Ram said no I am on my own with this.

[Cactusmonkey]

Brand new Limited Longhorn 1500. It came from the factory with rear fender extenders. They are painted the same color as the truck. Drove it from Washington state to Arizona, had to pass through Oregon on the way. Oregon uses a nasty kind of rock on the roads in winter for the snow and ice. Got to Arizona and noticed that the paint on the extenders was chipped on both sides of the truck. The clear protector didn't cover the extenders to the body just part way. Took a picture and sent it to the dealer, no reply. In April back in Washington took it to the dealer for the first oil change and told them about it. They took pictures and sent them to the factory rep. In July I asked what happened and they told me, Ram does not fix chips. I called customer care and they seemed like they would do something but after a week I called again and was told the claimed had been denied. 72 thousand dollar truck and now I am stuck with a 750.00 repair bill. This is our first Ram and looks like our last one. Nice truck but bad customer service.

 

[Daw14]

who cares how much you paid, you bought the truck drove it away ,down some rocky roads and now expect the dealer to fix the damage you caused on their dollar. No wonder this country’s so f’d up .take some responsibility for this,you chipped the paint not ram. Get real.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Good point, but I have been driving those roads for 60 years. Not once did I chip any paint off of a Ford and I have had many of them. This is either a design flaw or an application flaw. I don't believe that every car or truck that drives in Oregon gets chipped up. If it was on the hood or top I couldn't agree with you more. However this should be taken care of by Ram.

 

[Daw14]

Rust through only , according to warranty . They will probably tell you they are third party parts ,and therefore aren’t covered.

 

[Rlaf75]

Good point, but I have been driving those roads for 60 years. Not once did I chip any paint off of a Ford and I have had many of them. This is either a design flaw or an application flaw. I don't believe that every car or truck that drives in Oregon gets chipped up. If it was on the hood or top I couldn't agree with you more. However this should be taken care of by Ram.

Gravel getting kicked up is like someone shooting a bb gun at your truck. I think you just got luck with the Fords. If it was a manufacturer defect with the paint they would more than like take care of it for you but because it was a rock and no fault with the manufacturing process it's not their responsibility to fix it. Call your insurance company and put a claim in with them to get it covered.

 

[mikeru]

Brand new Limited Longhorn 1500. It came from the factory with rear fender extenders. They are painted the same color as the truck. Drove it from Washington state to Arizona, had to pass through Oregon on the way. Oregon uses a nasty kind of rock on the roads in winter for the snow and ice. Got to Arizona and noticed that the paint on the extenders was chipped on both sides of the truck. The clear protector didn't cover the extenders to the body just part way. Took a picture and sent it to the dealer, no reply. In April back in Washington took it to the dealer for the first oil change and told them about it. They took pictures and sent them to the factory rep. In July I asked what happened and they told me, Ram does not fix chips. I called customer care and they seemed like they would do something but after a week I called again and was told the claimed had been denied. 72 thousand dollar truck and now I am stuck with a 750.00 repair bill. This is our first Ram and looks like our last one. Nice truck but bad customer service.

I'm not clear on what rear fender extenders are. Can you post a pic of these?

 

[HandyCruiser]

I've seen this kind of thing with pea gravel in Arkansas. It affects some vehicles worse than others. I don't believe any mass-produced vehicle manufacturer intentionally designs to protect against this type of questionable state road-department practice. Your best bet is a "road hazard" claim on your insurance. You may or may not be covered. I suspect most insurance companies have an exclusion against rock chips. But it's worth a try.

Your experience with Ram customer service sounds typical of most American car manufacturers. If me, I wouldn't switch brands based on what you described. However, if Ford or another company has vehicles that just happen to be less susceptible to the road issues you have, switching to one of those brands is likely a reasonable thing to do. For me, it would likely just be a good reason to justify another mod for my truck or car.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Maybe this will help. Tell me what I could have done to prevent this from happening. The protecting stuff they used didn't cover the fender flare. I believe that Ram should stand behind this and have it repaired and done right.

