Roll bar damage from the factory

[Hootbro]

Every new jeep I’ve purchased had one major flaw, this one has a couple (see first post) … usually it’s just an annoyance and fixed… done.

This has no way to repair, other than fill in the dents and paint, that’s kind of cheesy. Or they tell me to kick rocks :-/ … I guess they can always get me another jeep, but that’s kind of crazy. I know I didn’t pay all this money for a new truck to live with such sloppy QC. Let’s see what they say on Monday, I have an appointment for an oil change and to align the rear door and ask about the low MOG )I expect this to go nowhere)

If me, I would start framing the discussion with your dealership and any interaction you may have with corporate that it is not just a quality issue, it is a safety issue and you have doubts about roll over protection as the roll bar/cage is compromised.

I do not think it is a foregone conclusion it will be dismissed or minimized unless you allow it to happen.

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[Ericshere03]

If me, I would start framing the discussion with your dealership and any interaction you may have with corporate that it is not just a quality issue, it is a safety issue and you have doubts about roll over protection as the roll bar/cage is compromised.

I do not think it is a foregone conclusion it will be dismissed or minimized unless you allow it to happen.

I have pressured Chrysler before, I worked with them and their engineers to correct the ecodiesel suspension. They built a truck with 2.5” of Uptravel … they made it right by installing a Mopar lift for me, but this took months to prove I wasn’t an idiot complaining. Once I got to their engineering level we could talk data …

I just don’t have the patience for this again, lol. Why can’t they just do it right the first time? (Rhetorical)

 

[Ericshere03]

Well, the dealer went about as expected … Service writer agreed that the roll bar is in fact damaged, the door is not properly aligned and the hard top is cracked …

The dealerships body shop reached out to Chrysler and they basically denied the claim to repair. They stated the hard top is removable and made of fiberglass, therefore it cracks. The service writer argued in my behalf that it’s a brand new truck and it’s been constantly raining, the hard top has not been removed. No other comments from Chrysler or the body shop.

I applaud my service writer for pressuring and escalating the issue. Obviously the response from Chrysler sucks… but I’ll keep keeping on .

They were kind enough to appraise my truck for a possible trade for another one and it will only cost me 11,000 dollars to do so… ugh.

But hey! At least they were able to replace the missing plastic rivets on the fender flares (read in sarcastic tone, haha)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well, the dealer went about as expected … Service writer agreed that the roll bar is in fact damaged, the door is not properly aligned and the hard top is cracked …

The dealerships body shop reached out to Chrysler and they basically denied the claim to repair. They stated the hard top is removable and made of fiberglass, therefore it cracks. The service writer argued in my behalf that it’s a brand new truck and it’s been constantly raining, the hard top has not been removed. No other comments from Chrysler or the body shop.

I applaud my service writer for pressuring and escalating the issue. Obviously the response from Chrysler sucks… but I’ll keep keeping on .

They were kind enough to appraise my truck for a possible trade for another one and it will only cost me 11,000 dollars to do so… ugh.

But hey! At least they were able to replace the missing plastic rivets on the fender flares (read in sarcastic tone, haha)

That almost suggests that not only is that section of the bar damaged, but it's distorted, likely leading to other alignment issues, etc. Hmmmmmmm ........... will a new section just bolt right into place, or will they have to pull or push to get things to line up? Hmmmm......

 

[Hootbro]

I am starting to think your Gladiator was damaged in transport.

 

[Ericshere03]

I am starting to think your Gladiator was damaged in transport.

Maybe the rear door was bent down, because after you close it, the door looks perfectly aligned, but you feel the door drag on the striker and can see the door rotate as it’s closing. I tried bending it back a little bit and it helped but it needs to have the door properly aligned.

The rollbar has fresh paint and no sign of damage POST-PAINT. The dented tube definitely happened at the factory.

However, one oddity is the engine reported 17th of runtime and 10mi when I got it. The poor engine seems to have done a lot of idling , which explains the totally sooted sensor at 60mi. Perhaps idled at the train yard.

