Max care warranty

[duckman631]

Just curious on how to really find out issues. For example, I took my truck to the dealer for tires and alignment. 75,000 mi on it. Hemi 5.7 4x4 etc.. I have max care warranty. I asked them to do inspection of front end components and overall check it all out. They tell me all is well. Now from past experience owning several cars and trucks, been driving over 30 years, whenever I would take my higher mileage vehicles in for basic service it almost always ends with your rotors are shot, your tie rod ends need replacing, the ball joints are shot, you need a bearing, shocks or struts are shot etc. now I know in most of those cases, it was true need and not just cash grabs. But whenever I take in truck now to dealer, everything is always fine. I’m thinking BECAUSE of the max care warranty, they are now doing the opposite and not looking to point out and repair things that really are bad. Is it my cynical self overthinking this? Is there a way to get an unbiased opinion and then if something is going bad, go back to the dealer and force them to fix under warranty? I mean the truck suspension rides a little rough With 75,000 miles on the struts,shocks etc but not super bad. If I didn’t have a warranty I would by now definitely replace shocks all around not knowing what the true technical lifespan of a part like that can last and I know it comes down usage, more off-road then on etc... but the ride would dramatically improve if they were new but why pay if warranty covers. I mean technically unless a bushing splits and falls off, regardless of how squishy and compressed it may be, they can still say it’s fine etc.

is there options out there?

 

[FriedDumpling]

I too have a Maxcare warranty. Perhaps, as you said, you’re overthinking it.

The Maxcare warranty is there to provide protection against mechanical failure and defect, not keeping the vehicle performing new.

I care for my vehicles similarly, and have time to time wanted a thorough once over so small problems don’t become large problems.

Unfortunately if the dealer cant get paid for the work (because it’s not covered) they won’t pursue it. The manufacturer isn’t going to address wear and tear, at least until the integrity of the part or vehicle is compromised.

In your example, they’d only replace a problematic shock or strut, and in all likelihood you’d want to do the work minimally in pairs.


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[indept]

Take it to a private shop and ask them to check it out.

 

[Gr8bawana]

duckman631...I think you are confused. The Maxcare warranty is not for everyday wear and tear items like shocks, brake pads, rotors or ball joints.
What FriedDumpling said is correct. It's for failures and defects.
Should your new tires be covered on the warranty because they wore out? Or your wiper blades? I think not.

 

[duckman631]

duckman631...I think you are confused. The Maxcare warranty is not for everyday wear and tear items like shocks, brake pads, rotors or ball joints.
What FriedDumpling said is correct. It's for failures and defects.
Should your new tires be covered on the warranty because they wore out? Or your wiper blades? I think not.

If the warranty covers the item till 100k miles and they “wear out” before then, it is covered. If shocks which are covered turn to **** because of heavy use, they are covered. They really can’t assign a specific lifespan on items like shocks and bushings because each persons usage differs. I have a 2014 that rides a lot smoother than my 2016. If I’m feeling bumps that rattle my teeth I think that would mean the shocks or struts are shot and therefore covered under the warranty. If I hit a bump and get thrown around on the road whatever is causing that is covered but if you bring this to dealer attention, they are more aptly to say there is nothing wrong knowing these items are covered but they will make no money on the repair

 

[chrisbh17]

In the case of shocks and ball joints, I think they ARE covered. From my Lifetime MaxCare contract:

"COMPONENTS COVERED BY THE PLAN INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO):

FRONT SUSPENSION: Shocks; Shock Mounts; Struts; Strut Mounts, Bushings and Bearings; Upper and Lower Control Arms; Control Arm Bushings; Thrust Arms; Upper and Lower Ball Joints; Coil Springs; Torsion Bars; Air Suspension System; Front Wheel Bearings.

REAR SUSPENSION: Rear Leaf Springs; Rear Coil Springs; Auxiliary Springs; Spring Interliner; Spring Bushing; Spring Shackle; U-Bolt Rear Spring; Spring Hanger; Axle Trac Bar; Lateral Link Arm; Shocks; Shock Mount Plate; Struts; Strut Mounting Plates; Strut Bushings; Rear Trailing Arm Assembly; Rear Torsion Arms; Rear Torsion Bars; Rear Stabilizer/Sway Bar; Rear Stabilizer/Sway Bar Link; Rear Stabilizer/Sway Bar Bushing; Rear Wheel Bearings."

Now, the issue will be getting the dealer to say they need replacement. In regards to shocks, if anything they give them a quick look for any oil/seepage. So if they look "dry", they'll probably say they are fine. They haven't FAILED (rough ride doesnt mean they arent working, they just arent working like brand new ones), so they aren't warrantyable yet.

