"Lifetime", Lifeguard 8-9 Speed ATF (Is this semi-synthetic oil good "forever"??) 24k kms.

[ShadowsPapa]

Ah, the good old days - this is my next transmission rebuild. Yes, this is a Chrysler-built TorqueFlite transmission, going to get a shift kit, total rebuild and going into my 73. I won't have to worry about crawling under it to check the fluid, can fill it from the top if low and will go many many many miles without anything other than a couple of minor adjustments over time. Fluid by the quart at Walmart.....

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[Maximus Gladius]

UPDATE:

My truck is ready to be towed back home. The service work invoice charges me for the 3 hours diagnostic done but does not state why warranty is denied. It doesn’t even say warranty is denied! The tech was good at taking notes which shows catastrophic clutch and transmission failure and then under “cause” it says “undetermined”.

I phoned Service Manager to include reason is “wrong oil” was used as
FCA Care told me the other day and others have hinted to in emails. He refuses and said “this dealership’s position is you did not use the wrong oil” !!!! WTF???!!! “It is Chrysler and the DSM that hold this belief and we can not make that statement nor can we order the transmission”.

The report says that “customer stopped further investigation and tear down”. I said that is a FALSE statement and a blatant LIE! The service manager and the GM said they can’t go further with the tear down as the tech doesn’t have the experience nor are we allowed to and that would void warranty and make them liable to pay for the transmission. So that is why I fired back on the DSM, exposing him for setting a trap implicating the dealership. Service Manager didn’t remember having that conversation with me. !!??

I am suing and am talking with a lawyer today who did TWO Class Action law suits against Chrysler already.

 

[ilovebikes99]

UPDATE:

My truck is ready to be towed back home. The service work invoice charges me for the 3 hours diagnostic done but does not state why warranty is denied. It doesn’t even say warranty is denied! The tech was good at taking notes which shows catastrophic clutch and transmission failure and then under “cause” it says “undetermined”.

I phoned Service Manager to include reason is “wrong oil” was used as
FCA Care told me the other day and others have hinted to in emails. He refuses and said “this dealership’s position is you did not use the wrong oil” !!!! WTF???!!! “It is Chrysler and the DSM that hold this belief and we can not make that statement nor can we order the transmission”.

The report says that “customer stopped further investigation and tear down”. I said that is a FALSE statement and a blatant LIE! The service manager and the GM said they can’t go further with the tear down as the tech doesn’t have the experience nor are we allowed to and that would void warranty and make them liable to pay for the transmission. So that is why I fired back on the DSM, exposing him for setting a trap implicating the dealership. Service Manager didn’t remember having that conversation with me. !!??

I am suing and am talking with a lawyer today who did TWO Class Action law suits against Chrysler already.

Looks like the dealership doesn't want the liability and that DSM was about to set them up that they said "wrong oil was used" which would be incorrect.
It looks like the DSM doesn't want to pay for the transmission and is trying to find a scapegoat. This is very common in the corporate world, even in partnerships like this.
You would think FCA management would want to help with great customer service but it seems we are about 10 years from that point if not more.

It seems the dealership tried to get a replacement trans for you but FCA management denied it.

 

[LostWoods]

The dealership never takes hard positions on paper and replacement of transmission and engines always required FCA engineering approval going back to when I wrenched for them 15 years ago. If you admitted to using different fluid than Jeep recommends they likely conveyed that information to engineering who then declined further tear-down because the symptoms are that of slipping clutches. Unless you authorized labor for tear-down, that is you implicitly declining further tear-down.

Class actions are great and all but you have to define the class first. Right now this is just you and you took an action that very likely damaged the transmission. You are welcome to hire a lawyer and sue but the reality here is that Jeep has many lawyers who focus on nothing but denying warranty work and an army of engineers who can testify that you changing the fluid on a lifetime sealed transmission caused the issue. Unless you are willing to hire an expert witness to attest to the fluid you used, you're not getting far.

