rust warranty? 2013?

Well the other day I noticed another bubble a few inches in front of the first one. Called the dealer today and he said he was off for a couple of weeks and blah, blah, blah. I think he forgot because he said he had to send them more info and would get back to me tomorrow. He did say that he submitted to have the whole bedside replaced and said well that will take care of anything on that side. So we will see.

so far it sounds promising. at least they didn't blow the issue off.

Just got a call from the dealer and the repair was approved under warranty. They are replacing the whole bedside. Dropping it off 8/7 and it will take them 3 or 4 days. Kudos to Dodge for stepping up!

Advice for anyone with a similar situation...as soon as you see a bubble starting to form get it documented. Pretty sure if I had waited until I started seeing rust they would have denied it saying there was a scratch or something but as early as I caught it there was no way they could say it was external damage.

dhay13 said:

Just got a call from the dealer and the repair was approved under warranty. They are replacing the whole bedside. Dropping it off 8/7 and it will take them 3 or 4 days. Kudos to Dodge for stepping up!

Advice for anyone with a similar situation...as soon as you see a bubble starting to form get it documented. Pretty sure if I had waited until I started seeing rust they would have denied it saying there was a scratch or something but as early as I caught it there was no way they could say it was external damage.

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good to hear. The way this could have gone, i completely understand why people are so quick to ditch the brand when they dont stand behind their products ( myself included ).

Just curious, does this change your mind on owning another chrysler product? I know you were pretty upset and said no more chrysler vehicles in an ealier post.


also, what about the bumper flaking?

My no more Dodge comment was based on if they didn't honor the warranty. I understand things happen and if a company stands behind their product and does the right thing then I am ok with that. Still bothered that it happened at all but at least they are stepping up to the plate.

As for the bumper flaking, when I had it there initially he said they will not cover that. I will ask again but doubt they will change their tune on that. I have painted before (still a rookie though) and if I have to I will repaint it myself. I can handle that pretty easily if I feel the need to but so far it isn't that noticeable.

dhay13 said:

so is there a rust warranty on a 2013 Ram 1500? about 58,000 miles. i have the express and noticed a couple of months ago that the paint on my rear bumper was flaking. today i was at the gas station filling gas cans and noticed a rust bubble on my drivers bed side right in the center of my wheel well. i am pretty good at washing the salt off in the winter and actually rarely drove it the last 2 winters as i work from home now. we had a 2006 commander before this that had 100,000 miles on it before it started to rust. pretty disappointing that a 4 year old, well maintained, truck is rusting already. i am pretty fanatical about keeping my vehicles clean and always spray the undercarriage and wheel wells when i wash it

any idea on the rust warranty?

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My 2014 has a lifetime rust warranty, but I believe that only applies if you get the dealer offered paint and undercoat protection when you buy the truck new.
The brand of protection appears to be different depending on your region, but for me it was Diamond Kote.
There are limitations as to what type and amount of rust it covers, and it must be rusted right through.

There is also a requirement to have your vehicle inspected once per year in order to maintain your warranty.
The dealer will have a "passport" type book where they record the inspection.

Of course as Markcuda has already pointed out, it's never going to be an easy process if you have to make a claim. Unfortunately these types of policies are rarely set up to favour the consumer.
There are going to be numerous ways for them to get around paying for a repair. Sad but true.

(Note: I believe "lifetime" is considered to be 10 years for all spray on products by law).

Another option is to buy the module that plugs in under your dash (also Diamond Kote).
We went this way on the wife's car, since it has an actual lifetime warranty, and does not have the same limitations as the spray on protection.
Another bonus is that we do not have to get yearly inspections done to maintain the warranty.
Whether or not the device works is somewhat irrelevant. The warranty is the real value in this case.

Got a reminder call Friday from the dealer and dropped it off tonight. Will update but so far so good.

@drambuie, what is this (Another option is to buy the module that plugs in under your dash (also Diamond Kote)) what does it do/for? Tia.

SYKRAMMAN said:

@drambuie, what is this (Another option is to buy the module that plugs in under your dash (also Diamond Kote)) what does it do/for? Tia.

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It does nothing. The technology it's based on is commonly used on bridges and ships, but those are both immersed in water. Your truck is not immersed in water, so it doesn't work. It's just snake oil. Google has the scientific explanation, if you want it.

I had my hood rusting on my 2013(paint started to bubble) on leading edge...2 months later they fixed it

I just went through a similar situation as dhay13.

