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Fed Up

3K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  Roblesjr60 
#1 ·
I have to warn you what youre about to read is part rant part review. I am so sick of our situation and feel absolutely helpless on how to get out of it. Wish I had the money right now to go trade both vehicles in for another brand.

First would like to start off by saying I am a degreed Mechanical Engineer and at one time held several state ASE certifications in various different disciplines as working on cars was once my livelyhood. My wife and I have always bought dodge vehicles. In fact, the two that we have today are our 9th and 10th brand-new dodge vehicles, IN A ROW. We buy them, and as soon as they go out of warranty, we trade them in and get new ones. Texan Dodge has vastly changed my opinon on the brand and certainly on the way it is supported. We bought my 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 in Nov of 2011 and my wifes 2012 Dodge Avenger in Feb of 2012. With about 400 miles on the clock on my RAM, the torque converter went out. For you non-gearheads, that means separating the engine from the transmission, this is major surgery. This was handled by another dealership, but wanted to illustrate the sheer number of issues that we have had with both of these vehicles together and then at the end of this review, tie that back into how we havent been upgraded above the guy-who-shows-up-at-the-dealership-with-a-taillight-out. Anyways, my wifes car with a few thousand miles on it started blowing hot air out of the air conditioner. We took it in and they told us that they would diagnose the problem, and when they did, if it was going to take longer than 24 hours to fix, they would get us a rental. So instead of diagnosing it the same day, or the next day, they waited 4 full days to diagnose the car. So we took the car in on Monday and on Thursday they told us that the car would be ready the next day and that we wouldnt get a rental because it was only a 24 hour fix. On MONDAY they called to let us know the car was done. Now mind you we've been without a loaner car for a week, forcing me to ride my crotch rocket in the rain and whatever other conditions were present during that 7 day period. We have a small toddler, I dont necessarily like riding a motorcycle all over Houston, its dangerous. During this, they replaced the radiator, water pump, all the coolant, and the heater core, again, MAJOR surgery. About 4 days later my wife takes the car on a long trip and notices the carpet getting wetter and wetter. Well by the time she got back to Houston, there was over 3 inches of water in the car. They had ripped the dash apart and forgot to reconnect one of the AC drain hoses, so the AC was draining into the cabin. The in-cabin drains got plugged somehow, and we had lake dodge inside the car. We take the car back. They realize they messed up and were gracious enough this time to give us a loaner for 3 days while they took the whole dash back out of the car and reconnected the drain hoses. Fast forward another few thousand miles. Oil all over the floor in the garage from her car. I get under there, ALL the oil pan bolts are loose. Off to Texan Dodge we go. This time they keep the car for another 3 days while Im stuck on my motorcycle again so the wife can drive my truck with no loaner. Fast forward another few thousand miles. Safety recall. This was a quick fix, but none the less just another day we had to sacrifice with our kids to come to the dealership. So about a month after we get out of the safety recall with her car, one of the small interior lights that stays on at night above your head to illuminate the cup holders in my truck begins to start flashing. At first it didnt bother me but then after a few weeks it was like an all out disco in there. Youd be driving down the road at night and the truck would be in all out party mode with you behind the wheel. You want to talk about distracting. I ended up putting a piece of tape over the light. Off to the dealership we go. I bring the truck in there for an oil change and very clearly show the service writer where the problem lighting was. Well I leave, the next day rolls around, back on my motorcycle again, and the service writer cant locate the light that I was showing him a day earlier. They wont touch the truck until I come up there and show them again. Off to the dealership we go, again. 40 mins there, 40 mins home. Every. Single. #$*&ING. TIME. They keep the truck for another two days to get the part fixed. No loaner. Fast forward to about a month ago. My wife takes another long trip in the Avenger, water starts dripping on her feet. At this point we have left this issue alone for the time being while we decide if we are just going to trade these vehicles in for another brand. Meanwhile a couple weeks ago I jump in my truck, start it up, instrument cluster is lit up like a christmas tree. ABS, Traction Control, and Service 4wd lights are all on. Now mind you, at this point my truck has just rolled 21,000 miles and her car has just rolled 28,000 miles. I call up good ole Texan Dodge to schedule an appointment for service. "Well sir the first available appointment we have is 3 weeks out due to the teachers going back to school August first." I lost it. Here we are, I have 3 safety critical systems out in my truck and Texan is worried more about broken tail lights and tire rotations likely. Ask me how I know these are safety critical. I found out REAL fast that the truck doesnt stop so good in the rain without ABS and whenever you hit big puddles, the traction control does nothing. So I called Chrysler customer care on July 18th to complain. Today is 24th. Called THEM BACK yesterday to check up and why do you think the issue hadnt been resolved? Oh yea its becuase no one from the dealership will call customer care back. So dodge, wont even call dodge back haha! So here we are, barely 50,000 miles between mine and my wife's vehicles. She gets to have her feet soaked all day anytime shes driving and I have no working safety critical systems in my truck. Dodge better pray no accidents happen or the lawyers will have a field day. I can bet that if anyone reads this, theyll probably try to feed me some BS about how they need to "diagnose" the truck before giving me a loaner. YES I understand this is company policy. But at what point do I get upgraded from average joe to red carpet treatment? Do we need to blow an engine or something for that? Ive kept track of all of this. 2,100 miles going back and forth to the dealership, and having to drive other vehicles while Texan dodge wont give us a loaner. We just cannot afford to be without our vehicles not even for 5 minutes while theyre diagnosing. Between the two of us we've taken 6 days off work because the weather was too bad for me to be driving my motorcycle. So one would stay home so the other could use the one vehicle we had. Can I send Texan a bill for that? We've given them ample opportunity to rectify these issues. Ive been called by Chrysler to rate Texan dodge, so they heard all about it. Ive even had someone from the dealership call wanted me to do a "short survey", 45 minutes later after Ive told them all this, crickets. Absolute silence, no call backs. Unreal.
 
