Will Mopar max care lifetime warranty be honored through Ram ownership changes?

[tempotantrum]

I am wondering if the Ram/Mopar lifetime max care warranty i bought on my 2017 ram is at risk of not being honored with brand ownership changes as they occur.

 

[RamRider60]

I think at this point, they will likely end covering everything regarding the LifeTime Warranty and just offer you some measly buyout to put towards a new truck. They don't want to cover these any longer. So here's my current situation to give you an example. My 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 started making a humming noise in the rear differential that ended up being all the bearings needing to be replaced. Now this truck is really just a daily driver and there is no heavy lifting being done ever to speak of. I took it to my dealership 19 days ago and they diagnosed it and said it should be covered and they would begin the process of getting it authorized. A week went by and then I called to see how it was going. Turns out that Mopar denied the form because the description of how I reported the problem was listed as "Customer heard a noise while driving". Further down on the form, was an explanation regarding what the mechanic (you know that trusted, fully qualified Service Techician that every Mopar generated ad message tells you to feel comfortable taking to your local dealer") had found and had diagnosed the "noise" as being the issue. The Mopar folks denied the claim because the "Customer Reported Problem Text as a "noise" was not specific enough. They said they couldn't authorize a claim where the customer defined the problem as a "noise". Yes, I'm not making this up. Sevice Manager told me this verbatum. Service Manager resubmits the claim form to specifically outline the Rear Differential Bearings where the issue at hand removing the "customer heard a noise" and specifically outlining the issue. A number of days goes by and then the Mopar folks get back to the dealership stating that "They need to enter claim digitally, including pictures of the damaged bearings". This is a new policy that they just started invoking back on November 4th, 2024. A yes, back to that Qualified Certified Service Technician who is there to work on your car who now suddenly, couldn't possibly know that the bearings neeed to be replaced and they need pictures. My dealership spilled the beans that they are now planning to do this for every claim forwarded to them regarding the LifeTime Maxicare Warranty folks. So now my dealership has to pull the mechanic off the line to unbolt the Differential cover again, to take pictures of a differential internals that he has already looked at, to take pictures of a problem that he has already, by use of his superior techical knowledge and excellent working eyeballs, which now will delay my truck getting fixed further. My truck has been in the shop since October 26th, 2024 and there still is no resolution to getting the authorization to fix my truck. The repair bill will be roughly $2600.

So going forward, you can expect this type of thing to continue and get more ridiculous as time goes on. I know that there are some people who will say that the truck is now 11 years old and I shouldn't expect Mopar to cover it forever. When the truck's overall wholesale value is less than the repair, I will fully acknowledge that and accept that the warranty coverage is done. But we aren't there yet. The value of the truck has stayed high because they decided to make new trucks so out of touch expensive that used trucks market value remains high if it runs period. This truck has 135,000 miles on it. I baby this thing and have had all my service done at the dealership to keep this warranty going. I signed a contract with them where they told me that I would never have to worry as long as I had it properly serviced, the truck was worth more than the repair and the truck had less than 999,999 miles on it. That was the agreement when I bought the truck. I may be naive but I expect them to stand by their side of the contract that they agreed to. They certainly didn't mind overcharging me for all those services I had done at the dealership.

 

[truckingrepair]

Your Mopar Lifetime Maximum Care Warranty for your 2017 Ram is backed by FCA US LLC (now part of Stellantis) and is designed to remain in effect regardless of corporate changes. This warranty is non-transferable, meaning it stays with the original owner and is not affected by changes in vehicle ownership. Therefore, as long as you maintain your vehicle according to the warranty terms, your coverage should continue to be honored despite any brand ownership changes.

 

[Docwagon1776]

I am wondering if the Ram/Mopar lifetime max care warranty i bought on my 2017 ram is at risk of not being honored with brand ownership changes as they occur.

No. When a business is acquired or merges, their contracts go with them. Now if they fail and liquidate, that's a different thing.