There comes a point where you just cut your losses and move on. Right now you're out 3 hours of dealer labor, a transmission, and the labor for an independent to install it. It's your money but this does not smell like a winning situation here. I've seen this before (and have been in arbitration a few times)... the consumer almost never comes out on top challenging a warranty denial.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

The dealership never takes hard positions on paper and replacement of transmission and engines always required FCA engineering approval going back to when I wrenched for them 15 years ago. If you admitted to using different fluid than Jeep recommends they likely conveyed that information to engineering who then declined further tear-down because the symptoms are that of slipping clutches. Unless you authorized labor for tear-down, that is you implicitly declining further tear-down.

Class actions are great and all but you have to define the class first. Right now this is just you and you took an action that very likely damaged the transmission. You are welcome to hire a lawyer and sue but the reality here is that Jeep has many lawyers who focus on nothing but denying warranty work and an army of engineers who can testify that you changing the fluid on a lifetime sealed transmission caused the issue. Unless you are willing to hire an expert witness to attest to the fluid you used, you're not getting far.

There comes a point where you just cut your losses and move on. Right now you're out 3 hours of dealer labor, a transmission, and the labor for an independent to install it. It's your money but this does not smell like a winning situation here. I've seen this before (and have been in arbitration a few times)... the consumer almost never comes out on top challenging a warranty denial.

I’m not pursuing a class action but am consulting the firm that did two against Chrysler.

 

[LostWoods]

I’m not pursuing a class action but am consulting the firm that did two against Chrysler.

I mean that's pretty irrelevant then given class action process experience doesn't translate to specific experience in this case. Class actions have the benefit of a huge payout for the firm which means lots of budget for experts and people working the case. You're paying by the hour.

I just hope you realize what you're getting in to because a $5k loss for a new transmission very quickly compounds if you lose and get stuck with everyone's legal fees and court costs. It's pretty typical that anyone who's first response is "I'll sue you" is either a lawyer or someone who doesn't realize what that entails. Your risk exposure is exponentially greater than what you can maximally gain if you actually go to court. This isn't a failure that will come with a huge punitive windfall; at best you get your truck fixed and your lawyer gets paid. At worst, well... you might not even have a truck to fix.

 

[Mac]

Right at the start of all this mess, service manager gave me this # as the transmission. 68157995AA. The number on the eBay is different. Great price though and if I go that route and have no choice, I’d need the “Mandate Freedom” trucks to move over a little so transport can get through.

I smell a rat when I’m told I have to get a court order to see FCA discussion that affects me. We’ll see what happens here.

I believe that part number you listed is for the Mopar brand transmission fluid, not the transmission itself. IMO you will be better off and less hassle to just cut your losses and buy a used takeout and install it yourself.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I sued another driver and in the end got full price of replacement car, lost wages and lost use of vehicle for the number of months that passed.
I'm the type that will throw resources at something on principal. And seeing what I've seen, I think it's worth at least some effort. There's a lot of detail to this beyond the posts here. There's "shenanigans" going on.
The attorneys will be the best to advise, IMO. They'll advise if they believe they have something, or to cut and run. It's what they do. The guy I used got paid only if he won. He took a fair amount but that was fine. It's not just a company involved, there are individuals - and the DSM is one I'd want seen paying some penalty as he changed his story and messages multiple times. He was so inconsistent what he was doing was impossible to follow what he was up to.

Here's the other thing - so he pays cash for a used transmission - and it fails on 10K miles - no warranty and he's screwed again. Sorry, no used parts go into my truck - not until it's a few years old and especially a transmission of unknown quality. You don't know if it towed more than specs or how it was operated. I will never take a chance on a transmission that's got any miles on it. I've seen what can happen and how they can be destroyed in short order.

 

[Hootbro]

I am suing and am talking with a lawyer today who did TWO Class Action law suits against Chrysler already.

How do lawyer fees work in Canada? I know in Great Britain, the losing side pays the other sides lawyer (solicitor) fees in civil suits.

 

[Mr._Bill]

UPDATE:

My truck is ready to be towed back home. The service work invoice charges me for the 3 hours diagnostic done but does not state why warranty is denied. It doesn’t even say warranty is denied! The tech was good at taking notes which shows catastrophic clutch and transmission failure and then under “cause” it says “undetermined”.

