Bad lifter/cam and dealership is taking forever!

[7777xm]

My 2014 1500 CC 4x4 w/5.7 has 113000 miles and developed the infamous failed lifter.

I have the Maxcare lifetime so I know the process is a little different then straight warranty work.

I dropped the truck off January 14th. Dealer looked at it a day later and found metal in the oil. They said they had to tear it down and have an adjuster look at it but looks like it would be a new engine.

On the 25th, the dealer finally had a torn apart and said the adjuster will be in either Friday or Monday. We didn't hear anything so I called and left a message on Wednesday and still didn't hear anything back. We called again today and was told that the tech had to pull the camshaft so the adjuster could come out again tomorrow (Friday). this is if they were able to get the technician to do that today which we don't know yet.

In the meantime we are in a rental that's not covered because maxcare does not cover vehicles there are over a hundred thousand miles.

What can we do at this point? The repair process is becoming extremely unreasonable because any competent shop could have diagnosed this within a couple days ordered parts and had them in a couple days and installed within a couple days.

the cost of this rental will cost more than repairs when this is all said and done.

We are beyond frustrated at this point. I don't mind paying for the rental if this was handled in a reasonable amount of time.

15 business days in and they still haven't gotten the official diagnosis and repair/replace verdict.

Any ideas?

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[MileHighRam11]

You're definitely not alone. My cam and lifters failed at about 113k. The first two shops (a span of a week) basically had no idea what was going on and just changed the oil and spark plugs. The 3rd shop found the bad cam/lifter, but it ended up taking another 18 days before I got the truck back. Not to mention, this was during the holidays so either the service center or warranty was closed half the time, making it nearly impossible to get in contact. I eventually just nagged the hell out of them. Calling every single morning and every so often just showing my face. I can say it definitely got their attention. Sucks, but there's not much else you can do. If it's an entire engine swap, I'd put your seatbelt on and get ready for the long haul...good luck.

 

[Kap1]

These major repairs usually take forever... You should be happy if you'll get a new engine covered by warranty. And who knows how long it will take to get the new engine ordered and received? A month maybe as it could be not in stock

Dealers are known to jerk around customers all the time, so what you're experiencing is normal. They can care less how long it takes them or how you feel about it..

My manifold bolts took 2 months to fix as they screwed up the head and had to order that as well. It was covered by powetrain warranty, so they paid for a crappy rental which obviously couldn't replace my work truck

Welcome to the club.

 

[7777xm]

These major repairs usually take forever... You should be happy if you'll get a new engine covered by warranty. And who knows how long it will take to get the new engine ordered and received? A month maybe as it could be not in stock

Dealers are known to jerk around customers all the time, so what you're experiencing is normal. They can care less how long it takes them or how you feel about it..

My manifold bolts took 2 months to fix as they screwed up the head and had to order that as well. It was covered by powetrain warranty, so they paid for a crappy rental which obviously couldn't replace my work truck

Welcome to the club.

I wouldn't mind waiting if they paid for the rental but since that's on my dime, they've got to speed this up. $1000 a month for a rental while they drag their feet is unacceptable. It's definitely not how you keep your customer happy.

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[wallacemf]

Usually if you are renting longer term like this you can get a break, monthly rental rate instead of daily or weekly rate. Talk to the rental agency about it.

You may also be able to get a corporate rate if your employer participates. Last year I rented a Malibu for two weeks for less than $200 as my employer has a corporate plan agreement with Hertz, even for non-business use of the vehicle.

 

[meedom]

It would be great if 7777xm and MileHighRam11 could list the brand, type, and weight of oil they
were using for the rest of us...

 

[chrisbh17]

Usually if you are renting longer term like this you can get a break, monthly rental rate instead of daily or weekly rate. Talk to the rental agency about it.

You may also be able to get a corporate rate if your employer participates. Last year I rented a Malibu for two weeks for less than $200 as my employer has a corporate plan agreement with Hertz, even for non-business use of the vehicle.

Yeah but why should the owner be responsible for ANY of it?

If the dealer and/or FCA are taking forever, why shouldnt the dealer or FCA be footing the bill?

 

[huntergreen]

IIRC, someone posted camshafts are on back order.

 

[7777xm]

It would be great if 7777xm and MileHighRam11 could list the brand, type, and weight of oil they
were using for the rest of us...

I used 5 w 20. Four of my oil changes we're done at the dealership. The rest were done by me, once using Pennzoil and then the rest using supertech since that meets the Mopar spec.

