Thar' she blows or Air Suspension failure 2.0

[CAGEYAR]

Almost exactly 12 months and 20,000 miles after my front air suspension collapsed the first time, it has collapsed again.
Thankfully, I have the Mopar MaxCare Lifetime contract.
Contacted the dealer yesterday and was informed their 1st available "diagnostic" appointment is (drumroll please) 2/7/23.....
I dropped off the truck an hour ago in the hope they may get a cancellation or an open slot in the next couple of weeks.
They accepted the truck but no promises.....and none were expected.
6 1/2 weeks to diagnose an issue. Looks like I'll be calling Ram customer service to what assistance can be offered.

 

[turkeybird56]

Almost exactly 12 months and 20,000 miles after my front air suspension collapsed the first time, it has collapsed again.
Thankfully, I have the Mopar MaxCare Lifetime contract.
Contacted the dealer yesterday and was informed their 1st available "diagnostic" appointment is (drumroll please) 2/7/23.....
I dropped off the truck an hour ago in the hope they may get a cancellation or an open slot in the next couple of weeks.
They accepted the truck but no promises.....and none were expected.
6 1/2 weeks to diagnose an issue. Looks like I'll be calling Ram customer service to what assistance can be offered.

WHAT did they do to repair the 1st time? Bad seal, cylinder, replace compressor? Leaky nitrogen?

ANY other dealers in the area, vicinity with better MX schedule?

(Had to look on map where Stockton is, I being shore kid). Nothing closer like off of 202, 206, Dover? That can help)

 

[CAGEYAR]

They replaced the compressor junction block/unit.
My local Ram dealer is persona non-grata.
An all new service crew in December 2021 told me my "rear upper strut mounts were leaking".
Estimate was $680.....I have my own 9K lb. lift. inspected rear hydraulic struts-no leaks. Bye bye thieves.
Next closest dealer in Washington, NJ isn't accepting any new customers.
Truck is at Fred Beans CDJR in Doylestown, PA.

 

[GlennRH]

I keep hearing these dealer stories and am getting more scared by the day of taking the leap. With a new truck I would be at the mercy of the dealers for everything but routine oil changes for three darn years! I only pray that that "Ram Business Link" deal I would qualify for would help out as much as they claim it does. Next day service was one thing if I recall.

 

[T. Anders]

I ripped the air suspension out of my truck last year and replaced it with Bilstein 5100s. It's such a relief not having to worry about finding my truck on the bump stops when I come out in the morning.

 

[chopperman1]

If you have the maxcare why would estimate you at 680$? Something not right there. You'd only pay your deducitble.

 

[CAGEYAR]

If you have the maxcare why would estimate you at 680$? Something not right there. You'd only pay your deducitble.

Darn right something was not right.
They didn't even look or ask about my coverages-went right for the jugular with $680.
When I told the Service Thief that I had MaxCare Lifetime, he took my card into the service manager's office.
5 minutes later he came out and said the struts were unavailable and he had lost all interest in doing the "repair". I called the parts department when I got home. Struts could be there the next day. $218 for 2.
So they were going to charge me 2 1/2 hours labor to remove 4 bolts to replace the non-leaking struts.
The only thing missing was the gun in my ribs....
Welcome to NJ.......

 

[turkeybird56]

They replaced the compressor junction block/unit.
My local Ram dealer is persona non-grata.
An all new service crew in December 2021 told me my "rear upper strut mounts were leaking".
Estimate was $680.....I have my own 9K lb. lift. inspected rear hydraulic struts-no leaks. Bye bye thieves.
Next closest dealer in Washington, NJ isn't accepting any new customers.
Truck is at Fred Beans CDJR in Doylestown, PA.

U jump across the Delaware on the Burlington Bristol? LOL. I had an Aunt lived in Hopatcong, and sometimes we would run up 202/206 from Bordentown and cross over and hit 80 going East, instead of GSP and rte. 46, etc. I just not know your area very well, and I have been gone from "home" for eons.

