Jeep Gladiator Dead in >24 hours. Never buy from Lake Elsinore CDJR.

[Rover_boy]

Does the California lemon law apply in your case?

I believe CA lemon law applies if the dealer/manufacturer had to fix the same issue 3 or more times within 18 months or 18k miles.

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[Rover_boy]

Technically OP returned the vehicle within 48 hours, so he could make a case for a full refund under California law...

I think that's why the dealer/Jeep waited for 5 days to respond? Either way this situation sux and neither of us want to be in this situation.

 

[JeepDreams]

@Redbullhamster - Hope you get resolution SOON! I'd be disappointed/pissed too if this happened to me!

Also, totally dig your Rescue Green Wrangler! My kids totaled mine with 30k miles @ 10yo. Miss that damn Jeep.

 

[Royal]

Just want to point out that > means greater than.... < is lesser than. That's all, Cary On

If we are in the game of corrections, *carry.

Also 'That is all' if you are intending the original onomatopoeic military style.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Over the years I have bought a lot of new vehicles. I too have had some issues I discovered and in almost all cases I was able to fix myself.

You may have done this, but this is what I would have done. A leak on a new rig is either loose fitting or its a seal. Loose fitting you can prob tighten yourself, seal not so much if it is around the steering shaft itself I am thinking seal.

I will agree with you, a LONG delay in make-ready tells me they saw the leak and prob debated on what to do, they chose to give it to you and let you bring it in for the fix.

So yea a GREAT dealer would have taken some action involving you and do their best to make it right. The best dealer would have pulled a steering box off another JT if they had one and put it on yours. BY the way, I have had a dealer do that for me, take a part off another new car and put it on mine to get or keep my rolling.

Refund: Unless the state where you bought has the 'buyers remorse' rule that generally says you can change your mind within x days after purchase. Suggest you check but my guess is you have missed that option if you had it.

Your letter requesting a refund should have addressed the buyer's remorse law IF applicable!

You may have an option and you can file suit in small claims court. In Texas, I think it's a max of $5000, but you need to show a loss and damages. I have used it and won, but it may take almost a year before you get your day in court??? You do not need a lawyer.

Are you unhappy, pizzed off...hell yea. BUT this is MINOR, your problem is NOT your JT, its with the dealer. I am not sure what kind of a dealer you went to that does not do warranty work. FYI I bought a lot of cars (Corvettes) and trucks from a dealer in a small town (not even a stop light) that had been in business since '29 and only had 3 people full working there, Owner, his wife, his son! I remember bringing in my new Corvette for carb problems. Who do you think fixed it??? The ONWER, him and his son were the mechanics.

OK, those days of family owned and operated ae most likely gone. Where you bought that JT there is an owner, find out who it is and request a meeting.

Go in there asking how the issues can be mitigated. Ask to meet with the Zone Mgr.

All that said, I have been buying Jeeps since the 60's there has been ONLY ONE dealer I have ever bought from more than once, Ancira Jeep, San Antonio Tx, Jay has sold me 3 Jeeps when this one arrives. Ancira is a family owned dealer and YES you can meet the Ancira family, I have done so.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

If we are in the game of corrections, *carry.

Also 'That is all' if you are intending the original onomatopoeic military style.

I think you are using onomatopoeic out of context. Onomatopoeic are words that sound like the sound: Dogs BARK, snakes HISS, Birds COO, CRACK of the whip etc.

Use "carry-on" by the military is generally used when an officer enters the enlisted space be it barracks, motor pool or other areas where they are gathered. The first to see the officer will give the command "Attention" to the group, who will stop and stand. The officer will give the "carry-on" command when you do not need to engage with but are passing thru the area. I suspect in today's military with its lack of discipline and LAX attitudes that enlisted do not even bother calling the area to attention when an officer walks in.

 

[rvillano8188]

I'm not sure whether I'll get hell for this being my 2nd post, but I didn't realize the Gladiator forum turned into the English Language comprehension and writing forum . Based on some replies, I'm not sure if there's a minimum amount of posts I have to complete before I can be sarcastic and snarky .

Secondly, yes, new vehicles constantly have issues, as with any new product. Doesn't make the OP's frustrations any less valid, and it's amazing to me that people are giving him crap. No one gives the other posters crap when they are complaining their L.E hasn't been delivered yet. Cut the guy a break. Regardless of whether he spent 20k, 50k, 200k on a new vehicle, he has a right to be upset with the craftsmanship (We've been waiting for this vehicle for what? a decade? longer?), and with the service of a terrible dealer.
I thought this was a community that should be helping each other by providing value, not ripping each other when someone wants to vent. Everyone joined this forum because of something specific they wanted to know or to be a part of a great group of people with similar interests.
He might be a little overzealous as far as the post goes, but no one straight up thanked him for warning us, so let me be the first. Thank you for warning us about this terrible dealership! And thank you to all the posters that have been helpful in giving advice to this poster.

Now, I'm going to go have a in the . Happy MDW and thank you to all who have served!

 

[CBF102770]

Your situation sucks. I would be using every available option to get this expedited. I have worked for dealerships when brand new vehicles had warranty or recall issues, and every time, we would rob parts off of a vehicle in inventory if necessary. Thanks for getting this out there. Glad I won't be getting one of the early builds since Im waiting for Gator.