 

[GTyankee]

Fender Extensions are called Fender Flares by most people

Fender Flares are an aftermarket add on

After the Ram left the assembly plant, it then goes to a Body Vendor
The Body Vendor installs after market parts

 

[14 Lonestar]

Maybe this will help. Tell me what I could have done to prevent this from happening. The protecting stuff they used didn't cover the fender flare. I believe that Ram should stand behind this and have it repaired and done right.

If it were my truck I would take them off and get them repainted, I don’t see that costing $750. Apply some PPF before you reinstall them.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Going to get other bids but even if this is a after market add on, Ram had it done. Ram should then make the after market people stand behind it. I bought in good faith. When I have caused damage I have always taken care of it. I am not asking for a free ride just want what I paid for.

 

[bolivarshagnasty]

Sue Oregon. I don't see how you can expect FCA to pay for this.

 

[Rlaf75]

Going to get other bids but even if this is a after market add on, Ram had it done. Ram should then make the after market people stand behind it. I bought in good faith. When I have caused damage I have always taken care of it. I am not asking for a free ride just want what I paid for.

I think we all get it but unfortunately most road hazards arent going to be covered by the manufacturers warranty on any brand of vehicle. Clearly it looks like it was blasted with stones or debris and not a manufacturer defect

If a stone gets kicked up and cracks your windshield while on the highway going 70 mph are you to expect the vehicle warranty to cover the replacement windshield? Probably not. You'll more than likely call your insurance company and file a claim because it is road hazard damage.

I think it's a very unfortunate situation that happened but if it was a Ford f150 king ranch that cost $80k I'd be willing to bet you'd be in the same predicament as you are now.

If you get it fixed and decide to keep the truck I would advise installing the mud flaps because they do prevent a lot of stuff from hitting the truck

 

[ksonnen1]

You should be trying to get it covered on your insurance as chipping paint from your own driving isn't a dealer warranty or defect. I'm sorry but i disagree with you holding a grudge with Ram for not covering your road damage.

 

[ramffml]

Another option is to put wide running boards (the solid kind) on, they end up acting like mudflaps too, though costlier than just throwing a flap on it. I don't like the looks of mud flaps.

 

[81SHOVELHEAD]

 

[81SHOVELHEAD]

One of the reasons i went with these. 268.00 , 30 minutes to install & no paint chips to worry about.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

ok I get it and appreciate the feed back. The last thing I will say in my defense is that the space between the protection tape and the truck is about 1/4 of an inch. Why did they not go all the way to the truck. If they had that would have saved the paint. I love the truck and no regrets going with Ram after all the Fords, but there was nothing I could have done to prevent this from happening. The dealer suggested that I drive with the electric running boards in the out position. Not possible and not a good idea. Not turning it in to insurance and hope it doesn't go on recorder as having repairs done. That comes back at trade in time.

 

[crash68]

Fender Extensions are called Fender Flares by most people

Fender Flares are an aftermarket add on

After the Ram left the assembly plant, it then goes to a Body Vendor
The Body Vendor installs after market parts

Will you stop making stuff up when you post, this isn't the first or second time I've corrected your misinformation.
OEM fender flares are installed on the assembly line. Here's a pic for proof:
Video of the truck on the assembly line, skip to about 6:30:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[GTyankee]

I am just behind times a bit, that video was the first that i have seen that almost showed everything at SHAP

The last time that you called me incorrect was about the BODY VENDOR was also about the SHAP, ( Mopar Body vendor )

I was referring to the body vendor GFX.Ltd in Warren Mi.
My knowledge is based on pre 2019
Which may or may not have closed or moved over to the new shop
..
Anywhere from 300 to 500 Ram 1500s roll through the Mopar Custom Shop in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The Custom Shop also does the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic models, which are brought over from neighboring Warren, Michigan to be outfitted.