 

[avantiguy]

If the warranty covers the item till 100k miles and they “wear out” before then, it is covered. If shocks which are covered turn to **** because of heavy use, they are covered. They really can’t assign a specific lifespan on items like shocks and bushings because each persons usage differs. I have a 2014 that rides a lot smoother than my 2016. If I’m feeling bumps that rattle my teeth I think that would mean the shocks or struts are shot and therefore covered under the warranty. If I hit a bump and get thrown around on the road whatever is causing that is covered but if you bring this to dealer attention, they are more aptly to say there is nothing wrong knowing these items are covered but they will make no money on the repair

Why won't the dealer make money on it, They fix, Ram pays. Possibly at a lower rate but I suspect he's not getting rich inspecting items that don't need repair either.

 

[FriedDumpling]

Why won't the dealer make money on it, They fix, Ram pays. Possibly at a lower rate but I suspect he's not getting rich inspecting items that don't need repair either.

The dealer will make a repair on a DEFECTIVE part. I don’t think a “doesn’t feel like it used to” falls into the category of a warranty claim.

Sometimes they’re required to ship the part to the manufacturer for inspection to show the defect. Secondly, I can’t imagine that the dealer will replace the items in pairs which many would probably prefer.

Lastly, we’re talking about relatively inexpensive parts, and the warranty is going to have a claim deductible. Minimally $100, possibly more.

The value of an inspection is to look for identifiable problems. Most dealerships are happy to look for issues - mine found an issue with the manifold bolts, unrelated to my visit. Win-win.


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[duckman631]

The dealer will make a repair on a DEFECTIVE part. I don’t think a “doesn’t feel like it used to” falls into the category of a warranty claim.

Sometimes they’re required to ship the part to the manufacturer for inspection to show the defect. Secondly, I can’t imagine that the dealer will replace the items in pairs which many would probably prefer.

Lastly, we’re talking about relatively inexpensive parts, and the warranty is going to have a claim deductible. Minimally $100, possibly more.

The value of an inspection is to look for identifiable problems. Most dealerships are happy to look for issues - mine found an issue with the manifold bolts, unrelated to my visit. Win-win.


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Since when is replacing shocks/struts inexpensive. Not sure what they charge in North Carolina but in addition to the parts, labor rate up here is about $180/hr. So to replace shocks or whatever they are in the front with parts you’re talking about easy $600. If you are feeling generous, I accept Venmo

 

[FriedDumpling]

Oh. Now I see what you’re saying. Yeah, in NC it’s a lot less expensive...Sometimes you can pay with an Applebee’s gift card.

Didn’t realize you were one of those sophisticated RAM owners. My apologies.


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[duckman631]

Oh. Now I see what you’re saying. Yeah, in NC it’s a lot less expensive...Sometimes you can pay with an Applebee’s gift card.

Didn’t realize you were one of those sophisticated RAM owners. My apologies.


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Ha! no worries. It’s crazy ****. Back when I was younger I did all the work on my own cars and trucks. Pulled tranny and transfer case out of one of my trucks to rebuild he transfer case and replace clutch plate right in my garage without even lifting the truck. Replaced shocks, exhaust systems in parking lots. Too old for that **** now and don’t have the equipment to do that stuff so what really kills me is when I go into these places, I know how long it would take me to do things and they milk it like your dumb and at those hourly rates it’s crazy. Especially when they bill by “book time”. I wish I had access to the tools and a lift. I personally would rather do the work myself so I know it was done right. On top of those crazy rates especially at dealer, you always have to sweat it out that when you leave there isn’t another problem that you didn’t have when you took it in cause they screwed something up. ****, if I had the stuff, I’d buy the bilsteins for $130 each and put them in myself. Loosen them up, compress the spring, take out, put in, bolt up done. They’ll hit you for like 2-3 hours minimum and if you bring your own parts, they really screw you on the labor cause they want to charge $175 for the part you know you can buy for $130.

 

[FriedDumpling]

If it were me, buy the Billstein 5100s and go find a reputable suspension shop.


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[chrisbh17]

Warranty bills at 1 hour per side for front shock replacement. non-warranty is 1.3 hours per side.

So 2 hours of labor at about $130 per hour (going rate in my area) plus parts. Each OEM shock lists for $154, not sure what the dealers actual cost would be but figure they knock 10% off for the customer. You are looking at 260 in labor + 280 in parts, 540 total. Almost 600 like someone else mentioned.

Its definitely worth it to try and get it covered under MaxCare, where the deductible would be 0, 100 or 200. Still saving a good amount of money.

As far as what the dealer gets paid to cover it, Im not in the know enough to know for sure.

 

[RLJ10X]

The money wasted on the max care, would have fixed your front suspention.

I did 5100s on my 2011, several years ago. That was money well spent.

 

[FriedDumpling]

The money wasted on the max care, would have fixed your front suspention.

I did 5100s on my 2011, several years ago. That was money well spent.

Why would the warranty be a waste of money?


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[chrisbh17]

Why would the warranty be a waste of money?