As for those who are harping on this being your first post... just ignore them. You had a major issue with a brand new vehicle and you posted to 1. get the info out that there could be and issue, 2. You wanted to vent to the forum, and one that incase I missed it doesn't have anything in the T&Cs that specifies that you have to be a tenured member before you can. I would have done the exact same thing if I were you.

Good luck with getting this resolved and please keep us updated on the outcome.

 

[AJ-MJ]

Well, Sorry to hear about all this hassel. A few years ago I bought a brand new boat. It had a couple issues. HOWEVER, the dealer responded quickly to every issue and followed up. 10 years later every service or mechanical work has been done by that dealer. He won me over by his actions. I totally understand "stuff" happens. BUT the dealership should have been more responsive and understanding.

Sometimes when I get into a ugly situation I just politely ask how they can compensate me for my troubles. Most times the service provider will do something to smooth things over. My 2 cents!

 

[DadBod]

Since I haven't ordered my Gladiator yet, I thought I'd get my first post out of the way in case there are issues with it...

I'm in the Atlanta area and expect to be ordering my jeep to make sure I get all the options I want and not have to pay for those I don't. Most dealerships in this area start at MSRP and go up. I did reach out to Mac Haik Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Dallas TX and they quoted a good price. Before I pull the trigger and do the 12 hour drive to Dallas, are there any other good dealerships in the Southeast others would recommend I call?

To the OP, sorry for mechanical issues. Although that can happen, the (lack of) response from the dealership is inexcusable and I hope all who reads the original post will steer clear.

wave

 

[Royal]

I think you are using onomatopoeic out of context. Onomatopoeic are words that sound like the sound: Dogs BARK, snakes HISS, Birds COO, CRACK of the whip etc.

Use "carry-on" by the military is generally used when an officer enters the enlisted space be it barracks, motor pool or other areas where they are gathered. The first to see the officer will give the command "Attention" to the group, who will stop and stand. The officer will give the "carry-on" command when you do not need to engage with but are passing thru the area. I suspect in today's military with its lack of discipline and LAX attitudes that enlisted do not even bother calling the area to attention when an officer walks in.

I stand corrected. I meant the meter of the sentence.

I won’t address your second paragraph as I suspect it is a bite.

Apologies OP!

Out.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

I stand corrected. I meant the meter of the sentence.

I won’t address your second paragraph as I suspect it is a bite.

Apologies OP!

Out.

Not a bite, just the fact from a carrer soldier, today's Army, WHO knows, but it ain't the Army was in.

 

[bangolia]

Since I haven't ordered my Gladiator yet, I thought I'd get my first post out of the way in case there are issues with it...

I'm in the Atlanta area and expect to be ordering my jeep to make sure I get all the options I want and not have to pay for those I don't. Most dealerships in this area start at MSRP and go up. I did reach out to Mac Haik Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Dallas TX and they quoted a good price. Before I pull the trigger and do the 12 hour drive to Dallas, are there any other good dealerships in the Southeast others would recommend I call?

To the OP, sorry for mechanical issues. Although that can happen, the (lack of) response from the dealership is inexcusable and I hope all who reads the original post will steer clear.

wave

@Travis@TriCityJeep will hook you up with 4-5% under invoice in the great state of North Carolina!

 

[pcwilson]

Look into your lemon law rights in your state. I just went through this with my JL and FCA is doing an MSRP to MSRP replacement, which will be a gladiator. My issue was that the SOS and Assist buttons over the rear view mirror would not work despite the dealership working with FCA for over 45 days to do there very best to fix the issue. My best advice to you:
Be very nice and polite with the service manager at the dealership that is working on your vehicle as he/she can be your best advocate to have FCA do the right thing.
Also, don’t assume that once they have your vehicle for 30 days, you will immediately get a vehicle replacement or refund.
The process:
1) All states require you to submit a certified letter that alerts FCA of the problem and gives them a stated period of time to fix the issue (this time frame is 30 days in most states although there are a few that are as short as 14 days). You can find a standard letter to use on google.
2) You can file a complaint through NCDS which is a third party arbitration company whose decision is legally binding to FCA, but you can chose to accept it or file with your state. There is a link on Jeeps website.
3) You can also file a lemon law in the state you purchased AND the state you paid taxes and registered the vehicle (if those states are different like they were for me.)
4) You can file a complaint through your states attorney general. This is free and easy.
5) You can file a complaint through the better business bureau. File the complaint against FCA, NOT the dealership.
The best thing is to hit FCA from as many angles as possible because that whole “squeaky wheel gets greased” philosophy really does work.
***Be nice to the dealership because ultimately it’s FCA that has to stand behind their warranty. The dealership can not replace the vehicle without approval from FCA but they can be an advocate of yours to work with the Mopar Area Manager to try to get the vehicle replaced though FCA if it comes to that. Also try to avoid getting an attorney involved as you will rack up legal fees that could be avoided with your own due diligence. If you have to go to a legal hearing, FCA must disclose if they are going to bring an attorney. If they bring an attorney, then you can bring one as well and FCA is responsible for covering legal fees then. I’ve learned all of this through countless hours researching this online as well as having many lengthy discussions with my local service manager, who is awesome!

 

[Blown7]

looks like the OP ran away...

At the very least when the new vehicle/dealer FCA survey arrives then it's time to vent...

FCA takes that very seriously.

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