I'm getting a new engine!! But I'm still pissed off!

Ok, so a few weeks ago my wifes 05 Grand Caravan developes what sounded to me like the lifter tick from h-e-double-hockeysticks. We take it to the dealer (it's under warranty or I'd be doing it myself) and the tech replaces lifters, the same thing I would have done. The dealer calls back the next day and says the noise is still there. The day after that he tell me the engine has 0 oil pressure in one back. So, I know it's getting at least a new shortblock. Well, on Thursday the service writer calls to tell me they ordered a new long block on Thursday morning, Feb 5th and the engine is going to be delivered, MID MARCH!!!! The old engine is in about 100 pieces so the van is not driveable and as of right now, we are a family of five driving a miata. My wife is left with no car and my daughter has to be driven to and from school because pre-school doesn't have busses. The dealership is trying to help and offered us a rental car off the used car lot for $20 a day. Now, that's a steal and I appreciate it but we can't afford to pay $20 a day for 6-8 weeks. What should I do? I plan on calling Chrysler cutomer service to see what they can do but I'm not expecting anything since they aren't exactly rolling in money. But this is nuts. We didn't buy the van new so that may hurt us. Am I wrong in thinking that this is simply not acceptable? I'm rambling here, sorry folks.

What would you do?

The answer is always Miata:

Just add two seats.

Definitely contact Chrysler but don't expect too much.

Contact the owner of the dealership.

Do any of the local network affiliates have a "consumer advocate". If they do, maybe mentioning that to the service manager or dealership owner will give you a little leverage.

jeez, i would have thought that all the car companies would have free loaner cars when your car is in for warranty work by now. i know mazda does, hell lexus does it for the life of the vehicle, warranty service or not.

i have to say, if i were looking at two comparable cars and one company offered free loaners and the other didn't that would be a deal breaker. you could have the best warranty in the world, but i still have to get to work every day.

When I had my Olds at the shop (Non-Warranty work I couldn't do due to time). they had it for a week and gave me a FREE rental car. part didn't come in when expected, car was in pieces.

and I really didn't even bitch that much

I will wait for Jense to add to this but our warranty pays for "loaners and rentals" when the vehicle is down.

If they leave a warrated vehicle on an RO for 6 weeks they are screwing themselves. You might just as well contact the dealer rep for Chrysler if you don't get anywhere with the Service Manager or the Owner. I would try them first though.

Nobody wants to hear this but here it goes. I'm assuming this vehicle is out of the 3/36 base warranty and is now in the 7/70 powertrain.

Chrysler's powertrain warranty provides for parts, labor and towing but that's it. No rental coverage. For that matter, 3/36 does not provide a rental either so Chrysler is under no legal obligation to provide replacement transportation even in the event of a parts back order situation. Nor is the dealership.

Honestly, there isn't enough profit in a warranty engine repair for the dealership to justify putting you in a rental car for a month and that's what the owner or general manager will be looking at. So I doubt that will happen, especially since it is a parts delivery issue beyond their control. Now had the tech wrecked your car on a test drive or something similar, that would be a whole 'nother issue.

It's certainly worth a few phone calls, I doubt the dealership will provide a vehicle for the reason I noted above. Chrysler's customer relations is much more likely to provide assistance. You might also check your regular car insurance, many policies include rental coverage if your car is down for an extended period.

Lexus etc have had programs where the dealerships can put customers in cars and run up a limited amount of miles and receive some money back from the manufacturer at the time the vehicle is sold. Bluntly, the markup in the vehicles and parts etc is high enough they can afford to do this. You the consumer pay for that rental one way or another.

AMEX and AAA also have some limited coverage that might get you a week or two if you have one or the other.

Since the van is due to be repaired under warranty, see what the dealer would give you for it on a trade. Incentives to move new vehicles might make it affordable for you.

Offer them ten bucks a day on the rental car, promise to take care of it and not run up too many miles. Or, scrounge up $500-1K and get a beater, like a Rolla with a crushed trunk or something. If you're going to own a Chrysler, you should have a spare car anyway. The transmission will go out next and you can use the beater then too.

Woody wrote: Since the van is due to be repaired under warranty, see what the dealer would give you for it on a trade. Incentives to move new vehicles might make it affordable for you.

