RAM Warranty Visit

No not past what whoever was fixing it wrote. I never seen the final thing that was the shop foreman I believe who was over that. I thought this was normal so I never thought to ask or to look at it really.
Based on some of your posts regarding your dealership work experience, I think you worked at a very strange dealership with practices and procedures that were not typical at all.
 
Being a new truck pretty much anyone with minimal mechanical background would find that leak and a bad wheel bearing. If it's just the gasket then why is the dealer not replacing it? The only way to tell with certainty is to clean off the effected area, start the motor and see the root cause of the leak. I recommend baby powder before going with the dye. Did the dealer even diagnose exactly where it was coming from?

You are giving people far too much credit. The bearing wasn't howling, it was ever so slightly weeping, your average Jim or Jane Q. Public isn't climbing under their brand new vehicle unless there is something obvious going on and your average Lube Tech isn't going to spot either of those things would be my bet.

Regarding the gasket, they do not sell it separately, the cooler is sold as an assembly, as the OP has noted later in the thread. He cleaned it off with brake kleen a few times and couldn't ascertain where it was coming from as the amount is exceedingly small. Reminds me a bit of my FRAM Ultra saga where they were unable to reproduce the gasket weep I experienced. A replacement filter didn't leak however, so clearly the filter was at fault.

These kind of issues are unacceptable on a new vehicle. I feel bad for "The Critic". I'm sure he is not happy at all having to deal with this. At this point I would recommend documenting every visit and have the vehicle replaced under the lemon law.

No OEM on the planet is going to lemon law a vehicle because it has a clearly defective part that can be easily replaced and solve the issue. The lemon law is for vehicles perpetually in the shop, typically for electrical issues that are never properly resolved.


IMO, the dealer is not doing the right thing by sending the vehicle away with a leak and only one hub bearing replacement. Hub bearings are always replaced in pairs when doing a legitimate customer repair. Even with low supply there are plenty of new 5.7 Hemi vehicles on the dealers lot and assembly line to R&R a part in order to fix one that is already on the road.

As the OP noted and several others, no, bearings are not replaced in pairs, and FCA wouldn't have covered the replacement of a clearly non-defective hub on the other side. I also don't think somebody buying one of those trucks that's already had its bearing poached would be overly pleased in finding that out, which is why that practice is likely exceedingly rare and not endorsed by the OEM's.


Our Tahoe had one leaking Sachs shock and they replaced the pair under warranty.

It makes sense to do shocks in pairs (even if the OEM won't cover it) because their damping characteristics change over time. A wheel bearing can easily last the life of the vehicle and its performance will remain unchanged for that entire period.
 
Well if it was incorrect then that’s probably why we went thru several Managers and other management staff. I do agree the taking parts from new stuff on the lot is a grey area and that’s terrible to do. But I just find it strange they tell us at the dealership do it in pairs and told us the same thing in school so that’s why I am wondering. I totally believe everything you said and I appreciate you chiming in. Whenever we would have something like that come in the boss says do both and the parts guy delivered both to the shop for the vehicle I don’t recall the manufacturer or Toyota ever saying anything about it. I know my boss had a certain amount he was allowed for stuff in case we messed up something so possibly he could of covered it with that maybe I guess?
The dealer bills back Toyota for warranty repairs. Maybe they were "up selling" the repair? Dunno...
 
That’s fine that’s your opinion but that’s crazy to me. I would for sure never replace one strut or one rotor. Replacing one strut will make your vehicle set unevenly. And replacing only one rotor is crazy that shortens the life of the pads because one is thicker. I always do things based on what I was trained to do and you know when the manufacturer covers replacing both of them like Toyota does it should be done anyway.
The thing is, a bearing should basically be a lifetime part. 200k miles on a wheel bearing is easily do-able. 6,700 miles on a 200k mile part is 3%, definitely not a real difference.
 
The thing is, a bearing should basically be a lifetime part. 200k miles on a wheel bearing is easily do-able. 6,700 miles on a 200k mile part is 3%, definitely not a real difference.

Yep-last night I spent some time on the forum referenced here. (5thgenerationRAMS) or whatever it was called. I was seriously considering replacing my Silverado with a RAM in a year or two. After perusing that forum-I am rethinking that move.
 
Yep-last night I spent some time on the forum referenced here. (5thgenerationRAMS) or whatever it was called. I was seriously considering replacing my Silverado with a RAM in a year or two. After perusing that forum-I am rethinking that move.
How did the Silverados and F150s look on their forums?
 