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Don't take the bait!

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[Sherman Bird]

Just curious on how to really find out issues. For example, I took my truck to the dealer for tires and alignment. 75,000 mi on it. Hemi 5.7 4x4 etc.. I have max care warranty. I asked them to do inspection of front end components and overall check it all out. They tell me all is well. Now from past experience owning several cars and trucks, been driving over 30 years, whenever I would take my higher mileage vehicles in for basic service it almost always ends with your rotors are shot, your tie rod ends need replacing, the ball joints are shot, you need a bearing, shocks or struts are shot etc. now I know in most of those cases, it was true need and not just cash grabs. But whenever I take in truck now to dealer, everything is always fine. I’m thinking BECAUSE of the max care warranty, they are now doing the opposite and not looking to point out and repair things that really are bad. Is it my cynical self overthinking this? Is there a way to get an unbiased opinion and then if something is going bad, go back to the dealer and force them to fix under warranty? I mean the truck suspension rides a little rough With 75,000 miles on the struts,shocks etc but not super bad. If I didn’t have a warranty I would by now definitely replace shocks all around not knowing what the true technical lifespan of a part like that can last and I know it comes down usage, more off-road then on etc... but the ride would dramatically improve if they were new but why pay if warranty covers. I mean technically unless a bushing splits and falls off, regardless of how squishy and compressed it may be, they can still say it’s fine etc.

is there options out there?

Warranty claims rules whether or not factory warranty or extended warranty, specifically and expressly prohibit repair facilities from "selling" repairs in order to make claims.

What does this really mean? It means that you can't just tell them to "Check it out" and expect them to "find" problems and sell repairs to the warranty company. Their protocol is that you, the customer and owner of the warranty policy, must make a valid, verifiable complaint about your truck. This is called the "Complaint, or Condition" step of the process.

Next, the shop technician must verify by road test/ diagnose that there is, in fact a problem which requires a repair claim to be tendered to the insurance company. This is the "Cause" phase of the process.

Lastly, the service advisor must prepare an estimate, call the warranty company, and obtain authorization to complete the repairs. Once approved, and the vehicle is repaired, this is called the "Correction" phase of the process. I hope this has helped you!

 

[Sherman Bird]

Ha! no worries. It’s crazy ****. Back when I was younger I did all the work on my own cars and trucks. Pulled tranny and transfer case out of one of my trucks to rebuild he transfer case and replace clutch plate right in my garage without even lifting the truck. Replaced shocks, exhaust systems in parking lots. Too old for that **** now and don’t have the equipment to do that stuff so what really kills me is when I go into these places, I know how long it would take me to do things and they milk it like your dumb and at those hourly rates it’s crazy. Especially when they bill by “book time”. I wish I had access to the tools and a lift. I personally would rather do the work myself so I know it was done right. On top of those crazy rates especially at dealer, you always have to sweat it out that when you leave there isn’t another problem that you didn’t have when you took it in cause they screwed something up. ****, if I had the stuff, I’d buy the bilsteins for $130 each and put them in myself. Loosen them up, compress the spring, take out, put in, bolt up done. They’ll hit you for like 2-3 hours minimum and if you bring your own parts, they really screw you on the labor cause they want to charge $175 for the part you know you can buy for $130.

I'm too old for this **** too, yet..... still doing it! Thank God for Ibuprofen and ice packs!

 

[duckman631]

Oh. Now I see what you’re saying. Yeah, in NC it’s a lot less expensive...Sometimes you can pay with an Applebee’s gift card.

Didn’t realize you were one of those sophisticated RAM owners. My apologies.


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So I took in my girls 2014 bighorn for her new tires and alignment. They took me into garage to show me drivers front shock is leaking. She didn’t get a max care warranty when she bought her certified pre owned ram and got some aftermarket warranty they talked her into (bought the truck without me) so not sure what it covers for her so we will have to check but dealer quoted me $275 for shock and spring and $180 for labor and that’s just one side.

 

[FriedDumpling]

The MaxCare warranty is a specific warranty sold by MOPAR. I own it, and it’s unlimited mileage and time on a specific set of warrantable parts and components.

Speaking from only my experience, on a vehicle with 65k miles, has been beneficial. Drive shaft, valve body service, manifold bolts, gas pressure sensor have all been covered.

A warranty is is not insurance or guarantee of coverage, but has saved me from some costly repairs. The unlimited mileage and time, in my case buys me a lot of headroom. If you have an expectation of incurring 0 cost for vehicle/part defect - leasing is an option.

There have been some instances (wobbly fog lights) that weren’t covered. It’s a bite in the a** for something that had nothing to do with the wear, tear and use of the vehicle.

I do know if a major component goes, I have every expectation of coverage.

I went with a MOPAR warranty coverage feeling that they’ll have a vested interest as opposed to a third party. I’ve had positive experiences with both though.


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