Dealer service issue. Advice NEEDED!

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Bdersch

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Hey so this is what im going through right now and not sure what to do next... I have a 2016 Ram 1500 V6 4x4 SLT Quad cab. I bought my truck in October with 14,500 miles on it and it now has about 22,500 miles on it. I noticed a little while ago that at idle (upon start up especially when its cold) i hear a rattling? sound coming from the front right of the vehicle. When i drive the vehicle the noise continues and then eventually once the trucks warm it either disappears completely or gets quiet enough where i dont hear it. It is not a clunk or a belt squeek it sounds like something rattling loose or something moving around that shouldnt be moving around. I looked up a bunch of stuff on here and the most likely thing people suggest is a manifold bolt loose or possibly an engine tick (very common from what i read?). Well i took it to the dealer last week and described it all they had the truck for 1.5 hours and stated they looked over EVERYTHING and ever got their stethoscope out and listened to stuff. They said there was absolutely nothing with it. The morning of the inspection i did not hear the noise on start up and i only had a 3 mile drive to the dealer. The noise does come and go but usually is pretty constant.

The next day i hear the noise again. I havent heard it really since but it does come and go occasionally. In addition, i dont know if i am being paranoid or not but i feel like my transmission is shifting weird. It feels like my transmission is shifting "harder" when i first start it up and shes still cold or it seems like its hesitant to upshift. I also noticed the other day i put it in park and she seemed to roll forward just a smidgen which was odd for me.

So what do i do? Do i schedule an appointment with the dealer again (it was free last time). Or do i pay the cost for a private auto shop to inspect it and take the results to the dealer? I only have 14,000 miles left on this warranty and i do not want to have issues long term after the warrant is up. I have heard stories about how dealers will skirt around issues if they know they will pay big. Is that what is happening here you think? Anyone ever had this issue? What would you do?
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UPDATE#1
So went to the dealership yesterday to drop off my truck. The guys were once again assholes and completely dismissed everything i had to say about the MPG, tranny and cruise control. His response was "well the computer shows no codes so there cant be anything wrong with it and im sorry you think you should be getting better MPG." Flash forward to today. Guy calls me and says we looked at it and cant find any noise or anything wrong with it. So the guys like when you get here i guess we can start it and take a listen if you want...

Get to the dealer and start it up. BOOM. theres the noise. clear and loud as ever! The guys looks dumb-founded. Goes and gets the tech guy. Start it up for him BOOM same thing loud and clear as day. His response "great that will be fun to find."

So now they still have my truck and i dont know when ill get it back. hes like "we will call you later." Even worse is they put me in this stupid lame ass bright orange Jeep Renegade. When i asked for a 1500 he said they didnt have any and i asked for anything else and he said they were all out of vehicles.
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UPDATE #2
They have had it since Tuesday now. I called for an update and he said they are still looking into a few things but they are having a hard time of pin-pointing what's wrong with the vehicle. They may have to call and get the engineers involved? Not sure what that means or entails but I have a strong feeling I won't be seeing my truck for a while but he's supposed to call later today with another update. I'm going to emphasize again on wanting a different rental in the mean time since they'll have it for a while.
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UPDATE #3
So apparently the engineers are getting involved (according to the voicemail they left me). They said they have some tests they would like them to run and i will have an update on monday. In the mean time hes like yeah you are more than welcome to stay in the loaner we gave you... like i have a choice lol. So stay tuned for mondays update.
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FINAL UPDATE
So after they had my truck for roughly a week or so. They determined that this vibration/ hum as they described it is normal for the 3.6L engines when it is cold out. They tested a few 2017 trucks when it was cold sitting on the lot and said they heard the noise too (unfortunately it was 60* when i picked up my truck so i could not compare). So i guess my trucks normal which is nice to know. I also was very thankful for Kori's help from RAMCARE. She guided me through this and stayed on top of the dealer.
 
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iam_canadian22

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Sounds like a manifold bolt but seems early for that to me. Would have to arrange to leave it at dealership or other shop overnight so they can check on cold start when it usually makes the noise.
For the tranny, these 8 speeds shift weird at low throttle when cold.
 

ExpressRules

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Look for any heat shields in the engine compartment (from top and bottom) that may be loose. The reason the noise goes away may be because once the hot engine causes the shield to expand it tightens up.
 

jschwanke84

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Dealers don't pull that bs. I don't care what people say, the ones who have bad experiences are typically assholes who don't know how to be patient and don't understand that these trucks are complex vehicles that often require some trial and error to really pinpoint an issue and get it fixed.

