September 12, 2009 by My Carlady
Remember when President Obama said “we will stand behind the product warranties of the bankrupt companies” i.e. Chrysler and GM?
So what’s the “government” doing about all the squirrely, non-response by Chrysler to the thousands of Dodge Cummins Diesel 6.7 truck owners being told everything and anything to avoid CHRYSLER having to BUY-BACK these trucks. The KNOWN DPF, TURBO and ENGINE LIGHT problems are so well documented you could stake the paperwork up against Obama’s published tomes and the CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS are triple in height.
I think we need to get some guidance from the Senate and House on what, EXACTLY, “back the warranties” means?
As a US Taxpayer, I’d like to think my hard money bailout, which many in the accounting office indicate is unlikely to EVER be paid back, can do, to insist Chrysler honor all the warranty issues on these trucks, regardless of how many miles are CURRENTLY on them, or BUY THEM BACK.
Let’s start a new mid-term election campaign, to BUYBACK MY DODGE!
Comments please… ——————————————————————————————–
Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.
Category: CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCKS, DODGE, FUEL ECONOMY, SERVICE CONTRACTS & WARRANTIES
Tags: Cummins 6.7 problems, dodge buyback, dodge DPF delete, government backed warranties
by My Carlady
Automakers give themselves a flat!
Fresh off the ether of CASH for Clunkers, car buyers continue to prowl dealer lots for 2009 left-over’s and new 2010 models. Unfortunately, the looming expanses of empty asphalt are creating a psychological push-back as consumers read the missing inventory as a still faltering economy, lack of confidence on the part of the car makers and dealer instability. As recently as yesterday, a truck buyer considering a Ford and Dodge expressed to me his concern over sustained warranty support for the Dodge. His query come to me before the brilliant decision announced by CHRYSLER, to eliminate the famous LIFETIME WARRANTY on 2010 Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep products. While Dodge hasn’t shipped a new 2010 Ram yet, they aren’t the only ones destroying any positive effect from the $2 billion dollar summer auto sales campaign. European and Japanese brands have demonstrated their skepticism of a US economic turnaround by cutting production and incentives on 2010’s. Infiniti’s EX, BMW X6 and Audi’s Q5 are missing from dealers showrooms, for as long as 5 weeks between shipments. The effect on pricing has been rewarding as most deals have been at or close to full retail MSRP, yet dealers would like to have enough product to meet interest and demand.
Toyota released the 2010 Prius during the height of the CARS program, created new dilemma for sales-starved dealerships. The redesigned Prius was the most sought after new car on the CASH for Clunkers shopping list. However, some dealers were caught in a difficult bind, able to charge upwards of $5,000.00 over sticker, which wasn’t in accordance with the federal trade-in program. Toyota got the message, pushing the orders back until the trade rebates were over, preserving the profit and mystique of the Prius.
Unfortunately, as dealers wait for tractor-trailers loaded with new models, consumers have stopped asking about miles per gallon. It would have been a nice to have a federal policy to follow-up the principles of the CARS program, with dealer and manufacturer participation. Some have suggested a tax credit for the clunker trade-in, providing dealers are willing to destroy the engines for the benefit of renewed sales and the couple hundred bucks in scrap fees, providing the true cash value is less than $2,000.00 I make this point so that those individuals needing basic transportation can still buy a set of wheels for under $5,000.00. I would also include USED CAR purchases in the purchase options. Not everyone can afford or qualify for a new car, so why should they be barred from helping the economy? Used cars come from trade-ins, so two cars get sold, instead of one.
Hello, anyone listening care to comment? ——————————————————————————————
Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.
Category: AUDI, CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCKS, Car rebates and incentives, DODGE, INFINITI, TOYOTA
Tags: 2010 new models, Audi Q5, best car deals, BMWx6, clunkers, Infiniti EX, lifetime warranty
September 5, 2009 by My Carlady
2010 DODGE RAM 2500 and 3500 Cummins Diesel 6.7l steps up the class.
Ram Quad cab with sunroof
After years of DPF, turbo and check engine light trouble in the Dodge Cummins 6.7L the 2010 is rumored to be trouble-free, and better than ever, according to insiders. My sources say the new truck blows away the power of anything in it’s class. “But wait,” I said, “What about the problems with the DPF, REGEN, TURBO and infamous CHK ENGINE LIGHTS?”
