Asking for a courtesy vehicle from the dealership

[jejb]

(BTW... Maxcare DOES allow for rental car reimbursement)

Mine does.

 

[jejb]

I bought my 18 Ram 2500 as a CPO. I thought it added value. It only had 14K on it, but they still put new tires on it, changed oil and oil/air/fuel filters along with some other stuff. Plus it added some warranty, both bumper-to-bumper and extended drivetrain.

Sorry to hear about your issues, OP.

 

[Hootbro]

FCA/Stellantis has always been non-committal when it comes to loaners unless you had a MaxCare warranty bought. Remember when I bout my 2015 Ram 2500 from one dealer, they had me sign a sheet specifically stating that I acknowledge that service loaners were not a guarantee.

Spent last Friday morning in my local Toyota dealership service department waiting on the Wife's vehicle to get serviced and it seemed they were handing out loaners like candy even if you were waiting on routine service. Pretty stark contrast to what my local CDJR dealer does that may shuttle you home at best if local.

 

[Marshall]

Cabin air filter should have been changed before it was sold, pre cert means it has been gone over , but sounds like it was not.
But that’s water under the bridge
My 2014 still has the original battery,
And come to think, everything else
Just rent a car

 

[aepowell]

I don't defend anyone from a dealership, and I've had my share of bad ones.

Does the 169 point inspection specifically say that they're going to replace a cabin air filter? Those inspections are essentially safety inspections and general maintenance such as lube, brakes, tires, etc.. If something falls within spec, they leave it alone. If it's not on the list it doesn't get checked. I've NEVER seen ANY dealership replace a cabin air filter as part of their inspection. I've probably owned 50-60 vehicles of EVERY brand. Never happened once. Heck, it wasn't that long ago that Rams didn't even come with cabin filters.

The inspection does not require them to replace aftermarket exhaust components with factory components if it is functioning properly at the time. That is NOT a requirement to certify a vehicle. I'm sorry if you believe that it is, but maybe call the dealership and ask them. IF they have to replace a part, they replace it with a factory Ram part.

If the battery died the day after, why would you expect them to replace it? If they did, it would be as a courtesy but it is not a requirement. Again, if it tested good during the inspection and then sat on a lot for a period of time it happens. I would hardly blame that on a dealer.

How would suspension issues be caused by the dealer when they replaced the headers? (There's no service order posted that I can see) IF they inspected, found worn/loose components and adjusted them then yes.. you should be thankful.

Again... you said you purchased it a year prior to having this work done. If it's not under warranty, then they are under no requirement to help you.

You haven't answered a couple of basic questions:

1) Did the CPO truck come with a warranty? If yes, what specifically does that warranty cover? (BTW... Maxcare DOES allow for rental car reimbursement)
2) How many miles have you driven it between the time you bought it and the time you took it in for the suspension work?


I'm all for shotgun blasting a dealer who has done a shoddy job and just won't help but it really does look like the dealership did try to help. Don't take offense to what I am saying. I am just looking at what's been said and trying to look at this from both sides. We need more information.

How many miles were on the truck when you bought it?

Max Car only provides rental up to 100,000 miles

 

[nlambert182]

FCA/Stellantis has always been non-committal when it comes to loaners unless you had a MaxCare warranty bought. Remember when I bout my 2015 Ram 2500 from one dealer, they had me sign a sheet specifically stating that I acknowledge that service loaners were not a guarantee.

Spent last Friday morning in my local Toyota dealership service department waiting on the Wife's vehicle to get serviced and it seemed they were handing out loaners like candy even if you were waiting on routine service. Pretty stark contrast to what my local CDJR dealer does that may shuttle you home at best if local.

Consider yourself lucky. The Ford/Lincoln dealer didn't provide us with a loaner when our Expedition crapped the bed (in warranty). They didn't have any to go around. We ended up paying for a rental out of pocket based on Ford saying they'd reimburse us. They did..... eventually. For half. We ate $1,400.

 

[nlambert182]

Cabin air filter should have been changed before it was sold, pre cert means it has been gone over , but sounds like it was not.
But that’s water under the bridge
My 2014 still has the original battery,
And come to think, everything else
Just rent a car

Cabin air filters are not part of the inspection... See my earlier post.