 

[turkeybird56]

Darn right something was not right.
They didn't even look or ask about my coverages-went right for the jugular with $680.
When I told the Service Thief that I had MaxCare Lifetime, he took my card into the service manager's office.
5 minutes later he came out and said the struts were unavailable and he had lost all interest in doing the "repair". I called the parts department when I got home. Struts could be there the next day. $218 for 2.
So they were going to charge me 2 1/2 hours labor to remove 4 bolts to replace the non-leaking struts.
The only thing missing was the gun in my ribs....
Welcome to NJ.......

SOME things Neva Change. When I was "home" in 2018, I stood there and watched the attendant "fuel" my truck. He got annoyed, made a comment which was a mistake, but he got told not gonna palm my card, write down a number or run it through a skimmer (me thinks he figured out what my old profession was, lmao).

 

[turkeybird56]

Darn right something was not right.
They didn't even look or ask about my coverages-went right for the jugular with $680.
When I told the Service Thief that I had MaxCare Lifetime, he took my card into the service manager's office.
5 minutes later he came out and said the struts were unavailable and he had lost all interest in doing the "repair". I called the parts department when I got home. Struts could be there the next day. $218 for 2.
So they were going to charge me 2 1/2 hours labor to remove 4 bolts to replace the non-leaking struts.
The only thing missing was the gun in my ribs....
Welcome to NJ.......

I would have recorded all names, and any info U got and reported it to RAM, but that is just me. I am not a nice BOIRD when someone is pulling my tailfeathers.

 

[CAGEYAR]

It's a shame and a crime.
I worked in the motor vehicle industry for 45 years. I retired from FCA after stops at Honda, Saturn, Nissan, Infiniti, Hyundai and Mazda. So they couldn't get their curve ball past me.
But how many innocent civilians did they rip-off? I'd venture victims were/are a daily fleecing.
The car business deserves its reputation. If I called on 1 dealer in my career. I called on 1,000.
Honest dealerships are a rare breed.

 

[CAGEYAR]

I would have recorded all names, and any info U got and reported it to RAM, but that is just me. I am not a nice BOIRD when someone is pulling my tailfeathers.

Exercise in futility. Dealer group in question has 40 locations with 25 brands. That's manufacturer clout.
The customer has no chance other than litigation.

 

[huntergreen]

Darn right something was not right.
They didn't even look or ask about my coverages-went right for the jugular with $680.
When I told the Service Thief that I had MaxCare Lifetime, he took my card into the service manager's office.
5 minutes later he came out and said the struts were unavailable and he had lost all interest in doing the "repair". I called the parts department when I got home. Struts could be there the next day. $218 for 2.
So they were going to charge me 2 1/2 hours labor to remove 4 bolts to replace the non-leaking struts.
The only thing missing was the gun in my ribs....
Welcome to NJ.......

Aren’t struts covered under the lifetime warranty ?

 

[CAGEYAR]

Aren’t struts covered under the lifetime warranty ?

Of course they are. They were looking to rip me off. Never looked to see my coverages. They lost all interest when I showed them my MaxCare card. FCA/Stellantis doesn't pay 2 1/2 hours to replace 2 hydraulic struts.
Only customers they can defraud pay those rates...

 

[CAGEYAR]

I ripped the air suspension out of my truck last year and replaced it with Bilstein 5100s. It's such a relief not having to worry about finding my truck on the bump stops when I come out in the morning.

If the failure occurs a third time, I'll likely do the same.
It's a shame. When the Air Suspension works, it's great. But I'm not up for annual failures.
With the MaxCare Lifetime, I'm willing to hang in a bit longer, but 3 strikes & you're out.
Those are the rules....

 

[turkeybird56]

If the failure occurs a third time, I'll likely do the same.
It's a shame. When the Air Suspension works, it's great. But I'm not up for annual failures.
With the MaxCare Lifetime, I'm willing to hang in a bit longer, but 3 strikes & you're out.
Those are the rules....