According to technicians trained in the art of Cummins warranty war-fare, here is the inside scoop. “The biggest issue with the REGEN and DPF issue has been traced back to idling. The factory can tap into the computer brain and determine what percentage of YOUR TRUCKS’ running time is spent in IDLE. The truck in idle never gets hot enough in of itself to go into REGEN and burn off the soot. My sources indicate that trucks showing idle over 20% of the time are subject to more problems. The computer can tell what percentage of your time is straight idle in park vs. stop light traffic. The idle problem has EVEN MORE significance on early editions of the 6.7L (2007-2008) sporting the ORIGINAL turbo. The ORIGINAL turbo hook-up stayed in one place, allowing soot to build up around the unit. Subsequent TURBO replacements, at $10k a whack, utilize a “floating rotor” that helps “shake-off” (a non-technical term 
” the soot as the truck moves.”
Tu-tone paint on 2010 Dodge RAM
Allegedly, new releases of software are reducing trips to the dealership, according to one of my tech-wizards, however readers of this blog have posted complaints of increasingly disintegrating fuel economy and performance. Meanwhile these software upgrades and equipment changes are not advertised to all Cummins’ owners, even if you have reported an ongoing problem. There is no official recall, hence, the factory does not have to expose itself to millions of dollars in warranty labor and parts claims by broadcasting an invitation to every 6.7L owner to come on down and get the latest software upgrade. All these changes are strictly TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, a nice way of saying: NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO FIX.
Now, if you happen to be in the dealership while under warranty and complain about performance, display a check engine light, or protest a specific problem, the dealer can (under warranty) upgrade the software. Even this warranty claim has become a sticky issue as the truck MUST display the appropriate computer error code to warrant the latest software upgrade (often called a “flash”) to fix that SPECIFIC problem. Get ready for a fight if you just “drop in” and ask for the latest software flash, there have been so many (almost one a month) that your truck could be several versions behind, and the dealer has to get paid to do these upgrades, from the reluctant, financially-strapped, FIAT-owned CHRYSLER factory. Replacing your old turbo is 10x the effort! And, should your dealer accuse your NON-Factory upgrades, i.e. Banks, DPF-R or other performance-enhancing aftermarket items of creating the problem, point out the hundreds of thousands of stock DODGES reporting the same problems!
In the meantime, dodge techs ask all DODGE CUMMINS 6.7L 2500 and 3500 owners to STOP the idling, please! (This isn’t the glow plug days of the 5.9l 24 valve. Get over the desire to “warm-up” a cold diesel engine when it’s not freezing, and if it is freezing in your neck of the woods, plug in the engine block heater cord overnight.) Jump in and drive it hard, according to Dodge. If this is your daily around town driver, try to blow-it-out at 60mph+ for 10 minutes or more each day. While this will certainly waste the precious fuel our government wants us to save, it will save you mental anguish and frustration caused by excess trips to the dealer.
Stay tuned here and come back often as I try to find a new 2010 to do the famous MY CARLADY Test Drive Review in the next week!
BTW, Dodge SPRINTER lovers, you better grab a new 2008 or 2009 while there is one around. There will be no more Mercedes Benz delivery trucks sold under the Sprinter badge. FIAT has effectively killed the German-made beast we grew to love. 2011 expect to see a diesel or alternative-fuel cargo van replacement from FIAT. ;-(
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Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
To learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.
http://www.ecreditadvisor.com/secure/affredirect.aspx?affid=%2b24NXH03sZgMYJKw7DPsyw%3d%3d
Category: CARS, CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCKS, DODGE, FIAT, FUEL ECONOMY, RECALLS and Buybacks
Tags: 2010 6.7l Cummins, dpf delete kits
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