 

[mikeru]

I think at this point, they will likely end covering everything regarding the LifeTime Warranty and just offer you some measly buyout to put towards a new truck. They don't want to cover these any longer. So here's my current situation to give you an example. My 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 started making a humming noise in the rear differential that ended up being all the bearings needing to be replaced. Now this truck is really just a daily driver and there is no heavy lifting being done ever to speak of. I took it to my dealership 19 days ago and they diagnosed it and said it should be covered and they would begin the process of getting it authorized. A week went by and then I called to see how it was going. Turns out that Mopar denied the form because the description of how I reported the problem was listed as "Customer heard a noise while driving". Further down on the form, was an explanation regarding what the mechanic (you know that trusted, fully qualified Service Techician that every Mopar generated ad message tells you to feel comfortable taking to your local dealer") had found and had diagnosed the "noise" as being the issue. The Mopar folks denied the claim because the "Customer Reported Problem Text as a "noise" was not specific enough. They said they couldn't authorize a claim where the customer defined the problem as a "noise". Yes, I'm not making this up. Sevice Manager told me this verbatum. Service Manager resubmits the claim form to specifically outline the Rear Differential Bearings where the issue at hand removing the "customer heard a noise" and specifically outlining the issue. A number of days goes by and then the Mopar folks get back to the dealership stating that "They need to enter claim digitally, including pictures of the damaged bearings". This is a new policy that they just started invoking back on November 4th, 2024. A yes, back to that Qualified Certified Service Technician who is there to work on your car who now suddenly, couldn't possibly know that the bearings neeed to be replaced and they need pictures. My dealership spilled the beans that they are now planning to do this for every claim forwarded to them regarding the LifeTime Maxicare Warranty folks. So now my dealership has to pull the mechanic off the line to unbolt the Differential cover again, to take pictures of a differential internals that he has already looked at, to take pictures of a problem that he has already, by use of his superior techical knowledge and excellent working eyeballs, which now will delay my truck getting fixed further. My truck has been in the shop since October 26th, 2024 and there still is no resolution to getting the authorization to fix my truck. The repair bill will be roughly $2600.

So going forward, you can expect this type of thing to continue and get more ridiculous as time goes on. I know that there are some people who will say that the truck is now 11 years old and I shouldn't expect Mopar to cover it forever. When the truck's overall wholesale value is less than the repair, I will fully acknowledge that and accept that the warranty coverage is done. But we aren't there yet. The value of the truck has stayed high because they decided to make new trucks so out of touch expensive that used trucks market value remains high if it runs period. This truck has 135,000 miles on it. I baby this thing and have had all my service done at the dealership to keep this warranty going. I signed a contract with them where they told me that I would never have to worry as long as I had it properly serviced, the truck was worth more than the repair and the truck had less than 999,999 miles on it. That was the agreement when I bought the truck. I may be naive but I expect them to stand by their side of the contract that they agreed to. They certainly didn't mind overcharging me for all those services I had done at the dealership.

That definitely sounds underhanded. It doesn't matter that they don't want to cover them anymore. They never should have sold those types of warranties if they didn't intend to honor them. You purchased it in good faith that every covered repair would in fact be covered. To me the value of the truck is moot. Lifetime means lifetime, not lifetime until the truck's value is less than the repair cost. I'm not normally litigious but I'd consider involving an attorney if I was being messed with like that.

 

[GTyankee]

Before you take any vehicle that has a Warranty or similar plan

You have to see if there are any Mopar Documents covering your issue.

If it is a SAFETY Item, it should be covered by both Mopar & the US Federal Gov.
in other words NHTSA, they must fix it at their cost.

CSN
A Customer Satisfaction Notification (CSN) from Mopar is a non-safety related issue with a vehicle that involves warranty or customer satisfaction. Mopar will fix the problem at no cost, even if the vehicle is out of warranty or the original owner is no longer the owner.
You must read up on it & they could be looking for certain words or a given Term

TSB
Technical Service Bulletin

Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) are recommended steps and procedures for repairing vehicles.
A TSB is issued by an automaker when there is a growing trend with an unanticipated problems.

The 1500 has been assigned 713 TSBs, the most of any Ram vehicle.

This is likely what RamRider60 was writing about

They are looking for reasons to reject paying for it
In RamRider60 case, the correct wording was not used

They are listening or reading a statement for certain words or in written statements.
or possibly the Service Writer did not stress just what the customer was explaining.

