Big trouble with new Diesel.

[tlbuser]

You guys crack me up. A used diesel work truck that's got a couple of leaks and a bad shock replaced/fixed for free is a bad thing?? Good thing that doesn't scare everybody or a lot of work days would be missed.

 

[jwstewar]

You guys crack me up. A used diesel work truck that's got a couple of leaks and a bad shock replaced/fixed for free is a bad thing?? Good thing that doesn't scare everybody or a lot of work days would be missed.

I agree with you. This is a five year old truck that has been used how hard? No one knows. These all seem like fairly minor issues. Especially a busted shock (that could have been done by just hitting a pot hole hard). It seems like the dealer has stepped up and done a pretty good job of taking care of the issues other than not wanting to fork out huge $ for tires and wheels. Can't say that I blame them for that. Heck, most dealers would say, it is a 5 year old truck, it is what it is. The vibration is probably why the previous owner got rid of it. Wanted to look cool and put the aftermarket tires and wheels on it, but didn't know what he was doing, but needed money so he sold the factory wheels so he couldn't go back. Heck, at 5 years old, anything could go wrong on any vehicle at any given point.

 

[davygp38]

The truck is ready. The dealer stepped up, and paid for new factory spec wheels, and E rated tires. Pinnacle 215 85 16s. The truck Rides like a Cadillac. I was very happy with the way the truck ran. What a difference. I could not pick it up, because I was on my way home from work, but I will get it today. They are going to re-detail it for me. It is to soon to say how the truck is going to work for me, but I am optimistic. I am happy that the dealer did the right thing, but it bugs me that I had to get a lawyer involved to push them. According to the paperwork that the service manager showed me they had close to $2000 (their cost) in in house expenses. This did not include the work done at the truck center ( alignment, wheel balance etc.) They showed me a hand written quote for $2750 for the wheels and tires, but who knows? Even if they got the tires and wheels for $2000, that is $4000 plus in expenses. I will post pics when I finally get it home.

 

[Haoleguy]

davygp38 - Congrats. Glad you're pleased with their prompted response. I look forward to the pics. Just as a precaution keep a log of events and retain records......Congrats, Gary

 

[crazyal]

I've been following this since the beginning. As far as them loosing money, that's their fault. If they paid less for the truck they wouldn't have sold it to you any cheaper. If nothing else after a year or two if you feel the truck is solid you can keep it, if you are unsure then trade it in or sell it and move on. Sure you may loose some money but you're going to on anything you buy.

I'm not a big fan of dealers. I once traded in a 94 z28 and after signing the paperwork on the new truck the dealer said the rear tires needed to be replaced and wanted me to shell out $400. I simply got up and asked for the keys to my car back. Of course they said that the paperwork has already been signed, we can't do that. Needless to say they didn't get a check but they clearly play games like this to see who bites. It's like all the options they offer when they finally write the car up. I love how they show you how little they will bump up your monthly payments. Anything for a buck.

I hope the truck works out well for you.

 

[davygp38]

I have waited to post on the final outcome of the truck, until I could really give it a workout. So far so good. I moved my TLB about 30 miles, on hilly roads. Runs great. This is my first Diesel truck, and I am very impressed. The tow haul mode on the allison is nice. No leaks, engine noise is not bad at all. no vibration. I feel confident enough to start customizing the truck a little. first thing will be body racks.

 

[Dargo]

If it's an aftermarket warranty, I don't think it has anything to do with that dealer. He could go to any repair facility that honors that warranty.

That's my understanding???

JB.

I'll let out a bit of an industry secret. Obviously everyone knows there's a right and moral way of doing business and then there's the "to heck with the customer, it's all about the money" way of doing business. When I read that the "warranty" (it's legally not a 'warranty', but a 'service contract') is one with an 'unlimited miles' clause, I would have turned and never returned to that dealership. Why? I'm partial owner of a service contract company. I see everything that makes it tick; the good things and the bad things. On certain vehicles, buying a service contract would be a very bad investment. On others, it would be foolish to not buy one. However, when the 'unlimited mileage' was mentioned, that told me all I need to know. The dealer is doing business with a service contract company that is not insured. Trust me, there is not a single A or B rated insurance company in this country that will touch an 'unlimited miles' service contract with a ten foot pole!

What does that mean? First, the service contract company is cutting corners so they can be the cheapest provider to the dealer. It costs around $50 or so per contract to get a good A rated insurance company to reinsure a service contract. (that cost is intentionally vague because there are so many variables) What does that mean to you? It means that the selling dealership is in fact your service contract company. If the company's name written on your service contract starts to lose money in this deep recession, they will pull up their tent stakes and leave with their money. You or the dealer will never see it and your attorney should know this. This then turns the undesirable contract (nobody will touch unlimited mileage) in the dealer's lap. If he sold too many, he will simply go bankrupt because he has become a 'dealer obligor' to the payments of the service contract. It matters not what is written on your contract. It can say 'administrator obligor' all it wants, but if the administrator is gone, no dealer will win if he says he's not obligated to honor it since he sold it to you and knew quite well what risks he was taking so he could sell a cheaper contract. If the service contract was insured by a large insurance company, they would be legally obligated to pay all claims if the service company goes under and the dealer never has to get involved. To get that little extra bit of profit from a customer by selling an unprotected contract, that tells me a lot about your dealer.

Oh yeah, you do know there is no such thing as a 'bumper to bumper' warranty, don't you? First off, the bumpers are not covered, so why mention them. Next, look up your warranty on your paint. If it's a week old and bird doo eats through it or acid rain etches it, it's not covered. I could go on and on with little holes in this bs "bumper to bumper" garbage I hear spewed, but I'll save it. If you want, if someone ever quotes you a 'warranty' (remember, it's not a warranty - a warranty comes with the vehicle and cannot be removed and is of no additional cost) that is 'bumper to bumper', just ask them if your bumpers are really covered.