Just because they didn't change it does not mean that it didn't go through the inspection. A tech is not going to do anything more than what the inspection checklist tells them to do.

 

[20Ram1500]

Do you have a MaxCare warranty? It covers rentals, even 1st day. If not, they have no obligation to supply you with a rental vehicle.

I have maxcare have you had to use it? I'm hoping they don't give me ****. My touch screen is acting up and freezing. My truck also is a certified pre-owned with a 3.5 inch rough country lift and after market exhaust. It's a 2020

 

[chopperman1]

I have maxcare have you had to use it? I'm hoping they don't give me ****. My touch screen is acting up and freezing. My truck also is a certified pre-owned with a 3.5 inch rough country lift and after market exhaust. It's a 2020

Nope, never a problem. Have it both on my Ram and Durango. If you want a rental while they work on it, make sure you give them plenty of notice you need one. There seems to be a major rental car shortage. The MaxCare coverage is for 35$ a day. My dealer has an agreement with Enterprise for that rate but some dealers don't and you would be responsible for anything over the 35$ limit.

 

[tron67j]

A couple things that I thought of:

1) The truck was a 2017 bought in 2021. Would be interesting to know if it had any factory warranty left because a CPO generally needs a fair amount of warranty time to become certified. A vehicle could be sold certified by dealer but not actually in a official CPO program. 2) The type of certification would dictate how deep they went on inspection and that is why it is critical to find out if it is certified to factory program standards or just to dealer plopping it in their lot standards. So it could have been just the basics to pass state inspection. 3) I think the dealer did right by owner for things and (missed if it had extended warranty) loaner is a privilege ot a guaranteed thing so if they don't provide, just chalk it up to experience and don't badger them as you may be back. 4) The truck is now 6 years old, things are going to break. Who knows how it was treating past so kind of have to accept it and enjoy the ride.

 

[Les_Garten]

Ahhhh let me see if I got this straight...

You bought a used car from a used car dealer, what else were you sayin'?

 

[jejb]

A tech is not going to do anything more than what the inspection checklist tells them to do.

And probably not even that. I'd guess most times a lot of boxes get checked that never actually got inspected.

 

[jejb]

The MaxCare coverage is for 35$ a day.

See post #21 for the MaxCare on my 22 2500. It's $45 a day up to a max of $225. So the amount they will pay may vary, depending on when you bought the policy.

 

[jimboschnitz]

All the previous comments have legitimacy but the major comments relate to the fact that you purchased a used
vehicle and the dealership has no responsibility to furnish you with a loaner vehicle. I have purchased used vehicles
in the past after doing do diligence and have always either purchased or had the selling dealer provide some sort of aftermarket service contract. Sorry you're having all these issues but you may have brought some of them upon yourself with the reviews you wrote. The old saying, "honey draws more flies than vinegar" or something like that.

 

[chopperman1]

See post #21 for the MaxCare on my 22 2500. It's $45 a day up to a max of $225. So the amount they will pay may vary, depending on when you bought the policy.

Definitely varies then! Perhaps the level of car, when purchased, who knows! LOL!

Both my Ram (5y/60k) and Durango (Lifetime):

 

[Bandit1859]

Maybe "asking" isn't the proper term. More like "demanding" I guess.

Am I being the a-hole here?

Too Long Didn't Read Version: Truck was sold to me as "Certified Pre-Owned" but had aftermarket performance parts on it that have been causing me problems.

Long story:

In 2021 I bought a Certified Preowned 2017 Ram 1500 Sport.

The day after I brought it home, the battery died. I checked the battery, and it was the original oem battery that was sold with the vehicle. I called my salesman to see what he could do for me, he checked with the service department, and they said "sorry, we can't help you. This is a wear and tear issue." After blasting them on Google reviews and Facebook reviews, the salesman called me a few days later and said "look, can you take those reviews down? We'll reimburse you for the new battery." I agreed to do so as soon as the check cleared. I also checked the cabin air filter, and it was so full of dust it looked like a pillow.