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[guyc66]

My 2014 1500 CC 4x4 w/5.7 has 113000 miles and developed the infamous failed lifter.

I have the Maxcare lifetime so I know the process is a little different then straight warranty work.

I dropped the truck off January 14th. Dealer looked at it a day later and found metal in the oil. They said they had to tear it down and have an adjuster look at it but looks like it would be a new engine.

On the 25th, the dealer finally had a torn apart and said the adjuster will be in either Friday or Monday. We didn't hear anything so I called and left a message on Wednesday and still didn't hear anything back. We called again today and was told that the tech had to pull the camshaft so the adjuster could come out again tomorrow (Friday). this is if they were able to get the technician to do that today which we don't know yet.

In the meantime we are in a rental that's not covered because maxcare does not cover vehicles there are over a hundred thousand miles.

What can we do at this point? The repair process is becoming extremely unreasonable because any competent shop could have diagnosed this within a couple days ordered parts and had them in a couple days and installed within a couple days.

the cost of this rental will cost more than repairs when this is all said and done.

We are beyond frustrated at this point. I don't mind paying for the rental if this was handled in a reasonable amount of time.

15 business days in and they still haven't gotten the official diagnosis and repair/replace verdict.

Any ideas?

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I would consider purchasing a $500 "junker" and drive that if rental costs are going to get out of hand. Once you get your truck back you can always sell the junker and get most (if not all) your money back. Yes, it's a PITA because you have to get it registered, etc. but depending how long this repair takes it might make financial sense. Best of luck!

 

[kkreit01]

Certainly you can find better rental deals on a compact for long term. I'd shop around. It does suck though. Good luck with your repairs.

 

[7777xm]

Certainly you can find better rental deals on a compact for long term. I'd shop around. It does suck though. Good luck with your repairs.

Compact won't work for the two kids in my wife's job. the Santa Fe is as small as we really could go with but we got that at $35 a day which isn't bad but it adds up

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[MileHighRam11]

It would be great if 7777xm and MileHighRam11 could list the brand, type, and weight of oil they
were using for the rest of us...

My first and only oil change so far was with 5w 30 pennzoil platinum full synthetic.

 

[Scottly]

I have the Maxcare lifetime so I know the process is a little different then straight warranty work.

I dropped the truck off January 14th. Dealer looked at it a day later and found metal in the oil. They said they had to tear it down and have an adjuster look at it but looks like it would be a new engine.

On the 25th, the dealer finally had a torn apart and said the adjuster will be in either Friday or Monday. We didn't hear anything so I called and left a message on Wednesday and still didn't hear anything back. We called again today and was told that the tech had to pull the camshaft so the adjuster could come out again tomorrow (Friday). this is if they were able to get the technician to do that today which we don't know yet.

.................. The repair process is becoming extremely unreasonable because any competent shop could have diagnosed this within a couple days ordered parts and had them in a couple days and installed within a couple days.

When a shop calls for a service contract repair, the first thing out of the mouth of the adjuster is, "What has failed and what is the cause of failure?" When their only reply is, "It needs an engine", that's like saying you need a new **** if it burns when you pee. Unfortunately, the customer (you) gets caught in the middle of a service contract company that won't (and shouldn't) pay for whatever a shop tells them to pay for, and a shop that can't diagnose en engine issue.

It had a problem...a noise? When asked, "What is causing the noise", the answer isn't "Metal in the oil". The noise caused the metal int he oil. The metal int he oil was caused by WHAT failing? If the shop can't answer the questions properly, the contract company isn't going to waste money paying an independent inspector to come out and look at something that hasn't been diagnosed.

That business sees this all the time...."
There's a noise...Needs a new engine".

Yea, that'll fly.


Hang in there....And remember this shop next time you have an issue.

 

[7777xm]

When a shop calls for a service contract repair, the first thing out of the mouth of the adjuster is, "What has failed and what is the cause of failure?" When their only reply is, "It needs an engine", that's like saying you need a new **** if it burns when you pee. Unfortunately, the customer (you) gets caught in the middle of a service contract company that won't (and shouldn't) pay for whatever a shop tells them to pay for, and a shop that can't diagnose en engine issue.

It had a problem...a noise? When asked, "What is causing the noise", the answer isn't "Metal in the oil". The noise caused the metal int he oil. The metal int he oil was caused by WHAT failing? If the shop can't answer the questions properly, the contract company isn't going to waste money paying an independent inspector to come out and look at something that hasn't been diagnosed.

