This is why I hate letting anyone touch my truck!! (Pics)

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Sir John

Sir John

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Sooooo....typical of my life, it needs to get a little bit worse before it can get better!...lol. Since this began, this was the 1st time in the Rebel when it was daylight (sunny). Usually, this time of the year, it is dark on my way into work and on my way home from work. I haven't driven the Ram on the weekend since the cluster replacement. Well, anyway, I saw some more damage with the light hitting the dash. There is this mark (it does not come off) on the matte black trim piece that goes around the instrument cluster and there are a lot of scratches (and a couple small gouges) on the steering wheel column cover. See the pics below. I guess they will be needing to replace these as well???!!! FML!!!!!
 

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Sir John

Sir John

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Here are pics of the steering wheel column cover...click on the pics and you will see them better. There were more, but I just didn't feel like taking more pics....
 

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Sir John

Sir John

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Here are the pics I took when I dropped the truck off. There was no marks or scratches. I zoomed in really close when looking at the pics to make sure and there was nothing there.
 

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DavidN

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I said it before and will say it again - get the user(s) ramcares involved in this!
If they try to help THIS would be a case they SHOULD!!!
 

dkmesa

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When poor service meets being a perfectionist. I feel your pain, as I am the same way, despite those marks in the updated pics being relatively unnoticeable, they'd bug me too.
 
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Sir John

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When poor service meets being a perfectionist. I feel your pain, as I am the same way, despite those marks in the updated pics being relatively unnoticeable, they'd bug me too.

Yes, that is true, I am somewhat a perfectionist, but I also really care about the things I have. I grew up dirt poor....like on welfare poor. I went in the Army for 7 yrs and then put myself through college with no student loans to pay back. I paid a lot for this truck. It's not just a regular Rebel....it's a Mopar 16 Rebel...200# out of 500 made. They at least could not treat it like a truck with 200,000 miles on it...not that that should be ok either. I don't think it's too much to ask to get it back the way I gave it to them. I shouldn't be faulted for being observant.

As far as the cuts in the dash looking much less ugly then they did at first, they are still cuts. How are they going to look this summer when that dash gets CRAZY hot? Are they going to get worse?...how about in a couple years?....am I going to wish I had the dash skin replaced then? I was close to just leaving it as it is, but a lot of great people in my life HIGHLY advised me not to....including my wife, who easy earns half the household income which directly contributed to me being able to get the Rebel in the 1st place. :favorites13:
 

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WillO

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It's about principle as much as anything, hoping it all works out to your satisfaction.



I agree with this being about principal.

I see it this way. You worked hard for your truck, and as you said so did your wife....... are you okay with some halfwitted clumsy idiot damaging something your family worked hard to obtain?

.....I doubt you are.


.
 

00R/T

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I would leave it at the dash. The way that plastic on the steering column is, it basically gets marks like that just from looking at it. If you start finding all these other tiny little things you run the risk of them thinking you'll never be happy no matter what and will just not bother trying at all.

I know I said previously that they should be able to pull the dash without causing any other damage. But, if you're going to inspect the truck at that level where you're picking out tiny marks only present under the right light at the right angle, I think you're going to find more after the swap than you do before.
 

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I agree they should make it right and replace the dash. You will regret not getting it replaced later on down the road. All the shrinking and contracting the dash does with temperature changes and changing seasons will do nothing but make those cuts worse over time.

Looks like you did originally, but I would take a ton of before pictures of every part of the front interior before you give it to them. I would take a video as well.
 
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Sir John

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I would leave it at the dash. The way that plastic on the steering column is, it basically gets marks like that just from looking at it. If you start finding all these other tiny little things you run the risk of them thinking you'll never be happy no matter what and will just not bother trying at all.

I know I said previously that they should be able to pull the dash without causing any other damage. But, if you're going to inspect the truck at that level where you're picking out tiny marks only present under the right light at the right angle, I think you're going to find more after the swap than you do before.

I didn't have to look hard. It just needed to be daylight. I don't think I'm being unreasonable. I just want my truck back the way I dropped it off. I tried to just let an upholstery shop repair it rather than a complete dash replacement, saving the parties involved hundreds of dollars, but it was a "no". I understand that from the pics that they might look small to you, but if you were looking at them in person you might think differently. I'm not as concerned about the steering wheel column cover because I cannot see the scratches unless I'm looking from the top down, but the mark on the cluster trim needs to be replaced. It's right in my face and very noticeable in the daylight. If what you say is true and they cannot replace the dash without marking up the interior then they shouldn't be doing it. I think I've made that VERY clear at this point.
 