A year later, I started getting the Hemi Tick. I brought it to a dealership - not the one I bought it from - and they informed me that the truck had aftermarket headers on it. Because of that, they refused to service the truck, and suggested I get in touch with the dealership where I purchased it.

I contact them, and explain all that's going on. They agreed that this is their issue. The dealership replaced the aftermarket headers with stock exhaust manifolds. I was given a courtesy vehicle for this.

Not too long after that, the truck's suspension was making rattling noises. It was getting so bad, I could feel the rattle through the pedals and steering wheel.

My thinking was that after installing the manifolds, they didn't tighten everything when reassembling the truck.

I contact the dealership again, and make an appointment.

I show up on the day of the appointment, wait in the line in the drive through, and I'm told to pull to the side and wait. After 15 minutes or so, I'm told that they were overbooked for the day, and that they set up a new appointment for me the next week.

I'm a little aggravated by this, but I understand that stuff happens.

The next week, they were able to fix the issue. The service order said "Installed 4318031AC Adhesive lock and seal. Found sway bar bushing, sway bar links, upper control arms, steering drive shaft loose. Tightened up all hardware related to suspension and steering."

So it was all good.

Fast forward to a few months ago, and the truck is starting to rattle again.
Also, there's a clicking noise in the steering wheel - similar to the clicking noise a steering wheel makes when turning with the turn signal on.
The exhaust has been making a chirping noise that's been getting progressively worse. (I recently discovered that the truck has aftermarket exhaust)

I've been super busy, so I haven't had the time to really deal with the dealership. Last month I called them to make an appointment. They can't see me until the 28th of September.

When I talked to the scheduling lady, I asked about getting a courtesy vehicle. I'm a busy person, and I'm often called to job sites at a moment's notice. I don't have anyone I can borrow a vehicle from.

She seemed very non-committal about them lending me a courtesy. "Oh i don't know. You know you have to have this type of insurance, and it has to be so-and-so type of situation." She then suggested that I rent a car and they may reimburse me.

So my next step is to call and talk to a manager.

Sorry about the long winded story. Basically, all the issues I've had with this truck stem from the fact that they sold me a Certified Pre-Owned with all kinds of aftermarket parts on it.
The fact that the battery was bad, the cabin air filter was filthy, the truck had aftermarket header on it, and I just discovered that it has aftermarket mufflers on it... it all means that they didn't certify a thing on this vehicle. Add to that the fact that I've had this truck for less than 2 years, and it has been to the service department 5 times dealing with these issues.

So, my question is, am I right to demand a courtesy vehicle from them? Any suggestions on how to go about it?

My take they did replace the battery and yes it is not certified pre owned. But I bought one once that was said to be certified but it was far from it. But since it a 17 and it is now2023. If they r still fixing it for free I would not argue about a loaner.

 

[nlambert182]

My take they did replace the battery and yes it is not certified pre owned. But I bought one once that was said to be certified but it was far from it. But since it a 17 and it is now2023. If they r still fixing it for free I would not argue about a loaner.

If it was sold as certified pre-owned and has the documentation, then it's a CPO. Why would you think otherwise? Certified doesn't mean that it won't break or ever have any problems. It just means that the vehicle meets pre-defined criteria at the time of inspection that Ram has put in place. That's about it.

 

[Timsdually]

I didn't read all four pages, but I will add I have had loaner vehicle added into every sales contract and not once have I had a vehicle in for service and gotten a loaner. Always the same excuse, all their loaners are out already and they are already claimed for the next three weeks.
Worthless.

 

[Spree]

I always kept an extra car in the garage just for that reason. If they don't have a loner I just use the extra one while they work on the one in the shop. I bought my wife a car about one year ago and a week later the brakes started grinding. Took it to the shop and had to change all four rotors and pads. No big deal, I'll just never buy another car from them again. Oh yeah, it also went through their 169 point inspection.

 

[Timsdually]

One dealer I went to of course didn't have a loaner, but they offered free shuttle service to take me home and then come pick me up when it was finished.
This car was the worst bomb I rode in since back in my high school days when you could buy cars for $100. I could feel the spring jabbing me through the seat cover they threw on it and the driver was doing one of those constant turning the wheel back and forth to try to keep the car straight on the rode. I didn't think it was going to make to my house.