That business sees this all the time...."
There's a noise...Needs a new engine".

Yea, that'll fly.


Hang in there....And remember this shop next time you have an issue.

It's a dealership and it's the Chrysler warranty group.

It went in and I told them lifter and cam. It sat, and sat, and sat. Two weeks later, they said it's lifter and cam. Wait for adjuster. Adjust one came, said new engine. Then he went MIA. 4 days later, we call dealership, ask what's up. The call Mopar, and they said to remove cam again and they'll send out another adjuster. And now the waiting game again.

This is just flat out poor business. I've had other brands, but nobody boogers it up better than Mopar!

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[Burla]

I used 5 w 20. Four of my oil changes we're done at the dealership. The rest were done by me, once using Pennzoil and then the rest using supertech since that meets the Mopar spec.

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meets spec but also no moly until recently. We are unofficially tracking this issue, more back a couple years then now, and at one point 6 cam fails in a row were non moly oils, 2 valvoline, 2 rp, one super tech, and I forget the 6th but it was a oil w/o moly. Now this happens so much we just lost track, FCA blows. Most people with a hemi want moly in their oil, read here if you haven't.

 

[Burla]

It's a dealership and it's the Chrysler warranty group.

It went in and I told them lifter and cam. It sat, and sat, and sat. Two weeks later, they said it's lifter and cam. Wait for adjuster. Adjust one came, said new engine. Then he went MIA. 4 days later, we call dealership, ask what's up. The call Mopar, and they said to remove cam again and they'll send out another adjuster. And now the waiting game again.

This is just flat out poor business. I've had other brands, but nobody boogers it up better than Mopar!

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nah trust me others are just as bad. The real problem are modern vehicles suck ass. None of the big manu's deserve your business, buy older vehicles and fix them up your way. In the end you will be happier and it will cost much less then shelling out 50 grand on a POS truck. I had 3 chevy's 2 trucks and a malibu, all lemons and I had to sue the dealer they were so bad at fixing them. Maybe you should just have an old beater around for these times.

 

[16RamHemi]

if the dealer were footing the bill for the rental i bet this would be progressing at a much faster rate. there has to be some sort of protection for the customer. a dealer shouldnt be able to string a customer along.

 

[JPT]

My 2014 1500 CC 4x4 w/5.7 has 113000 miles and developed the infamous failed lifter.

I have the Maxcare lifetime so I know the process is a little different then straight warranty work.

I dropped the truck off January 14th. Dealer looked at it a day later and found metal in the oil. They said they had to tear it down and have an adjuster look at it but looks like it would be a new engine.

On the 25th, the dealer finally had a torn apart and said the adjuster will be in either Friday or Monday. We didn't hear anything so I called and left a message on Wednesday and still didn't hear anything back. We called again today and was told that the tech had to pull the camshaft so the adjuster could come out again tomorrow (Friday). this is if they were able to get the technician to do that today which we don't know yet.

In the meantime we are in a rental that's not covered because maxcare does not cover vehicles there are over a hundred thousand miles.

What can we do at this point? The repair process is becoming extremely unreasonable because any competent shop could have diagnosed this within a couple days ordered parts and had them in a couple days and installed within a couple days.

the cost of this rental will cost more than repairs when this is all said and done.

We are beyond frustrated at this point. I don't mind paying for the rental if this was handled in a reasonable amount of time.

15 business days in and they still haven't gotten the official diagnosis and repair/replace verdict.

Any ideas?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Are you sure about this 100k mile rental disclaimer? I do not see it in my MaxCare paperwork. I do see that there is a maximum of 5 days or $175 per incident, but nothing about the mileage of the vehicle which excludes the ability to obtain a rental.

This long time is why I plan to return to the dealership I purchased the truck from for any major warranty work. I will be provided a loaner, then they can take as long as they need to.

 

[7777xm]

Are you sure about this 100k mile rental disclaimer? I do not see it in my MaxCare paperwork. I do see that there is a maximum of 5 days or $175 per incident, but nothing about the mileage of the vehicle which excludes the ability to obtain a rental.

This long time is why I plan to return to the dealership I purchased the truck from for any major warranty work. I will be provided a loaner, then they can take as long as they need to.

I looked it up after they said so in it is in there unfortunately. it is at the dealership I bought two cars from and they don't want to help out.

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