U R more sincere and nice than me. I only allow 1 strike, than it's bag time, LOL. Maybe not with a vehicle, but definitely when I was employed, LOL.

 

[turkeybird56]

Of course they are. They were looking to rip me off. Never looked to see my coverages. They lost all interest when I showed them my MaxCare card. FCA/Stellantis doesn't pay 2 1/2 hours to replace 2 hydraulic struts.
Only customers they can defraud pay those rates...

WHAT really suks is, there are so many PPL whom are not knowledgeable and at the mercy of setup like that. It's a shame a dealership goes that low, but not a new thing which I am sure U R aware of. Few years ago, I had appointment I made at local RAM house to work on my ED. Appt was at 0900, so I got there like 0840, so get checked in and maybe get lucky. NE way, I am in waiting area, and look out window and there is my truck at 1040, still there, not moved, needless to say me and the Service Sup had some words. The excuse was no body inputted the W/O, then it was no body knows how, then it was well we were busy. NE WAY, short end, truck done, and I got one of them "surveys". OH YEAH, they got a 1 on everything, no Zero, shucks. That service guy kept calling my house, wanting to make it up, wat could he do for me, just come in and redo survey. NOPE. Me thinks they care more about them surveys than customers. SO when I was ready to buy my Hemi, went to another dealership 45 miles away, LOL.

 

[indept]

Darn right something was not right.
They didn't even look or ask about my coverages-went right for the jugular with $680.
When I told the Service Thief that I had MaxCare Lifetime, he took my card into the service manager's office.
5 minutes later he came out and said the struts were unavailable and he had lost all interest in doing the "repair". I called the parts department when I got home. Struts could be there the next day. $218 for 2.
So they were going to charge me 2 1/2 hours labor to remove 4 bolts to replace the non-leaking struts.
The only thing missing was the gun in my ribs....
Welcome to NJ.......

Your choice, file a complaint with Stellantis or

 

[CAGEYAR]

Your choice, file a complaint with Stellantis or.....

I worked inside the industry for 45 years. When you contact the manufacturer to "file" a complaint, they will open a case to document your concern. They may contact the dealer but they will likely advise you each dealer is an independent business solely responsible for their actions. If they call the dealer, they'll deny your version of events and often claim you were confused. Faced now with a pi$$ing contest, the manufacturer will advise you to try another dealer if you are dissatisfied with the current dealer. Then your case will be filed, never seeing the light of day again. You may think you'll get a survey where you can vent, but if the service manager is sharp and many are, they'll delete the repair order so no survey will be issued. I was in for an oil & filter change. Better to lose $10-$15 gross profit than receive a very bad survey which can ding monthly bonuses. Rather than calling the manufacturer, its more impactful to just never use that dealer again and let anyone who asks you that they should avoid the pirates who work there.
I sent a detailed letter to the GM of the CDJR store & to the dealer principal's office. Never heard from them.

 

[indept]

I worked inside the industry for 45 years. When you contact the manufacturer to "file" a complaint, they will open a case to document your concern. They may contact the dealer but they will likely advise you each dealer is an independent business solely responsible for their actions. If they call the dealer, they'll deny your version of events and often claim you were confused. Faced now with a pi$$ing contest, the manufacturer will advise you to try another dealer if you are dissatisfied with the current dealer. Then your case will be filed, never seeing the light of day again. You may think you'll get a survey where you can vent, but if the service manager is sharp and many are, they'll delete the repair order so no survey will be issued. I was in for an oil & filter change. Better to lose $10-$15 gross profit than receive a very bad survey which can ding monthly bonuses. Rather than calling the manufacturer, its more impactful to just never use that dealer again and let anyone who asks you that they should avoid the pirates who work there.
I sent a detailed letter to the GM of the CDJR store & to the dealer principal's office. Never heard from them.

That leaves warning others about them on social media and forums. Chances are it will get back to them.

In the meantime have a Happy New Year.