How do Your Freedom Panels Fit?

[spazzyfry123]

Agreed, your local dealer is a total douche. I'd tell them that you'll happily pay it, but only if they can prove you are doing something wrong; by the sounds of it, they won't be able to. Once it gets fixed (presumably under warranty), I'd then have a chat with the service manager and general manager and tell them that you won't step foot in their shop again if that's how they treat customers. Realistically, they should have told you to bring it in so they could look, and if it turned out to be user error, just show you what you were doing wrong (again, I don't think you are). For the 5 minutes it would take, it would be worth it for them to perhaps gain a new customer.

This was my exact thought. Surprised to see that they would be telling me what's wrong and that I'm at fault all over the phone. Figured it would be a better "tactic" to get me in the door first. It's funny though. I tried to buy my Jeep from them with no response. I've talked with four separate people with personal experience with the dealer that have all said to avoid at all costs for service. My other dealer is backed up until December... Tough luck! I'm heading back to Atlanta in a week. I'll try it out there hopefully!

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[RavensEyeOffroad]

i would take everything off and see if you could tape measure some things and figure out the issue.
Get some buddies over and have a few eye balls on it and come back and tell us it was something simple and dumb.
Good luck man.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Mine appear to fit flush or better, and are even. But I wanted to be sure of fit and seal before taking it back to the dealer for the protection I bought with it - so I took it to a car wash and made sure I washed the heck out of the top as well as everything else (also did it because I love how that blue looks when it's clean and shining)
Got in - no water, no leaks.
Now if I take the panels out will they go back as they are now and no leaks? We'll see - it's been too cold to mess with em so far.

 

[JeepCares]

Here's a new one. Finally got some time away from work so figured I'd check with the dealers to get this checked out. Local dealer informs me that they will CHARGE me a minimum of one hour's labor to re-seat my panel. They say that this misalignment is my fault since I removed the panel. Of course I removed the damn panel; that's why you buy a Jeep! You mean to tell me that since my panel does not fit and I took the panel off that it is not covered under warranty??? I mean even if it is my fault and I'm not installing this correctly (which I don't know how that's possible), you can't take five minutes to show me what I'm doing wrong? You're going to CHARGE ME? Wow. I'm heated.

@JeepCares I know the dealers in north Florida are notoriously bad; this is why I had to drive five hours to buy at a dealer worth a damn. But wow, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard from a dealer.

Hi Tyler,
We're sorry to hear about this. I can see from your posts that you are planning on visiting another dealer. Please keep us updated on your visit. If additional assistance is needed, we are available via PM.
Alex
JeepCares

 

[spazzyfry123]

This is what I see. Each time this is the result.

Does anyone else have pictures like this for comparison? I need to grab a straight edge and measure the difference here. Need to understand what "flush" really means for everyone else. Obviously not going up to the dealer

 

[spazzyfry123]

Hi Tyler,
We're sorry to hear about this. I can see from your posts that you are planning on visiting another dealer. Please keep us updated on your visit. If additional assistance is needed, we are available via PM.
Alex
JeepCares

Thanks for the response, Alex. I'm hoping to be able to stop by the dealer I purchased from when we go back home to Atlanta for the holidays, but that's not necessarily how I want to spend my time when it should be with family. We were hoping to get this resolved locally prior to the trip especially since we're going to take the Jeep on a camping trip while we're there.

Are you able to comment on this dealer's handling of my issues with the panels? I'll say that I'm not the first to have significant issues with this dealer's service department. Bad enough that I've had two people tell me they had traded in / sold their Jeeps because of how bad the service is. Not inspiring confidence on Jeep's support system for the region.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Ouch - at least around me I have other SMALLER dealers I could go to - and an independent in Granger, Iowa, that is decent folk. They treated me great when I had my Ford truck. It's the service department of the dealer I bought from I'm not a great fan of - due to past experiences. Maybe things are different - things, and people/staff, change now and then. But honestly, they are 45 minutes away when there's others only 30 minutes away so I have choices.
My freedom panels either one, if you ran your hand from just above the windshield straight back and to those 2 panels you would not catch your fingers - in fact, they sit even - if not a hundredth of an inch below the piece above the windshield. In other words, I won't be wiping dirt and bugs off the front edges of my freedom panels. They fit like a glove and my truck is honestly quite quiet inside - comparable to any other vehicle I have - so they aren't catching wind, etc. either. If need be I could bring my phone out to my shop and grab a quick picture. IMO, my roof and panels fit well, "as designed".

That seems like a fair piece to have a problem with - good luck, hopefully the jeepcares folks will be watching over you on this.

 

[TrailHiker]

I agree, something definitely wrong there. My panels are the same height and flush with windshield front. Also, the gap between your panels is too much. Your local dealer didn’t get the sale, so he is being an *.*
I would report him to Chrysler Jeep, this is not the way dealers should behave. I will take a photo when the sun gets higher.

Here are some photos showing the fit on my JT. Your left hand top panel should match the right hand side for fit. Your photo show the left hand (drivers) side being higher above the windshield frame, so it is too high and not fitting correctly.

Cheers

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I agree, something definitely wrong there. My panels are the same height and flush with windshield front. Also, the gap between your panels is too much. Your local dealer didn’t get the sale, so he is being an *.*
I would report him to Chrysler Jeep, this is not the way dealers should behave. I will take a photo when the sun gets higher.
Cheers

Ya know the goofy thing is that if it's a warranty issue - they GET PAID by FCA to fix it - their sale or not. You can take any Jeep under warranty to any dealer - and that dealer's service department files a warranty claim and gets paid the flat rate, etc. for repairs. So in a way their service department can make money off warranty work, too. LOL - they are just being butt-heads as my wife might say.

 

[JeepCares]

Thanks for the response, Alex. I'm hoping to be able to stop by the dealer I purchased from when we go back home to Atlanta for the holidays, but that's not necessarily how I want to spend my time when it should be with family. We were hoping to get this resolved locally prior to the trip especially since we're going to take the Jeep on a camping trip while we're there.

Are you able to comment on this dealer's handling of my issues with the panels? I'll say that I'm not the first to have significant issues with this dealer's service department. Bad enough that I've had two people tell me they had traded in / sold their Jeeps because of how bad the service is. Not inspiring confidence on Jeep's support system for the region.

Hi Tyler,
I apologize as I should have been more specific. We can connect you with a Specialist to have this further looked into should you choose to return to any dealer.
Alex
JeepCares

 

[4esop]

 

[Tim]

 

[spazzyfry123]

Thanks for the shots!

 

[spazzyfry123]

Dealer just called me back after having it all morning. They said that it is definitely an issue and that they have no idea on how to fix this. Their recommendation was to bring it to one of their affiliate body shops.

@JeepCares What should my next steps be? I actually do like this dealer and they are straight shooters. No beating around the bush, they just don't have an answer as to why my Freedom Panels do not align.

 

[futzin']

@spazzyfry123, Been a while since I've read the whole thread. Has anyone been able to determine if the issue is with the body or with the panel(s)?
Has anyone tried to fit tops from another Jeep?

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