Two weeks ago, leaving the parking lot after work in my 2015 Ram 1500, 5.7, 30k miles and the steering "******" to the left. I didn't think much about it, maybe my hand slipped on the wheel or something like that. Drive the rest of the straight road home, turning onto street, I turned the wheel about 1/8 turn and it felt like the front tires went full lock left. I corrected instinctively and it was about 2x as hard to steer back to the right as it should have been, then all of a sudden, got super easy to steer...as in the steering wheel kind of freewheeled to the right, which forced me to over correct again. At this point, while swerving around the street, I slowed way down and got back into my lane. I then nursed the truck about 10 mph the rest of the way home. Turning left into the driveway and then starting to countersteer back to the right, the wheel just "let go" again. I was only doing 1-2mph so it wasn't dramatic...but...regardless.
I called the local dealer and told them my issue. They said they're too busy right now but they can schedule me in for next Friday (July 31st). It is what it is (I've had all my service done here, but never needed a repair for anything). So, I drive my toy Jeep TJ for the week, nurse the Ram over to the shop on Thursday evening and call them in the morning. The service desk told me that the tech who was assigned the truck said "thats crazy and dangerous" while he was trying to pull it into the shop. I asked them to keep me informed what is going on. End of the day Friday, I call them and ask whats up, they said it needs a new steering rack. I question why a complete steering rack would "go out" on a 5 year old truck with 30k miles on it. They said "these things happen" and that they would get the parts ordered for me. I also had them service the truck as it was due anyway...including the service and the steering rack, we're looking at $2400 plus tax. I came a bit uncorked (the whole reason I buy new vehicles is so that I generally don't have to deal with things like this). I asked lots of questions including why something like this would happen, if it would be covered under powertrain warranty, etc. The answers all came back as per their Standard Operating Procedure...in other words, sucks to be you. I begrudgingly agree to the repair and then proceed to contact Ram Customer Care online and explain the issue. They were very polite, but ultimately the same answer was sucks to be you.
Fast forward to August 4th. I haven't heard anything from the dealer so I call and ask when I can get the truck back. The response is, and I quote: "Oh good mister Miller, we were about to call you. We ordered the aftermarket steering rack last week, but we didn't get it this week, so we called the supplier. They said they never received the order but that it didn't matter anyway since they didn't have the steering rack. So, we are going to have to put on the OEM rack which will cost $1825 instead of the $1625 for the aftermarket." WTH?! First, when did dealers ever replace anything with other than OEM parts? Again, keep in mind, I haven't had to have anything fixed with my new (or newer) car purchases, including 3 Dodge/Chrysler products over the last 10 years). Second, why did it take them 3 days to figure out the part didn't come in? Plus, now my $2400 is pushing up to $2800 in repairs...on, a part of the truck that SHOULDN'T FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY! Admittedly, I lose my cool a little bit, however I don't feel that I'm being rude, just expressing how unhappy I am with this whole thing. Again, I tell them to get it fixed. They call back about 10 minutes later and inform me that the "Chrysler rep" was at the dealer and that they "told him my story" and he agreed that they would comp the cost difference between the aftermarket steering rack and the OEM steering rack so that my total bill would be exactly what it was before the misorder.
My last appeal was for RAM to cover the part and I'd cover the labor as I didn't feel that with as much as I've supported this dealer, bought new RAM and Chrysler vehicles, owned multiple Jeep products over the years and generally considered myself a loyal brand customer, that picking up the cost of the part, I would continue to support RAM and my local dealer. I know, I really don't have an leverage at all....and, they would MUCH rather take $8k off the sticker price in a factory rebate, finance me at 0% for 60 months and waive my first 3 months on a new RAM or Gladiator instead of making right on a $1825 part.
So...$2623 later, now I have trust issues with my truck...trust issues with the brand.....and trust issues with my dealer.
Thanks for listening. I needed to vent.