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I agree they should make it right and replace the dash. You will regret not getting it replaced later on down the road. All the shrinking and contracting the dash does with temperature changes and changing seasons will do nothing but make those cuts worse over time.

Looks like you did originally, but I would take a ton of before pictures of every part of the front interior before you give it to them. I would take a video as well.

I agree and that's one of the major reasons why I'm letting them replace the dash. Based on the last job, I will definitely take a lot of pics.
 

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They should fix everything damaged no questions asked. It should not be a give and take. That part could have and should have been replaced with out any damage. Sir john I would not accept anything less than what it was when you signed the papers on the truck
 
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I would leave it at the dash. The way that plastic on the steering column is, it basically gets marks like that just from looking at it.

Btw, if you seen the task for replacing the instrument cluster, it says to remove the steering wheel column cover....Obviously, that wasn't done.
 

00R/T

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I didn't have to look hard. It just needed to be daylight. I don't think I'm being unreasonable. I just want my truck back the way I dropped it off. I tried to just let an upholstery shop repair it rather than a complete dash replacement, saving the parties involved hundreds of dollars, but it was a "no". I understand that from the pics, they might look small to you, but if you were looking at them in person you might think differently. I'm not as concerned about the steering wheel column cover because I cannot see the scratches unless I'm looking from the top down, but the mark on the cluster trim needs to be replaced. It's right in my face and very noticeable in the daylight. If what you say is true and they cannot replace the dash without marking up the interior then they shouldn't be doing it. I think I've made that VERY clear at this point.


I don't think you're being unreasonable either. But, you also have to be realistic about the situation. They are going to have to touch, pry, move, and stow many trim panels from your truck. Your seats may need to come out so they have room to maneuver the dash.

They are going to be doing a fairly invasive repair to your truck. I know you want your truck to be perfect again. And I know they should be able to give that to you. But, there is a very real possibility that there will be new (albeit small) imperfections. I don't expect the major issues some mentioned like squeaks and rattles or things not fitting right. But, I don't expect it to be 100% either.

Trust me. I know exactly where you're coming from. I bought a $57k 300 SRT back in 2014. My brand new car had barely 1k miles on it when I discovered that the spoiler is designed in such a way that when it gets hot, it expands and rubs the paint off the trunk. My beautiful car had two bare metal spots next to the spoiler every time it wasn't in the sun. I was sick to my stomach and couldn't even look at it for a week. I could have had it repaired, but it's a repair - not an undo. They were going to need to re-paint the entire trunk lid and blend into the quarter panels because it's a pearl coat. Nobody could guarantee me that it would be perfect because of the size of the area and the way the pearl lays. All I wanted was my car to be back to the way it was, but I knew that it would never be exactly the same ever again unless I found a time machine. It's unfair and maddening and frustrating and a whole bunch of adjectives. I've learned to live with it now but it still gets to me.

I sincerely wish you the best and hope everything works out. Just make sure that you've really thought about the situation, your options, and have considered the outcomes other than the ideal one. Only you can make the decision of what's right for you and for your truck.
 
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I don't think you're being unreasonable either. But, you also have to be realistic about the situation. They are going to have to touch, pry, move, and stow many trim panels from your truck. Your seats may need to come out so they have room to maneuver the dash.

They are going to be doing a fairly invasive repair to your truck. I know you want your truck to be perfect again. And I know they should be able to give that to you. But, there is a very real possibility that there will be new (albeit small) imperfections. I don't expect the major issues some mentioned like squeaks and rattles or things not fitting right. But, I don't expect it to be 100% either.

Trust me. I know exactly where you're coming from. I bought a $57k 300 SRT back in 2014. My brand new car had barely 1k miles on it when I discovered that the spoiler is designed in such a way that when it gets hot, it expands and rubs the paint off the trunk. My beautiful car had two bare metal spots next to the spoiler every time it wasn't in the sun. I was sick to my stomach and couldn't even look at it for a week. I could have had it repaired, but it's a repair - not an undo. They were going to need to re-paint the entire trunk lid and blend into the quarter panels because it's a pearl coat. Nobody could guarantee me that it would be perfect because of the size of the area and the way the pearl lays. All I wanted was my car to be back to the way it was, but I knew that it would never be exactly the same ever again unless I found a time machine. It's unfair and maddening and frustrating and a whole bunch of adjectives. I've learned to live with it now but it still gets to me.

I sincerely wish you the best and hope everything works out. Just make sure that you've really thought about the situation, your options, and have considered the outcomes other than the ideal one. Only you can make the decision of what's right for you and for your truck.

I get what you're trying to say, but my damage was done by a careless technician taking shortcuts and rushing the job. To me, that makes all the difference. I suggest they don't do this time around.
 

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