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#4 ·
Lewisb13, I'd say you just have a string of bad luck right now bud. It sounds more like incompetent service repair work than a pair of poor working vehicle(s). I'd say go and try other brands if that'll make you feel better. Put this behind ya and move on. My 96, 99, 2012, and now 2014 have all been good to me. In fact, my wife's 2014 Ford Flex Bluetooth won't stay connected, windshield washer hose came apart, A/C takes too long to cool, drivers door is misaligned. So just to let you know, they all have problems. You just have gremlins following you right now. Great luck in your future vehicles and hope you find that perfect one.:smileup:
 
#6 ·
At this point I would advise you to send an e-mail to the President of Chysler corperation and detail the complaints and ask for a satisfactory resolution in say a weeks time or that you will take it to the press. A friend had a Mercury Topaz a while back and he was getting the run around by the local dealer and the regional rep over a problem with his diesel engine. He was so pissed for an easy going person that he wrote a very well termed letter to the president of ford of Canada and within a day he got a reply back which stated a new replacement engine was on it's way and he would be getting an appointment for a service call from the dealer shortly. A day later his car was in the shop getting the new engine installed by a very apologetic dealer.

Hope things look up for you soon, and if you do go with Ma again I would not go to that dealer.
 
#8 ·
I believe that 90% of your problem is the dealership you are dealing with. Does your truck have the included roadside assistance/towing? If so, call the number for that and have the truck towed to a dealership -

I posted on another thread how my experience has shown me that there is a huge difference between dealership service departments (and dealerships in general).

I will relate a Dodge truck story from several years ago as an illustration of how things "work" -

I bought my first brand-new vehicle ever (and first Dodge Ram) back in 2000. It was a 2000 model Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4X2 in Forrest Green Clearcoat Metallic (horrible paint to maintain - but that is for another thread and rant). I had the truck exactly 3 days before the check engine light came on. I called and got truck back to the dealership a day later. They figured it was a minor/quick fix, so I waited in the waiting room for 2+ hours. Came back, said my truck was ready. They "diagnosed" the problem as a sensor in the transmission. Their "fix" - They reset the code, drove it around the block -and called it good.

Of course on the 1.5 hour drive home, what happens? The check engine light comes back on. I pull over, and call the dealership. I speak to someone in the service dept who prompts me to check the gas cap! OK - so I didn't put gas in - and I had JUST left the their shop an hour earlier for a problem. He insisted that I check the gas cap and several other things. Of course, nothing found. So he said to bring it back the next day (so much for my work schedule).

Next day, I get to dealership and the service "manager" gives me a hard time, saying it was probably just the gas cap loose... I blew a gasket. I explained that an hour and a half to get a "stupid" problem fixed on a brand new truck shouldn't be such a runaround. I expected more buying a NEW vehicle. He lit back into me that I couldn't reasonable expect a new vehicle to be "perfect" - that I was being unreasonable. He said he didn't know how long my truck would take, but that they would likely reset the light and drive around the block again. I said that just wouldn't do - I want the truck FIXED - I cannot be driving every day back to them to fix this stupid sensor issue. He literally laughed at me! SO....

I went into the main showroom and asked for "someone with real authority"... little did I know that the authority that shows up would be the actual owner of the dealership (Steve Landers Jr.). Out comes this fellow in a suit, I swear he looked like a Mafioso!!! But he came out and was absolutely nice. He listened to my dilemma. The more he heard, the more visibly upset he got. His face turned red, and he stormed directly to the service department. About 10 minutes later, he returned and said "your truck WILL be fixed this visit. And that service manager will no longer be condescending or a problem for you OR US!"

Mr. Landers walked me over to the adjoining Enterprise rental car lot, made sure I was set up with a rental car, said - "we will call you to let you know progress on your truck. WE will not return it to you until we are sure it is FIXED." He said that when the truck was done, they would have somebody bring it to me, and pick up the rental car. I had done more than my "fair share" in the deal. I had the rental car for about a week when I got a call that they had ordered a new transmission and it was delivered that morning - and that they planned to have it all back together and tested by the end of the day. Sure enough, the next day, they delivered my truck back to me and picked up the rental. I only had one more visit to the service dept after that... when I had a flat on the interstate and discovered that the little receiver on the spare tire winch was never installed at the factory - so I couldn't get the spare tire down!!!! But that's another story as well.

All this to say - go up the food chain! Any dealership that values your business will make sure you are treated right, whether you buy their cheapest model, or their top-end model. Dealerships generally live on repeat customers and word of mouth. Owners want happy customers. I experienced this with my latest purchase...
 
#9 ·
Been waiting for a sensor to arrive for my truck for over a week, the say it'll be here tuesday. That will be about 12 days later. Had to get a rental car on my own dime. Wish they would have let me ship it to myself via fedex (maybe $20 with my job's fedex account?). Napa doesn't have the part or I would do it myself. Warranty work sure doesn't seem like it used to be.

Sorry for your pain! I feel it too.
 
#11 ·
I have a 2012 ram 5.7 hemi with 60,000 miles the truck has a chirp that I've been told is the lifter and cam i was also told that there is noise coming from timing chain, i have repaired broken exhaust bolts, throttle sensor all out of pocket what a junk i still owe $15,000 for a turd that I'm uncomfortable driving, how wish i kept my 98 ford expedtion 5.4 with 350,000 miles that never gave me grief as soon as I can afford to repair this turd I'm going to get rid of it and go back to ford.
 
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