Door Pins and Rear Locker(Poll Included)

[NaughtyGeek]

Ok, dropped my JTR off Sunday night. My mirrors weren't working, the dome light wasn't coming on when opening the passenger door and I have the dreaded "service rear locker" light. Service advisor called this morning to inform me that the pins are damaged on the door harness and they want me to pay $553 to replace it. They won't address the "service rear locker" light because it's their contention that the damaged pins in the door harness could be causing the issue.

So, as I asked in the poll, who's responsible for damage to the door harness pins? Is this a user issue and we need to understand that the connector is not capable of aligning itself properly and we need to futz with it to get it right? Or, is this a design issue and Chrysler needs to make it right?

Also, what say you, is their refusal to attempt diagnosis on the rear end locker with a known problem with diff fluid penetration valid or do I need to have the door harness fixed to get a proper diagnosis on my rear locker?

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[bastage]

If there are bent pins & you have ever removed the doors then that part is on you. While the design may not be the best as soon as you remove & reattach them its abuse/mis use as it did not come that way from the factory.

Now as for it affecting the locker.. If the pins are touching each other then I suppose it could be as it could make the computer go wonky. If the pins arent touching each other then unplug the harness & if the issue with the locker persists then its unrelated & they should be figuring it out.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

While I hear what you're saying, I can't say as I agree. But, if we go with your contention that I messed it up shouldn't it have blatantly obvious? It took them three days to determine that I damaged the harness. How can an end user deal with a plug that doesn't go together correctly without indication you're doing it wrong? It's not like I was futzing and fighting to get the thing to assemble.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

I say if you have removed the doors before then it's on you if the pin connector is damaged and that gives them reason enough to not do anything about the locker light until that gets fixed. Even though you can take the doors off and they make it very easy to do and everyone knows your going to do it, if you do and something gets damaged then that's not the manufacturers fault. The doors and connectors were designed to stay together with the doors attached to the vehicle. I hate to not put it on the dealership but I got to take their side here

 

[bastage]

While I hear what you're saying, I can't say as I agree. But, if we go with your contention that I messed it up shouldn't it have blatantly obvious? It took them three days to determine that I damaged the harness. How can an end user deal with a plug that doesn't go together correctly without indication you're doing it wrong? It's not like I was futzing and fighting to get the thing to assemble.

I one hundred percent agree with what you are saying. But it doesn't matter. Warranty is to cover manufacturing defects & if it didn't come that way from the factory then it wasn't a manufacturing defect. I feel like the door conenctors for the front are crap. They shouldnt be that difficult for when the doors are made to come off easily. That type of connector though isnt a defect as its by design (as bad of a design as it is). This is the kind of thing where if it happens to a lot of us is a class action lawsuit kind of thing.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

@Jeeperjamie , if you open your door and then the act of closing it busts the door latch, your contention is that you should have to pay for the door latch because you opened the door? If not, why not, it's the same thing isn't it? The door was closed when it left the factory, you opening it voids any responsibility on the part of the manufacturer for defective parts that don't align properly?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

@Jeeperjamie , if you open your door and then the act of closing it busts the door latch, your contention is that you should have to pay for the door latch because you opened the door? If not, why not, it's the same thing isn't it? The door was closed when it left the factory, you opening it voids any responsibility on the part of the manufacturer for defective parts that don't align properly?

I would say it depends on how hard you close the door, like if you slammed it and knocked your window off track same with closing it lightly. If I barely closed it and something happened the I would think that would be a warranty thing. When FCA designed the pins they designed them with the idea that the doors would remain on the vehicle, even though you can take them off and they made in convenient to do it.

 

[BigRed97]

As said before if you have had the doors off at all it's on you. I've worked at many dealerships(jeep included). Warranty does not cover the customer not knowing how to use their vehicle....if you bought a new oven and didn't shut the stove top off correctly because you don't know how to turn a knob and it started a fire...that's not the oven manufacturers problem it's yours

I can't understand why so many people have problems with the front door connectors. They literally align them selves as you close the latch...

 

[NaughtyGeek]

I can't understand why so many people have problems with the front door connectors. They literally align them selves as you close the latch...

Exactly, the damn thing aligns itself. How in three Neptunes did I have anything to do with it screwing up? You can't do it wrong therefore it's a defect.

 

[BigRed97]

Exactly, the damn thing aligns itself. How in three Neptunes did I have anything to do with it screwing up? You can't do it wrong therefore it's a defect.

Well put that way I see your logic... I still disagree with it however. Pins don't just bend by themselves. There has to be a force on them obviously. It could be as simple as some debris in the connector that wasn't seen...

I've had mine(as I'm sure others have as well) on/off over 100 times since I've owned it..a lot when I was doing my stereo install... And I have never even had one feel slightly different going in, never mind bend pins.

I hope you get it worked out but unless they agree to do a "good will" repair..Wich yes that's a thing, might be something to bring up...it will be on you.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

My doors were on and off my JK a lot and I never once had an issue. As you yourself stated, an awful lot of people are having an issue with the JL and JT plug. I'm betting most of them had previous Jeeps as well. I suppose the Jeep crowd may have suddenly been infected with incompetence but suspect the part suffers from poor design myself. No way in hell I'll be paying for them to replace crap parts with more crap parts. If CAIRS doesn't sign off on warranty replacement, I'll do it myself with plugs that don't suck. If they then point to the plug replacement as reason to ignore my rear locker issue I will pursue alternate recourse.

 

[JeepCares]

Ok, dropped my JTR off Sunday night. My mirrors weren't working, the dome light wasn't coming on when opening the passenger door and I have the dreaded "service rear locker" light. Service advisor called this morning to inform me that the pins are damaged on the door harness and they want me to pay $553 to replace it. They won't address the "service rear locker" light because it's their contention that the damaged pins in the door harness could be causing the issue.

So, as I asked in the poll, who's responsible for damage to the door harness pins? Is this a user issue and we need to understand that the connector is not capable of aligning itself properly and we need to futz with it to get it right? Or, is this a design issue and Chrysler needs to make it right?

Also, what say you, is their refusal to attempt diagnosis on the rear end locker with a known problem with diff fluid penetration valid or do I need to have the door harness fixed to get a proper diagnosis on my rear locker?

Hi there, we certainly understand your concerns here. If you would like our additional assistance while working with your dealer, please send our team your VIN in a private message.

Kathryn
JeepCares

 

[alwhite]

Ok, so who has a part number or link to replace the door pin connector? Preferably with something better

 

[NaughtyGeek]

FCA has decided they have no obligation to repair their garbage connector so I will be sourcing something more reliable. There's 3 different gauges so I need to decide if I want to go with 2 plugs or 3. I'll update this thread when I have sourced appropriate connectors. FCA can suck a high hard one, customer service and care are not in their repertoire.

 

[eaglerugby04]

Did they ever get this taken care of? Curious because my doors are always off and am watching for the locker issue since it seems to happen to people towing.

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