I phoned Service Manager to include reason is “wrong oil” was used as
FCA Care told me the other day and others have hinted to in emails. He refuses and said “this dealership’s position is you did not use the wrong oil” !!!! WTF???!!! “It is Chrysler and the DSM that hold this belief and we can not make that statement nor can we order the transmission”.

The report says that “customer stopped further investigation and tear down”. I said that is a FALSE statement and a blatant LIE! The service manager and the GM said they can’t go further with the tear down as the tech doesn’t have the experience nor are we allowed to and that would void warranty and make them liable to pay for the transmission. So that is why I fired back on the DSM, exposing him for setting a trap implicating the dealership. Service Manager didn’t remember having that conversation with me. !!??

I am suing and am talking with a lawyer today who did TWO Class Action law suits against Chrysler already.

Who are you going to sue, and what do you hope to accomplish? Your own actions have ensured that you will lose.

Take it in and have the transmission rebuilt or replaced. It's an expensive life lesson, but pay it and move on.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Who are you going to sue, and what do you hope to accomplish? Your own actions have ensured that you will lose.

Take it in and have the transmission rebuilt or replaced. It's an expensive life lesson, but pay it and move on.

When I had a transmission question in a prior Jeep, the dealership said no one rebuilds them, they install reman transmissions. No local shop even did them at the time. You had to buy a remanufactured transmission. Maybe they've caught up now and some shops will do these, but there's no way in hell I'd put in a used one and I'd want a certified rebuilder to do any real work. Most dealerships won't touch them inside - it just doesn't pay.

 

[Mr._Bill]

When I had a transmission question in a prior Jeep, the dealership said no one rebuilds them, they install reman transmissions. No local shop even did them at the time. You had to buy a remanufactured transmission. Maybe they've caught up now and some shops will do these, but there's no way in hell I'd put in a used one and I'd want a certified rebuilder to do any real work. Most dealerships won't touch them inside - it just doesn't pay.

Those are decisions he will have to make. This all started because he wanted to change the fluid in a transmission that is not supposed to need it, and did not want to pay the dealer to do it.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Those are decisions he will have to make. This all started because he wanted to change the fluid in a transmission that is not supposed to need it, and did not want to pay the dealer to do it.

The lab instructed to do it to get the glycol out. The dealership was unwilling to do it as they were not set up to do a flush and would charge me $3400 for two pan drops.

 

[Mr._Bill]

The lab instructed to do it to get the glycol out. The dealership was unwilling to do it as they were not set up to do a flush and would charge me $3400 for two pan drops.

The lab 'advised' you to do it. If they 'instructed' you to do it, then they should be responsible for the resulting damage.

What was the dealer response when you told them you wanted to have the fluid in the transmission changed? They probably advised against doing it.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

The lab 'advised' you to do it. If they 'instructed' you to do it, they should be responsible for the resulting damage.

What was the dealer response when you told them you wanted to have the fluid in the transmission changed? They probably advised against doing it.

The “advise” was more like “ALERT! Tests indicate the need to CHANGE OIL AND FILTER”

That’s pretty strong language that doesn’t sound like Chrysler’s language “recommending” this or that. That word to me is “a suggestion” …like a waiter suggesting what wine you should have with your dinner, take it or leave it. A “red light” or play ground speed sign isn’t a “suggestion” or recommendation. Get my meaning?

The service manager (at that time) commended me for my attention and effort to correct the situation, then shook his head, looking at the analysis and said the flush is better “sooner than later”. He then had to speak for Chrysler and warned what could happen and wished me luck.

This is going to be big for Canadian case law. I’m actually looking forward to seeing this through. Someone has to start it. You folks down south have the Magnuson Moss Act, right? Do you like having the lawful right to choose your lubricants that meet or exceed manufacturer codes and specs? Do you appreciate that?

Here’s an important detail I haven’t shared here. I sent in a photo of AMSOIL’s ATF I used and on the back of it are all these compliance codes. There is one number for Chrysler MOPAR. That number did not comply with today’s current number which supersedes the number on the bottle and that is where DSM voided my warranty.

I contacted AMSOIL about this. They sent me the data sheet for that oil I used showing today’s current code numbers that matched what the service manager provided and said “there are too many compliance numbers to list all of them on the backs of the bottles”. I shared that data sheet to him and he quit his job.

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