I noticed an outward dent on the passenger side rear panel above the wheel well. Looked like someone took a finger and pushed the panel from the inside out which was impossible because of the fender liner. I checked the lip at the top of the wheel well where the panel meets the fender liner and there was visible rust albeit a very small amount.

Took it to my dealership's body shop. The body shop manager took some pics and sent in the request for a complete passenger side bed side replacement. It was approved by the manufacturer within 24 hours.

Dropped it off this past Monday and just picked it up last night (had recall work that needed done too while it was there). They did a great job and I am really happy (and relieved). Looks perfectly aligned and color matched...like it never happened.

BTW, my truck has 48k miles and my factory warranty expired last April.

I can confirm the rust warranty. My '14 (45k miles) has the same issue. Significant bubbling on the hood at the edge near the grill. The dealer approved a whole new hood. I'm dropping it off on the 22nd.

I asked if they could replace it with a sport hood. He said no. I didn't wanna push it lol.

My 11 crew cab 4WD started showing bubbling on the fender about 9 inches below the antenna, I noticed this at about 3 years and 3 months it was the approximate size of a thumb nail now it is about palm size but not rusted through. When I first noticed it I took it to Turnersville Dodge in Turnersville NJ the service manager said he would submit a report to Chrysler (LIAR) next to Mount Ephraim Dodge in Mount Ephraim NJ where the body shop manager took pics and said he would submit a report to Chrysler (BIGGER LIAR). Both dealers tried to talk me into taking it back to the dealer I bought the truck from but that is in another state and not exactly convenient for me.
When it rusts through I guess I'll be starting a class action suit against FCA as I cant be the only one with this issue. I have photo documentation and notes on the who and whens I talked to. Truck has less than 20k on the clock.

aux576 said:

My 11 crew cab 4WD started showing bubbling on the fender about 9 inches below the antenna, I noticed this at about 3 years and 3 months it was the approximate size of a thumb nail now it is about palm size but not rusted through. When I first noticed it I took it to Turnersville Dodge in Turnersville NJ the service manager said he would submit a report to Chrysler (LIAR) next to Mount Ephraim Dodge in Mount Ephraim NJ where the body shop manager took pics and said he would submit a report to Chrysler (BIGGER LIAR). Both dealers tried to talk me into taking it back to the dealer I bought the truck from but that is in another state and not exactly convenient for me.
When it rusts through I guess I'll be starting a class action suit against FCA as I cant be the only one with this issue. I have photo documentation and notes on the who and whens I talked to. Truck has less than 20k on the clock.

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This is common spot for rust to form. There is a fiberglass tape on the back side of the fender that runs the entire length. When dirt/salt/moisture sit on the top edge of this tape it eventually rots the fender from the inside out. So if you're seeing bubbles there's already a hole.

As soon as I saw this was a problem I pulled my fender liners out and covered the inside of the fender with Fluid Film with hopes to prevent this.

can this fiberglass tape just be pulled off ?

69GWC said:

can this fiberglass tape just be pulled off ?

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Nope I tried. It's got some crazy industrial adhesive that won't give at all

Thanks, think I am going to fluid film the under side of my truck and just make sure I hit those real good then.

What is fluid film?

aux576 said:

What is fluid film?

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Rust preventer, oily undercoating kinda.

it can be had on Amazon might read about there.

SYKRAMMAN said:

@drambuie, what is this (Another option is to buy the module that plugs in under your dash (also Diamond Kote)) what does it do/for? Tia.

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My apologies SYKRAMMAN. I haven't checked this thread in a while.
The module plugs into your OBDii port and creates a very low voltage current that effectively creates an anode.

Here's a link to the DiamondKote page

https://www.diamondkote.com/auto/appearance-protection-products/rust-and-corrosion-protection/

CrispyBacon said:

It does nothing. The technology it's based on is commonly used on bridges and ships, but those are both immersed in water. Your truck is not immersed in water, so it doesn't work. It's just snake oil. Google has the scientific explanation, if you want it.

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I don't deny that I'm a little skeptical about the whole thing for automotive use. However the fact is that electrical current is commonly used to prevent corrosion in industrial settings.
For example, anode beds are used to protect pipelines from corrosion.

The idea itself is based on science. Whether or not this form of it works as advertised I cannot say.

That said, as I stated earlier, the real value in this product is in the warranty that comes with it. In the case of my Wife's vehicle we have a lifetime warranty. We are covered for surface rust (no perforation is necessary to claim) and we are not required to have a yearly inspection done.
Please note that the warranty sometimes differ between installers, as it depends on the agreements they have with Diamond Kote.
My advice is to always shop around.