Dealers have two goals: sell you a car that you want at a price/value that works for you, and make you happy. That is it. There is minimal benefit to a dealership in jerking customers around whether it be with service or with sales. They want to win you as a customer for life... meaning you will come back to buy your next car from them, and you will always do your servicing and maintenance with them.

Give them time to get the issue fixed. Take it back and explain thoroughly what is going on. Offer to demonstrate, take a service tech for a ride, etc. Explain what you think it might possibly be. They are working in your best interest but can only do so much. Some issues take more time than others, but trust me, they aren't just trying to intentionally screw you until the warranty is up.

Source: I work for a dealership group at the corporate level. I know how these stores are managed and what the values are.
 

THETANK

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Dealers don't pull that bs. I don't care what people say, the ones who have bad experiences are typically assholes who don't know how to be patient and don't understand that these trucks are complex vehicles that often require some trial and error to really pinpoint an issue and get it fixed.

Dealers have two goals: sell you a car that you want at a price/value that works for you, and make you happy. That is it. There is minimal benefit to a dealership in jerking customers around whether it be with service or with sales. They want to win you as a customer for life... meaning you will come back to buy your next car from them, and you will always do your servicing and maintenance with them.

Give them time to get the issue fixed. Take it back and explain thoroughly what is going on. Offer to demonstrate, take a service tech for a ride, etc. Explain what you think it might possibly be. They are working in your best interest but can only do so much. Some issues take more time than others, but trust me, they aren't just trying to intentionally screw you until the warranty is up.

Source: I work for a dealership group at the corporate level. I know how these stores are managed and what the values are.

I think I can agree with this post as I have never been "screwed over" and my total transaction numbers are right in and around 40.:favorites13: Oh I have never worked at a dealer, many have said I should but hey I am enjoying the slow life and have been since 2012.
 

RamRoy

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I'd say the bolt broke on the exhaust manifold. Very common problem. My first one broke at 20,000 miles. Problem is, they won't be able to re-create the problem until the motor is cold. I had to leave mine overnight and tell them what I thought it was from research. The next morning they started it and agreed with me. The second one broke at 45,000. I am at 150,000 now and no problems
 

Tach_tech

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I'd say the bolt broke on the exhaust manifold. Very common problem. My first one broke at 20,000 miles. Problem is, they won't be able to re-create the problem until the motor is cold. I had to leave mine overnight and tell them what I thought it was from research. The next morning they started it and agreed with me. The second one broke at 45,000. I am at 150,000 now and no problems

OP said he's a V6, so that's the pentastar. It does not have the problem with exhaust bolts. It actually doesn't even have a conventional exhaust manifold, it's part of the cylinder head. There is just a flange with 4 bolts that attach to the exhaust.
 
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Bdersch

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Dealers don't pull that bs. I don't care what people say, the ones who have bad experiences are typically assholes who don't know how to be patient and don't understand that these trucks are complex vehicles that often require some trial and error to really pinpoint an issue and get it fixed.

Dealers have two goals: sell you a car that you want at a price/value that works for you, and make you happy. That is it. There is minimal benefit to a dealership in jerking customers around whether it be with service or with sales. They want to win you as a customer for life... meaning you will come back to buy your next car from them, and you will always do your servicing and maintenance with them.

Give them time to get the issue fixed. Take it back and explain thoroughly what is going on. Offer to demonstrate, take a service tech for a ride, etc. Explain what you think it might possibly be. They are working in your best interest but can only do so much. Some issues take more time than others, but trust me, they aren't just trying to intentionally screw you until the warranty is up.

Source: I work for a dealership group at the corporate level. I know how these stores are managed and what the values are.

So im an ******* because i want my vehicle fixed? I told them what was wrong and they apparently looked at it and said nothing was wrong with it yet the next day its making the noise again? I dont think that makes me an ******* or in patient. Its reasonable for me to want my vehicle to be fixed. I have gone to them 2 other times for issues and both times they have said yup nothing is wrong with it. The one time when i told them my cruise was not working properly they said it was fine and i had to convince them to update the computer.

I really honestly dont care what your "source" is or what youve done... you are not helping this thread.
 