 

[Ericshere03]

That almost suggests that not only is that section of the bar damaged, but it's distorted, likely leading to other alignment issues, etc. Hmmmmmmm ........... will a new section just bolt right into place, or will they have to pull or push to get things to line up? Hmmmm......

I don’t think it’s that serious. The door looks perfect when closed, but it grinds pretty heavily on the striker, which tweaks the door into alignment. Gaps look great when closed. Close the door and crack the bolts loose on the hinges and tighten back up is all that’s needed. And touch up the bolt heads that will inevitably have chips

 

[Hootbro]

Maybe the rear door was bent down, because after you close it, the door looks perfectly aligned, but you feel the door drag on the striker and can see the door rotate as it’s closing. I tried bending it back a little bit and it helped but it needs to have the door properly aligned.

The rollbar has fresh paint and no sign of damage POST-PAINT. The dented tube definitely happened at the factory.

However, one oddity is the engine reported 17th of runtime and 10mi when I got it. The poor engine seems to have done a lot of idling , which explains the totally sooted sensor at 60mi. Perhaps idled at the train yard.

Paint depth thickness meter needs to be put on that bar to see if it was repainted. Post factory damage happens all the time in transport and at the dealership. Most time unless state law says otherwise, that damage can be "fixed" and not disclosed before sale.

You mentioning now doors and the top being cracked adds more to the story and makes me lean less on the factory and more post factory.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Paint depth thickness meter needs to be put on that bar to see if it was repainted. Post factory damage happens all the time in transport and at the dealership. Most time unless state law says otherwise, that damage can be "fixed" and not disclosed before sale.

Your mentioning now doors and the top being cracked adds more to the story and makes me lean less on the factory and more post factory.

Excellent points.
My opinion doesn't count, but I think that anything that happens after the factory is finished and it has passed final inspection and is released to a shipper - anything from that point on should be disclosed. A customer can accept it, or not, as sometimes damage can lead to other things not working out well.
If that bar was damaged in shipment and it happens to cause alignment issues with anything else, there could be leaks, alignment issues (having to go to the max of the range of alignment to make things fit) and with some vehicles, weird "but I didn't hit anything and nothing hit my vehicle" windshield cracks. I've told more than one person to pass on a vehicle after doing an inspection for them before they jumped into buying a vehicle.
This could be simple dimpling of that section of bar and nothing further is impacted (hmm, odd choice of word there) but the other stuff makes me wonder, what happened, when, how was it handled, and will there be future issues?
Maybe not - odds are good.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I don’t think it’s that serious. The door looks perfect when closed, but it grinds pretty heavily on the striker, which tweaks the door into alignment. Gaps look great when closed. Close the door and crack the bolts loose on the hinges and tighten back up is all that’s needed. And touch up the bolt heads that will inevitably have chips

It should close silently, the striker pretty much centered in the latch.
That there would bug me, wondering why the striker is what's pulling it into alignment. If the hinges need to be adjusted, that tells me - something was pushed out of alignment after the factory built it. I'd bet that bar had some pressure on it that tweaked the door frame, I'd almost bet on it.
Since these are painted doors-on, I wonder how adjusting the door that much will affect the paint on the door.........

 

[Hootbro]

Excellent points.
My opinion doesn't count, but I think that anything that happens after the factory is finished and it has passed final inspection and is released to a shipper - anything from that point on should be disclosed. A customer can accept it, or not, as sometimes damage can lead to other things not working out well.
If that bar was damaged in shipment and it happens to cause alignment issues with anything else, there could be leaks, alignment issues (having to go to the max of the range of alignment to make things fit) and with some vehicles, weird "but I didn't hit anything and nothing hit my vehicle" windshield cracks. I've told more than one person to pass on a vehicle after doing an inspection for them before they jumped into buying a vehicle.
This could be simple dimpling of that section of bar and nothing further is impacted (hmm, odd choice of word there) but the other stuff makes me wonder, what happened, when, how was it handled, and will there be future issues?
Maybe not - odds are good.