 

[davygp38]

I'll let out a bit of an industry secret. Obviously everyone knows there's a right and moral way of doing business and then there's the "to heck with the customer, it's all about the money" way of doing business. When I read that the "warranty" (it's legally not a 'warranty', but a 'service contract') is one with an 'unlimited miles' clause, I would have turned and never returned to that dealership. Why? I'm partial owner of a service contract company. I see everything that makes it tick; the good things and the bad things. On certain vehicles, buying a service contract would be a very bad investment. On others, it would be foolish to not buy one. However, when the 'unlimited mileage' was mentioned, that told me all I need to know. The dealer is doing business with a service contract company that is not insured. Trust me, there is not a single A or B rated insurance company in this country that will touch an 'unlimited miles' service contract with a ten foot pole!

What does that mean? First, the service contract company is cutting corners so they can be the cheapest provider to the dealer. It costs around $50 or so per contract to get a good A rated insurance company to reinsure a service contract. (that cost is intentionally vague because there are so many variables) What does that mean to you? It means that the selling dealership is in fact your service contract company. If the company's name written on your service contract starts to lose money in this deep recession, they will pull up their tent stakes and leave with their money. You or the dealer will never see it and your attorney should know this. This then turns the undesirable contract (nobody will touch unlimited mileage) in the dealer's lap. If he sold too many, he will simply go bankrupt because he has become a 'dealer obligor' to the payments of the service contract. It matters not what is written on your contract. It can say 'administrator obligor' all it wants, but if the administrator is gone, no dealer will win if he says he's not obligated to honor it since he sold it to you and knew quite well what risks he was taking so he could sell a cheaper contract. If the service contract was insured by a large insurance company, they would be legally obligated to pay all claims if the service company goes under and the dealer never has to get involved. To get that little extra bit of profit from a customer by selling an unprotected contract, that tells me a lot about your dealer.

Oh yeah, you do know there is no such thing as a 'bumper to bumper' warranty, don't you? First off, the bumpers are not covered, so why mention them. Next, look up your warranty on your paint. If it's a week old and bird doo eats through it or acid rain etches it, it's not covered. I could go on and on with little holes in this bs "bumper to bumper" garbage I hear spewed, but I'll save it. If you want, if someone ever quotes you a 'warranty' (remember, it's not a warranty - a warranty comes with the vehicle and cannot be removed and is of no additional cost) that is 'bumper to bumper', just ask them if your bumpers are really covered.

And thats why I decided to not go with the warranty that the dealer got to replace the original. After checking out the company (United) I found out that they were de listed from the Better Business Bureau for to many complaints. I then decided that rather than throw good money after bad, I would try to get my own Policy. Of course being a shady outfit, the dealership did not want to give me the money back that I spent on the warranty. They wanted to send the refund directly to the bank. Funny thing though, they forgot to include the money that I spent on the sales tax. So I had to get my lawyer back on the case. Imagine being so angry that you had to do the right thing by a customer, that for spite you would try to pull a fast one like this. At least the truck is running good.

 

[hawkeye08]

sounds like it is going to work out well for you. That is a nice looking rig and trailer and tractor!

My thoughts on the extended service are to put the money aside that you were going to spend and add $50-$100 per month to it and keep that amount to cover repairs. Proper maintenance and not abusing the truck will help keep costs down. Get good fuel, avoid the "cheapest" and you'll have fewer problems.

Happy days ahead!

 

[JB4310]

I have waited to post on the final outcome of the truck, until I could really give it a workout. So far so good. I moved my TLB about 30 miles, on hilly roads. Runs great. This is my first Diesel truck, and I am very impressed. The tow haul mode on the allison is nice. No leaks, engine noise is not bad at all. no vibration. I feel confident enough to start customizing the truck a little. first thing will be body racks.

Looks good, nice package :thumbsup:

I'll let out a bit of an industry secret.

Interesting info.
It seems a service contract company has the upper hand, especially the aftermarket companies. If you have a serious big dollar claim like a blown engine, they are gonna treat you like guilty until proven innocent, you will need to provide very meticulous service records. If you do the service yourself you better save the receipts, not just write down on a piece of paper that you changed the oil every x number of miles

Original manufacturers warranty is a little more lenient I think, but they can probably come up with more reasons to deny a claim, than approve it.

I had leaking tranny cooler lines on my ram 2500 when it was still under warranty, I thought for sure they would be covered, but nope 2 tranny lines were like $800 ! I cobbled up some home brew repair to stop them from leaking.

My thoughts on the extended service are to put the money aside that you were going to spend and add $50-$100 per month to it and keep that amount to cover repairs. Proper maintenance and not abusing the truck will help keep costs down. Get good fuel, avoid the "cheapest" and you'll have fewer problems.

Happy days ahead!

I never buy extended warranties on anything BUT 30+ thousand dollar vehicles. i guess it's more for piece of mind. Bought extended warranties on 3 new vehicles in the last 16 years. I'm probably a little below or just at break even.

I've got a Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought used and was able to have the Mopar 7/70 warranty transferred to me for $50. it's up in October, so I'm gonna bring it in and have the dealer go thru it looking for anything that's needed. For sure it's a little wet around the rear main seal, which is a known problem. I would probably not do the rear main seal if it stayed just a little wet but it should be covered so I might as well have them do it.

Well we'll see if they do it and not give me any trouble

JB