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Bdersch

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Sounds like a manifold bolt but seems early for that to me. Would have to arrange to leave it at dealership or other shop overnight so they can check on cold start when it usually makes the noise.
For the tranny, these 8 speeds shift weird at low throttle when cold.


Everywhere on this form points to that and listening to a youtube video of that issue it sounds the exact same so i would assume its something related to the exhaust. thanks for the advice. I did arrange to drop it off this tuesday so they can see/ drive it cold wednesday
 

huntergreen

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Dealers don't pull that bs. I don't care what people say, the ones who have bad experiences are typically assholes who don't know how to be patient and don't understand that these trucks are complex vehicles that often require some trial and error to really pinpoint an issue and get it fixed.

Dealers have two goals: sell you a car that you want at a price/value that works for you, and make you happy. That is it. There is minimal benefit to a dealership in jerking customers around whether it be with service or with sales. They want to win you as a customer for life... meaning you will come back to buy your next car from them, and you will always do your servicing and maintenance with them.

Give them time to get the issue fixed. Take it back and explain thoroughly what is going on. Offer to demonstrate, take a service tech for a ride, etc. Explain what you think it might possibly be. They are working in your best interest but can only do so much. Some issues take more time than others, but trust me, they aren't just trying to intentionally screw you until the warranty is up.

Source: I work for a dealership group at the corporate level. I know how these stores are managed and what the values are.

i respectfully disagree. over the years i have found dealership service departments, that are either incompetent or "shoddy" at best. none were chrysler dealers. fortunately i found a dealership that i trust.
 

lukedukem

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You could send a PM to RAM Cares. They have helpful with dealer issues

Luke
 
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huntergreen

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Hey so this is what im going through right now and not sure what to do next... I have a 2016 Ram 1500 V6 4x4 SLT Quad cab. I bought my truck in October with 14,500 miles on it and it now has about 22,500 miles on it. I noticed a little while ago that at idle (upon start up especially when its cold) i hear a rattling? sound coming from the front right of the vehicle. When i drive the vehicle the noise continues and then eventually once the trucks warm it either disappears completely or gets quiet enough where i dont hear it. It is not a clunk or a belt squeek it sounds like something rattling loose or something moving around that shouldnt be moving around. I looked up a bunch of stuff on here and the most likely thing people suggest is a manifold bolt loose or possibly an engine tick (very common from what i read?). Well i took it to the dealer last week and described it all they had the truck for 1.5 hours and stated they looked over EVERYTHING and ever got their stethoscope out and listened to stuff. They said there was absolutely nothing with it. The morning of the inspection i did not hear the noise on start up and i only had a 3 mile drive to the dealer. The noise does come and go but usually is pretty constant.

The next day i hear the noise again. I havent heard it really since but it does come and go occasionally. In addition, i dont know if i am being paranoid or not but i feel like my transmission is shifting weird. It feels like my transmission is shifting "harder" when i first start it up and shes still cold or it seems like its hesitant to upshift. I also noticed the other day i put it in park and she seemed to roll forward just a smidgen which was odd for me.

So what do i do? Do i schedule an appointment with the dealer again (it was free last time). Or do i pay the cost for a private auto shop to inspect it and take the results to the dealer? I only have 14,000 miles left on this warranty and i do not want to have issues long term after the warrant is up. I have heard stories about how dealers will skirt around issues if they know they will pay big. Is that what is happening here you think? Anyone ever had this issue? What would you do?

metallic nose, or any rattle are hard to pinpoint as the noise travels. i agree with checking the heat shield including the ones on the exhaust. also agree, leaving the truck over night gives the tech the best chance of duplicating the issue so he will know what to check.
 

yoda

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So im an ******* because i want my vehicle fixed? I told them what was wrong and they apparently looked at it and said nothing was wrong with it yet the next day its making the noise again? I dont think that makes me an ******* or in patient. Its reasonable for me to want my vehicle to be fixed. I have gone to them 2 other times for issues and both times they have said yup nothing is wrong with it. The one time when i told them my cruise was not working properly they said it was fine and i had to convince them to update the computer.

I really honestly dont care what your "source" is or what youve done... you are not helping this thread.