This is always a possibility, but here's the problem: it would cost, what, $750 to rent a car and pay the deductible? If you buy another car, you have now spent ~$25K to avoid spending $750.00. Which one would get paid off quicker?

Not to mention trying to trade a disassembled car in the shop automatically puts you at a disadvantage. I will only recommend that to my customers when they are looking at an outrageous repair on a car worth a grand at most.

The car is under the 7/70 powertrain warranty. I'm going to make calls for sure but I don't plan on leaning on the dealership at all. They have been good in this matter and are doing all that they have to and more. It's not thier fault the part is on inter-galactic back-order. But I find this inexcusable on the part of Chrysler.

DrBoost wrote: The car is under the 7/70 powertrain warranty. I'm going to make calls for sure but I don't plan on leaning on the dealership at all. They have been good in this matter and are doing all that they have to and more. It's not thier fault the part is on inter-galactic back-order. But I find this inexcusable on the part of Chrysler.

actually as a former supplier to chrysler they are pulling some horrible E36 M3 with their supply base right now. They are going around demanding unreasonable price reductions from everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if your part was on back order because the supplier told chrysler to shove it and walked away.

Check with your car insurance. My coverage will pay for a rental during some repairs.

I think your best bet is find a really cheap beater in the $500 to $1k range and just make it work til you get the engine..

The thing about an engine: AFAIK all that stuff (castings, forgings, machining etc) is done in house so unless there's somthing I'm not aware of an outside supplier shouldn't be involved in that. I will say the 3.3 is nowhere near as common as the 3.8, maybe that's what is happening.

We have seen some spot shortages, mostly on somewhat older stuff. For instance right now there are some 1200 4.0 Grand Cherokee fan clutches on double secret backorder.

Really sorry to hear that man :( Honda is another company that does not offer loaner cars...but Acura does?

DirtyBird222 wrote: Honda is another company that does not offer loaner cars...but Acura does?

The profit margin on Acuras is way higher than Hondas.

Acura told us there was a free loaner program for maintenance... and there is. There's just a 2 to 3 week for an appointment with a loaner.

If chrysler was smart they'd put you up in a car that is wasting away on the lot and try to entice you to do more business with them. When I had the subframe done on the benz under warranty I got to drive a new c230 for a week, cost 25$. Hard to go back to driving a funky 30year old car after that.

What about lemons laws? (no, not the racing series!). How do they apply? You're getting screwed.

Here in SC, 'lemon laws' only apply to new vehicles during the first 12 months/12000 miles.

benzbaron wrote: If chrysler was smart they'd put you up in a car that is wasting away on the lot and try to entice you to do more business with them. When I had the subframe done on the benz under warranty I got to drive a new c230 for a week, cost 25$. Hard to go back to driving a funky 30year old car after that.

I always wonder why that isn't the case. Seems like a pretty good sales technique.

"Mr. Jones - your car is ready. That's going to be $697. By the way, how do you like the 2009 Wizzbang you've been driving? Just so you know, we appraised your current car at $7500, which makes payments on the Whizbang only $279 a month, and if you go ahead and do this deal, we can forget about that $697 service."

DILYSI Dave wrote:

benzbaron wrote: If chrysler was smart they'd put you up in a car that is wasting away on the lot and try to entice you to do more business with them. When I had the subframe done on the benz under warranty I got to drive a new c230 for a week, cost 25$. Hard to go back to driving a funky 30year old car after that.

I always wonder why that isn't the case. Seems like a pretty good sales technique. "Mr. Jones - your car is ready. That's going to be $697. By the way, how do you like the 2009 Wizzbang you've been driving? Just so you know, we appraised your current car at $7500, which makes payments on the Whizbang only $279 a month, and if you go ahead and do this deal, we can forget about that $697 service."

I don't get paid to sell cars, I get paid off the $697.00 (about $104.55). If we were to internal that cost I would get about $34.85...

Booo!

Now see, that's what I would expect as well. With the vast number of vehicles rotting away on dealer lots, you'd think they would try to turn this into a sale.

I would even push them to "loan" you something off their used lot. Then, even if you wreck it, they'll at least get paid by the insurance and "move" another car off the lot!