the kind of person to let anyone or anything walk over her. She's made her dissatisfaction heard, but she is ready to be done with the situation. She's fine with driving their loaner vehicle like she currently is, but it can't haul her horse if he needs to go to the vet. So the plan is to trade it once she gets enough money saved to put down a large down payment on something else. Unfortunately, these truck problems come at a time when her and I are attempting to buy a small farm (if we can ever find something for sale) so that further complicates things. Her goal is to get her DTI as low as possible, hence saving for a big down payment. Otherwise, she'd already have a different truck.

If it were me, once they fix it, trade it right then and there. I wouldn't want to deal with anymore headaches. I can't see owning and paying for any vehicle that is constantly in for repairs (warranty or non-warranty).

Agreed. She says that the first 6 months of owning the truck were problem free, but since then it's been one issue after another. It has always been serviced at the dealer, but that hasn't made much of a difference. I know that there have been at least half a dozen times that we've been dating that it has been in for more than a few days for repairs (in addition to the numerous recalls). Once she goes to trade it, I'm sure it will make one last visit to get the probable CEL cleared, but it will be traded in at a dealership of a non-FCA brand.

BTW, it is not up to the dealer to buy back a vehicle; it is up to FCA. It does help FCA make a decision on a buy back, though, when the dealer and the customer are on the same page.

Yup. Unfortunately for her, it was purchased CPO (2014 model, she purchased in 2017 I believe), so I think state buyback and/or lemon laws may not be applicable, I need to do some further reading. When she purchased the truck, she was dating a guy who worked there (he still does, but he is in sales now). Through him, she knows the dealer owners and is not against elevating the issues as much as she can. But she also knows with them it is likely a dead end street. I don't know if the extended warranty she purchased with the truck was FCA-backed or if it was from a third party, so I need to look into that and see if it changes anything. All of that being said, according the service advisor when she inquired, the truck "hasn't had enough problems" to qualify for being bought back.

Yep, get rid of it if they say it's been fixed. If you try to drag in the mechanic into the mix that basically said some things "off the record" it will end up being their word against yours about what he may or may not have said and the mechanic may end up getting fired for talking directly to the customer.

I have found that what they may tell you verbally is very different than what they may want to put into writing, to put any blame on another shop, for fear of being dragged into court later, and anything you get verbally is just hearsay, and won't stand up in any court.

Indeed. While we agree with the statement made by the mechanic, we wouldn't want to put him in the position of being fired trying to repeat that to the service advisor, etc. If the issue gets further elevated, we'd just approach it from the standpoint of "you all said the truck was fixed, but it is acting up again. What gives?" etc. I know they'd likely never put down on paper that they don't think it can be made a reliable vehicle.

About the only positive out of this situation is that through her loaner vehicle (2020 Cherokee), she's found she likes the size and utility of a CUV. Of course, unfortunately for FCA, she's looking into other manufacturers to buy a CUV (if she can find a used, reliable haul vehicle).

 

[valiant67]

Once it's running properly get rid of it. Find someplace like CarMax that buys cars and see what is offered. Hopefully more than payoff. Then buy a cheapie beater truck until after you get your farm bought and closed. Believe me, it will help a lot to have no car loan when buying a house..

 

[Doug D]

Agree with Valiant. Mortgage companies frown on new loans (especially car loans). It's not that they won't approve the mortgage loan, but it may reduce the amount they'll let you borrow. Better to purchase the house first and then buy a relatively newer vehicle. I have friends that work in the real estate industry and all of them would advise this. It's hard enough getting a mortgage with good credit with all the hoops you have to jump through. Get a beater truck you can pay cash for.

 

[06PTElectricBlue]

I don't disagree, and she is not the kind of person to let anyone or anything walk over her. She's made her dissatisfaction heard, but she is ready to be done with the situation. She's fine with driving their loaner vehicle like she currently is, but it can't haul her horse if he needs to go to the vet. So the plan is to trade it once she gets enough money saved to put down a large down payment on something else. Unfortunately, these truck problems come at a time when her and I are attempting to buy a small farm (if we can ever find something for sale) so that further complicates things. Her goal is to get her DTI as low as possible, hence saving for a big down payment. Otherwise, she'd already have a different truck.



Agreed. She says that the first 6 months of owning the truck were problem free, but since then it's been one issue after another. It has always been serviced at the dealer, but that hasn't made much of a difference. I know that there have been at least half a dozen times that we've been dating that it has been in for more than a few days for repairs (in addition to the numerous recalls). Once she goes to trade it, I'm sure it will make one last visit to get the probable CEL cleared, but it will be traded in at a dealership of a non-FCA brand.