I don't think he was calling you an *******, just stating some people are.
I would never tell someone there is nothing wrong with their vehicle without verifying the concern, if they did not hear the noise or it doesn't do it long enough for them to isolate the source, it sucks but you have to be patient, maybe leave it a few days.
If you have the 3.6. it doesn't have exhaust manifolds, so it's not that.
 

yoda

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Also if they actually spent 1.5 hours looking over your truck without hearing the noise, they did a lot more than most Dealers would.
Keep in mind it's like pulling teeth for dealers to get reimbursed from FCA for time spent trying to figure out something like this.
If techs are paid on flat rate, most won't even look at it if they don't verify the noise. You can't really blame them for not wanting to work on your truck for free.
It really burns me when corporate talks about customer satisfaction/fix it the first visit, then is not willing to put their money where their mouth is.
 

Tach_tech

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Also if they actually spent 1.5 hours looking over your truck without hearing the noise, they did a lot more than most Dealers would.
Keep in mind it's like pulling teeth for dealers to get reimbursed from FCA for time spent trying to figure out something like this.
If techs are paid on flat rate, most won't even look at it if they don't verify the noise. You can't really blame them for not wanting to work on your truck for free.
It really burns me when corporate talks about customer satisfaction/fix it the first visit, then is not willing to put their money where their mouth is.

This is a very important detail that most people don't know/understand.

As an FCA tech, we want to fix your vehicle right the first time and move on to the next as quickly as possible because that's how we make money. There's nothing worse as a tech than working on a vehicle multiple times without being able to fix an intermittent issue or at least verify it.

FCA warranty also has protocols about verifying a complaint. Basically if it can't be verified in 0.5hr then move on to the next vehicle. Ive been told that multiple times by their head warranty people and district service managers. Most techs are flat rate so if FCA isn't going to pay us to spend hours trying to verify a problem then we won't. As much as we want to find and fix the problem we can't do it for free and on our dime.
 

Sir John

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Also if they actually spent 1.5 hours looking over your truck without hearing the noise, they did a lot more than most Dealers would.
Keep in mind it's like pulling teeth for dealers to get reimbursed from FCA for time spent trying to figure out something like this.
If techs are paid on flat rate, most won't even look at it if they don't verify the noise. You can't really blame them for not wanting to work on your truck for free.
It really burns me when corporate talks about customer satisfaction/fix it the first visit, then is not willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Totally agree with you.

But, I recently had a bad experience with my local dealership where they damaged something on my brand new Rebel after replacing a defective instrument cluster and RAM was all over it getting me fixed and back on the road asap. I was very impressed. Maybe Chrysler is trying to put thier $ where thier mouth is? It just might be taking a little while to filter this out everywhere?
 

yoda

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Totally agree with you.

But, I recently had a bad experience with my local dealership where they damaged something on my brand new Rebel after replacing a defective instrument cluster and RAM was all over it getting me fixed and back on the road asap. I was very impressed. Maybe Chrysler is trying to put thier $ where thier mouth is? It just might be taking a little while to filter this out everywhere?

I hope so but I'm not holding my breath.
From FCA standpoint though, I can understand it is kind of a dilemma, there are a lot of good techs out there, but also a lot of hacks.
It's a system that was outdated 30 years ago, that created this mess.
Problem is, how do you weed out the hacks who will take advantage and still not fix cars, without penalizing and driving good techs out of the field?
 

Tach_tech

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I hope so but I'm not holding my breath.
From FCA standpoint though, I can understand it is kind of a dilemma, there are a lot of good techs out there, but also a lot of hacks.
It's a system that was outdated 30 years ago, that created this mess.
Problem is, how do you weed out the hacks who will take advantage and still not fix cars, without penalizing and driving good techs out of the field?

In my experience the hacks and crooks usually get weeded out themselves and tend to jump around from dealer to dealer. However if a shop is full of ******* then it will probably stay that way. When I go to training there's always a few guys there that I just shake my head at and wonder how they even dress themselves in the morning. It's like any field, there are good and bad people.

Personally the dealer I'm at is a smaller dealer, we only have 6 licensed guys, a couple apprentices and a few lube guys. Most of our licensed guys have been there at least 3 years, myself I've been 8 years, shop foreman the same. We've had our share of ******* and crooks, they never lasted. If you can find yourself a shop with techs that have been there awhile, it's probably because they're good guys.
 
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yoda

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I'm at a small dealer myself, same place for 25 years, with a 10 month break about 5 years ago, was getting burnt out.
Got bored with my new job and went back to the dealer.
Learned there is a lot I like about my job, being a small dealer I do all aspects, not able to specialize, which I like but can get overwhelming.
 
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