I had a Rear Differential going out

That Dodge Ram had been worked on by the dealership just the day before
I only heard a Howling Noise, like a Pipe being spun within another pipe, it got worse with certain speeds, Highway compared to city streets & it got so bad, i was driving on a 65 MPH highway at 30 MPH well after dark.
I thought that the Driveshaft might drop on the road.

They had to replace parts, i would bet that they reused some parts that were bright Blue from Heat

 

[RamRider60]

I think at this point, they will likely end covering everything regarding the LifeTime Warranty and just offer you some measly buyout to put towards a new truck. They don't want to cover these any longer. So here's my current situation to give you an example. My 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 started making a humming noise in the rear differential that ended up being all the bearings needing to be replaced. Now this truck is really just a daily driver and there is no heavy lifting being done ever to speak of. I took it to my dealership 19 days ago and they diagnosed it and said it should be covered and they would begin the process of getting it authorized. A week went by and then I called to see how it was going. Turns out that Mopar denied the form because the description of how I reported the problem was listed as "Customer heard a noise while driving". Further down on the form, was an explanation regarding what the mechanic (you know that trusted, fully qualified Service Techician that every Mopar generated ad message tells you to feel comfortable taking to your local dealer") had found and had diagnosed the "noise" as being the issue. The Mopar folks denied the claim because the "Customer Reported Problem Text as a "noise" was not specific enough. They said they couldn't authorize a claim where the customer defined the problem as a "noise". Yes, I'm not making this up. Sevice Manager told me this verbatum. Service Manager resubmits the claim form to specifically outline the Rear Differential Bearings where the issue at hand removing the "customer heard a noise" and specifically outlining the issue. A number of days goes by and then the Mopar folks get back to the dealership stating that "They need to enter claim digitally, including pictures of the damaged bearings". This is a new policy that they just started invoking back on November 4th, 2024. A yes, back to that Qualified Certified Service Technician who is there to work on your car who now suddenly, couldn't possibly know that the bearings neeed to be replaced and they need pictures. My dealership spilled the beans that they are now planning to do this for every claim forwarded to them regarding the LifeTime Maxicare Warranty folks. So now my dealership has to pull the mechanic off the line to unbolt the Differential cover again, to take pictures of a differential internals that he has already looked at, to take pictures of a problem that he has already, by use of his superior techical knowledge and excellent working eyeballs, which now will delay my truck getting fixed further. My truck has been in the shop since October 26th, 2024 and there still is no resolution to getting the authorization to fix my truck. The repair bill will be roughly $2600.

So going forward, you can expect this type of thing to continue and get more ridiculous as time goes on. I know that there are some people who will say that the truck is now 11 years old and I shouldn't expect Mopar to cover it forever. When the truck's overall wholesale value is less than the repair, I will fully acknowledge that and accept that the warranty coverage is done. But we aren't there yet. The value of the truck has stayed high because they decided to make new trucks so out of touch expensive that used trucks market value remains high if it runs period. This truck has 135,000 miles on it. I baby this thing and have had all my service done at the dealership to keep this warranty going. I signed a contract with them where they told me that I would never have to worry as long as I had it properly serviced, the truck was worth more than the repair and the truck had less than 999,999 miles on it. That was the agreement when I bought the truck. I may be naive but I expect them to stand by their side of the contract that they agreed to. They certainly didn't mind overcharging me for all those services I had done at the dealership.

Update on the wheel bearing being authorized by Mopar Lifetime MaxiCare.....So the truck was brought in on October 26, 2024 and the wheel bearings were diagnosed as needing replacement. As of 12/3/24, the truck still sits in the dealership lot, waiting for the Service Technician to take pictures of the wheel bearings to send back to Mopar to make another attempt to get the work authrorized. It's now been 38 days without the truck while the Dealership and Mopar work out when they can actually have time to take the pictures and get authorization. Just updating so everyone can see what is going on with these Warranty claims now. I've put in a claim delay complaint with the Attorney General's Office and keep updating the claim when I call the Dealership and told that there's no change regarding my truck getting fixed. As this goes on, I'm hoping it strengthens my case as far as how these are being handled currently...I'll update once I have more information from the Attorney General's office.