Unless I missed something, if the OP had disclosed upfront the doors and the top being cracked along with the bar damage, this discussion could have been way different earlier.

I think one event caused everything, the bar, doors and cracked top. Somewhere along the line, a half ass job was attempted to band aid fix this and kick the can down the road. I would not put it past the dealership being culpable but I do not know that for a fact but it still is in play in my opinion.

Like I mentioned, the paint thickness testing would let someone know if it was damaged prior to paint or repainted after the fact and with the top and doors being damaged, that puts it either way down the factory line to almost completion or in the transport stage and dealership delivery.

If me, I would be looking at this as a fraudulent defect vehicle sale and if pressing on the dealership does nothing to move the needle, I would be looking and inquiring with either a lawyer and/or state consumer protection department that handles such things. IMHO, there is more heat to bring to this situation before having to eat a shit sandwich over it.

I would also put the money out for a few hundred if needed to get a independent body shop to look at it and measure the paint and give a professional opinion if the dealership is not willing to take this up any further.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My wife and I were headed to KS one day - and a vehicle transport passed us in the left lane of the interstate. She suddenly said "you have to see this, look at that Camaro on the truck!"
I looked over and the front end of that car was bouncing on the suspension with every imperfection of the pavement - and when it bounced upward, the hood was smacking hard on the structure of the car transport and that thing was being beaten to death.
Brand new load of Chevrolets destined to some dealership....... ugh. Bet there was more than just hood damage the way the thing was bouncing.

 

[ChrisNLA]

My wife and I were headed to KS one day - and a vehicle transport passed us in the left lane of the interstate. She suddenly said "you have to see this, look at that Camaro on the truck!"
I looked over and the front end of that car was bouncing on the suspension with every imperfection of the pavement - and when it bounced upward, the hood was smacking hard on the structure of the car transport and that thing was being beaten to death.
Brand new load of Chevrolets destined to some dealership....... ugh. Bet there was more than just hood damage the way the thing was bouncing.

Reminds me...

Years back I was looking at buying a Camaro SS. I was at the dealership and noticed something peculiar about a new SS sitting on the lot with all the rest of the new cars. It had Brembo brakes, it had the bigger exhaust tips, it had SS headrests, it said it was an SS on the window sticker.

But, it did NOT have an SS front bumper. It had an LS/LT (V6 car) bumper cover. No mail slot above the grille and no 'big chin' like an SS car should have, and no SS badge in the corner of the grille.

I pointed this out to the sales team, and they immediately no longer wanted to talk about that car, and decided it wasn't for sale any longer.

It was likely damaged in transport and they replaced the bumper cover with the wrong one. Makes me wonder if they knew it all along and were trying to hide it, or it was a legitimate repair mistake and they were embarrassed to have it pointed out by a customer.

My 2016 JK - I didn't really realize it until a couple months after purchase (just not paying attention / didn't care I guess), but it had buffing compound splattered on the bottom side of the hood and the under hood insulation panel was missing. I bought it new with 40 miles on the odometer. Likely damaged in transit or at the dealership and then repaired I suppose, with a messy buff job and then forgot the insulation.

 

[chorky]

My wife and I were headed to KS one day - and a vehicle transport passed us in the left lane of the interstate. She suddenly said "you have to see this, look at that Camaro on the truck!"
I looked over and the front end of that car was bouncing on the suspension with every imperfection of the pavement - and when it bounced upward, the hood was smacking hard on the structure of the car transport and that thing was being beaten to death.
Brand new load of Chevrolets destined to some dealership....... ugh. Bet there was more than just hood damage the way the thing was bouncing.

Gee thanks for that.... Now I'm gonna have nightmares through the weekend wondering what this LJ I am having transported will be going through. Not to mention all the salt spray it will probably receive. You just raised my blood pressure 100 points.....

 

[Ericshere03]

Just to update those curious …

I have been working with the Stallantis folks and looks like we are initiating a buyback process. I hope we can wrap this up before all the Diesel FarOut units are sold. They’re actually moving with all these discounts.

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