Yup. Unfortunately for her, it was purchased CPO (2014 model, she purchased in 2017 I believe), so I think state buyback and/or lemon laws may not be applicable, I need to do some further reading. When she purchased the truck, she was dating a guy who worked there (he still does, but he is in sales now). Through him, she knows the dealer owners and is not against elevating the issues as much as she can. But she also knows with them it is likely a dead end street. I don't know if the extended warranty she purchased with the truck was FCA-backed or if it was from a third party, so I need to look into that and see if it changes anything. All of that being said, according the service advisor when she inquired, the truck "hasn't had enough problems" to qualify for being bought back.



Indeed. While we agree with the statement made by the mechanic, we wouldn't want to put him in the position of being fired trying to repeat that to the service advisor, etc. If the issue gets further elevated, we'd just approach it from the standpoint of "you all said the truck was fixed, but it is acting up again. What gives?" etc. I know they'd likely never put down on paper that they don't think it can be made a reliable vehicle.

About the only positive out of this situation is that through her loaner vehicle (2020 Cherokee), she's found she likes the size and utility of a CUV. Of course, unfortunately for FCA, she's looking into other manufacturers to buy a CUV (if she can find a used, reliable haul vehicle).

Once it's running properly get rid of it. Find someplace like CarMax that buys cars and see what is offered. Hopefully more than payoff. Then buy a cheapie beater truck until after you get your farm bought and closed. Believe me, it will help a lot to have no car loan when buying a house..

Try this website for an instant offer:

Sell Us Your Car | Give Me The VIN | John Clay Wolfe (at https://www.givemethevin.com/ )

 

[Dave Z]

His prices stink and he gathers too much information.

 

[aldo90731]

Yup. Unfortunately for her, it was purchased CPO (2014 model, she purchased in 2017 I believe), so I think state buyback and/or lemon laws may not be applicable, I need to do some further reading. When she purchased the truck, she was dating a guy who worked there (he still does, but he is in sales now). Through him, she knows the dealer owners and is not against elevating the issues as much as she can. But she also knows with them it is likely a dead end street. I don't know if the extended warranty she purchased with the truck was FCA-backed or if it was from a third party, so I need to look into that and see if it changes anything. All of that being said, according the service advisor when she inquired, the truck "hasn't had enough problems" to qualify for being bought back.

Interesting. That other fellow having problems with his JL also bought it as CPO.

I wonder if FCA dealers are reselling these lemons as CPOs...!

 

[Morty]

Porsche Macan perhaps.

There is also the Italian alternative called Stelvio

 

[Dave Z]

Interesting. That other fellow having problems with his JL also bought it as CPO. I wonder if FCA dealers are reselling these lemons as CPOs...!

As I recall, that is legal in many states.

There is also the Italian alternative called Stelvio

Yup.

 

[Zagnut27]

There is also the Italian alternative called Stelvio

Two arguments against it. First, the only dealer we have is up in Wilmington, and it’s a PITA to get to it. Second, and probably most importantly, is that I don’t think you can get it without leather seats.

Either way, she’s been putting off getting exactly what she wants for years. If she really wants a vehicle, that’s what we’ll get. She works hard and makes a very good living, and most importantly she takes very good care of our children and me (her biggest child), so I can deny her nothing.

 

[Morty]

Two arguments against it. First, the only dealer we have is up in Wilmington, and it’s a PITA to get to it. Second, and probably most importantly, is that I don’t think you can get it without leather seats.

Either way, she’s been putting off getting exactly what she wants for years. If she really wants a vehicle, that’s what we’ll get. She works hard and makes a very good living, and most importantly she takes very good care of our children and me (her biggest child), so I can deny her nothing.

Very well put,Sir! l do agree, and rest my case

 

[Zagnut27]

Very well put,Sir! l do agree, and rest my case

it was a good suggestion, a very fine vehicle, and indeed worth considering. Unfortunately I don’t think it would work for us.

 

[jerseyjoe]

If I need to replace my Challenger It will be a Body on Frame Jeep. The new stuff is too expensive and too complex for me to maintain.

 

[Morty]

it was a good suggestion, a very fine vehicle, and indeed worth considering. Unfortunately I don’t think it would work for us.

l was just thinking - l think - that after your "interesting" experience with your Audi, would l go back to the same "family"?
Just joking, l think.