How did the Silverados and F150s look on their forums?
I own a Silverado-they are not without issues. But the issues they do have isn't (generally) things like wheel bearings and such failing way before they should. It seems the etorque and start/stop on the RAM is either problematic or not refined. I do like the looks of the RAM however. And the issues with the larger touchscreens are well publicized.
 
I own a Silverado-they are not without issues. But the issues they do have isn't (generally) things like wheel bearings and such failing way before they should. It seems the etorque and start/stop on the RAM is either problematic or not refined. I do like the looks of the RAM however. And the issues with the larger touchscreens are well publicized.
The issues with the 12" screen have been ongoing but are much better than the early versions. But I would skip the 12" screen altogether since the current UConnect OS does not allow for full screen usage of some apps.

The early DT Rams had some teething issues but if you look at the TSB's, most of the units built after early 2020 have the "common" issues resolved. However, FCA seems to have sporadic quality issues so that is always a risk.

I am not aware of any widespread eTorque issues aside from the occasional complaints that you read about. There were two software updates for the eTorque models but most trucks on the lot today already had this done from the factory.
 
If someone is doing both sides on a warranty repair, whether it be hub bearings or struts/shocks, their story has to be a masterful piece of bovine poo in order to get any manufacturer to pay for it. Ford will absolutely not pay for both sides to be done when only one is bad. They will reject that part of the claim and bill the dealer back for the difference or just outright reject the whole claim and not pay anything.
 
Quote:
” I am happy with my local dealer, but am less than impressed by FCA and their never-ending parts availability issues.”


Critic,

Why not buy a Toyota Tundra ?
 
Quote:
” I am happy with my local dealer, but am less than impressed by FCA and their never-ending parts availability issues.”


Critic,

Why not buy a Toyota Tundra ?
The Ram has better driving dynamics and a more modern interior.

For the price difference (over $10K), I can make repairs and still come out ahead.
 
Never known it done any other way... we need to get approvals for warranty work and keep warranteed parts for 3 to 6 months. Sometimes they want to see a certain part and attached warranty claim sent to them.

Earlier this way I found a leaky rear caliper on a car. Minor leak, the fluid was all still in the boot that i lifted for inspection. No repair kits were available so I ordered a new caliper and warranty department approved. After fitment, the handbrake was much more effective on that side than the other with the old caliper and would fail an inspection. They iniotally refused to give me a caliper for the other side.

Now i order 2 calipers for any warranty repair... Had a similar leak today, 2 new calipers coming in tomorrow...
 
I am happy with my local dealer, but am less than impressed by FCA and their never-ending parts availability issues.
Some other times available parts are defective. About a month ago I took my 35K miles, 2018 Ram to the dealership to address the driveshaft clunk when taking off in 1st. They replaced it under warranty, only for me to take it back the next day for a vibration...the replacement part had a wobble. So, two driveshafts in two days.
 
Some other times available parts are defective. About a month ago I took my 35K miles, 2018 Ram to the dealership to address the driveshaft clunk when taking off in 1st. They replaced it under warranty, only for me to take it back the next day for a vibration...the replacement part had a wobble. So, two driveshafts in two days.
They had premature oil pressure sensors for the VCT failing in 2013/14/15 on the 6.4L (might have affected other engines) and for quite a while the replacement part was the same part. When I had it done on my '14 SRT (it threw a code and was down on power) my buddy at the dealership was delighted that it was finally an updated replacement part.

BMW did the same thing with the HVAC resistor modules on the E39's. Other parts, like their coolant expansion tanks appear to have never been revised to be more durable and are a common failure item.
 
They had premature oil pressure sensors for the VCT failing in 2013/14/15 on the 6.4L (might have affected other engines) and for quite a while the replacement part was the same part. When I had it done on my '14 SRT (it threw a code and was down on power) my buddy at the dealership was delighted that it was finally an updated replacement part.

BMW did the same thing with the HVAC resistor modules on the E39's. Other parts, like their coolant expansion tanks appear to have never been revised to be more durable and are a common failure item.
The second driveshaft has been trouble-free so far, ...crossing fingers!
 
Quote:
” I am happy with my local dealer, but am less than impressed by FCA and their never-ending parts availability issues.”


Critic,

Why not buy a Toyota Tundra ?
We have a 2001 Tundra; I love my truck. But the new ones, while very dependable, are long in the tooth. And expensive. And suck the gas like a big dog.
I believe 2022 will be new and use V6 power; no more V8. Probably pretty high tech if I had to guess.
The gas mileage in my old truck ain't for the faint of heart.
If I were buying today, while I love the Tundras, it would be a modern truck like The Critic's Ram or an F-150 with that cool Ecoboost and 10 speed transmission.
 
Back
Top