Pieter
I called the local dealer and told them my issue. They said they're too busy right now but they can schedule me in for next Friday (July 31st). It is what it is (I've had all my service done here, but never needed a repair for anything). So, I drive my toy Jeep TJ for the week, nurse the Ram over to the shop on Thursday evening and call them in the morning. The service desk told me that the tech who was assigned the truck said "thats crazy and dangerous" while he was trying to pull it into the shop. I asked them to keep me informed what is going on. End of the day Friday, I call them and ask whats up, they said it needs a new steering rack. I question why a complete steering rack would "go out" on a 5 year old truck with 30k miles on it. They said "these things happen" and that they would get the parts ordered for me. I also had them service the truck as it was due anyway...including the service and the steering rack, we're looking at $2400 plus tax. I came a bit uncorked (the whole reason I buy new vehicles is so that I generally don't have to deal with things like this). I asked lots of questions including why something like this would happen, if it would be covered under powertrain warranty, etc. The answers all came back as per their Standard Operating Procedure...in other words, sucks to be you. I begrudgingly agree to the repair and then proceed to contact Ram Customer Care online and explain the issue. They were very polite, but ultimately the same answer was sucks to be you.
Fast forward to August 4th. I haven't heard anything from the dealer so I call and ask when I can get the truck back. The response is, and I quote: "Oh good mister Miller, we were about to call you. We ordered the aftermarket steering rack last week, but we didn't get it this week, so we called the supplier. They said they never received the order but that it didn't matter anyway since they didn't have the steering rack. So, we are going to have to put on the OEM rack which will cost $1825 instead of the $1625 for the aftermarket." WTH?! First, when did dealers ever replace anything with other than OEM parts? Again, keep in mind, I haven't had to have anything fixed with my new (or newer) car purchases, including 3 Dodge/Chrysler products over the last 10 years). Second, why did it take them 3 days to figure out the part didn't come in? Plus, now my $2400 is pushing up to $2800 in repairs...on, a part of the truck that SHOULDN'T FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY! Admittedly, I lose my cool a little bit, however I don't feel that I'm being rude, just expressing how unhappy I am with this whole thing. Again, I tell them to get it fixed. They call back about 10 minutes later and inform me that the "Chrysler rep" was at the dealer and that they "told him my story" and he agreed that they would comp the cost difference between the aftermarket steering rack and the OEM steering rack so that my total bill would be exactly what it was before the misorder.
My last appeal was for RAM to cover the part and I'd cover the labor as I didn't feel that with as much as I've supported this dealer, bought new RAM and Chrysler vehicles, owned multiple Jeep products over the years and generally considered myself a loyal brand customer, that picking up the cost of the part, I would continue to support RAM and my local dealer. I know, I really don't have an leverage at all....and, they would MUCH rather take $8k off the sticker price in a factory rebate, finance me at 0% for 60 months and waive my first 3 months on a new RAM or Gladiator instead of making right on a $1825 part.
So...$2623 later, now I have trust issues with my truck...trust issues with the brand.....and trust issues with my dealer.
Thanks for listening. I needed to vent.
Pieter
So, I did crawl under and take a look. The part number is indeed an OEM part. Looking up the part, it's listed on most online sites at $1850, although most of them show it marked down into the $1200-$1300 range. The aftermarket parts are all sub $1000. So, the dealer made me pay retail for the OEM part, however the price they quoted me for the aftermarket (and I never even asked them if it was OEM, aftermarket, because they are a dealer....of COURSE it'd be OEM. Isn't that the MAIN reason you go to a dealer for anything with a new(ish) vehicle?) Anyway, to answer the why didn't I tow it somewhere. The main issue is cost. The nearest dealer I would even consider going to was 50 miles away (Wichita, KS). When I took it to the dealer, I made the rather harrowing trip after 9pm at night with the streets mostly empty. I wasn't about to risk my truck and more importantly, some innocent bystander trying to get the truck to the dealer. I certainly didn't want to take it any farther than I had too.
