Took my truck back from dealer after numerous ETAs for warranty work parts. Do you think that will bite me in the butt later?

[madesicc88]

Little back story, I bought my used 2020 Sport S in November, when I was test driving I noticed that the gauge cluster screen had a row of dead pixels, really fine line but noticeable, truck had plenty of warranty left so I wasn’t to concerned about it. Drove the truck around for a week or so and then I took it to the local jeep dealership and started the process of getting the cluster swapped, since the odometer stores in the cluster I had to leave my truck there, they had it for about 3 weeks and I got it back right after Christmas.
I had it for a couple weeks and noticed that I had a CEL, so I plugged my code reader in and it found nothing. Going through other stuff I came across a weird thing when I would open a door or turn on the cargo lights with the button, the CEL would turn on, so now I am realizing that somehow the CEL light and Cargo LED lights are swapped in the dash. I can turn the CEL on and off buy just pushing the button, and if I turn the truck onto accessory, the Cargo icon will turn on. So I take it to the dealership, annoyed but I am fully aware that it’s a freak incident.
So once again I drop my truck off and head out of town for the week for work, I get back on Friday and I hadnt heard from the dealership, so I callled them and he says he will call me back, he calls and says they are pulling it in again to dig into it some more and he will have a fox for me by the end of the day, I hear nothing. So the next day I go to the dealership and my truck is parked in the exact same position I left it in a week prior, they never looked at it. I go inside and ask for my truck back and tell them it’s fine I will just reschedule for when I go out of town again, I just don’t like being told a lie to my face, I get a call back the next day from the service manager asking for me to please bring it back in, they will move other appointments around to squeeze me in. So I bring it in and like I figured, they need another new cluster, this is February 8th I think. So I leave the truck once again and get a ETA of a couple weeks, we’ll those 2 weeks go by, and another, so I go in and ask for a loaner to get me to and from work, they get me one a few days later, I’m annoyed but I want the truck fixed, so fast forward to april 3rd and I go in and they have no idea when the part will be in, so I tell them OK, it’s spring time, trails are opening and I want my truck back, it’s not a critical fix and I will use my truck for the summer and bring it back at the beginning of winter and try again. They seem to be understanding and the service guy I’ve been working with goes to find my keys, he comes back and tries to tell me that since I didn’t let them complete the service I will be responsible for the loaner vehicle payments, he shows me a calculator with $1250 on it, I look at him, take a breath and tell him I’m not paying a dime for the car. He goes and talks with whoever and comes and tells me they will take care of it but he seems rather annoyed at me now.
So my plan is to take it back in at the beginning of winter, do you think the dealership can refuse to fix it now if I had already brought it in for the issue?

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[dcmdon]

You are fine. But they have already troubleshot and confirmed the problem is the cluster.
So . . . they should be able to order the new one in the fall BEFORE you bring it in.

Let us know how that works out. (ha)

They sound incompetent. Sorry. But they aren't even good liars. If there is another dealer nearby, I'd bring it to them. If not. Try to manage it like I said by having them order the part and bringing it in only after all the parts have arrived.

One other thought. If you are out of off road season, I would consider a new car loaner to be a gift. Especially if I got to put a few thousand miles on it while they dicked around wasting everyone's time.

I realize it probably won't be a gladiator. But what the heck, free miles.

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

They figured out that the issue is the cluster. I’m at a loss as to why they can’t just order the part, call you when it arrives, install it and put you in a loaner, and send you on your way. If they can’t process that, I’d be looking for another dealer.

I drove over an hour to get my Gladiator at a different dealer because of a bad service experience at the local dealer with my previous vehicle. Vote with your wallet and go somewhere else from now on (If I were in your shoes…I wouldn’t even want them to get the satisfaction of billing FCA for the warranty repair on your rig).

 

[Mr._Bill]

I whould have left it there and drove the loaner. They would have had some incentive to get it fixed. Now they are annoyed and will possibly be less cooperative when you take it back.

 

[madesicc88]

So the initial time I took it in, they said they have to note mileage in for the cluster to be programmed at the manufacturer, they can’t do that, not sure if they just don’t have the tool to do so or what. I re-asked that the 2nd time with them and they reconfirmed I couldn’t drive it.
They have been pretty bad on the service side of it, and I understand they are also frustrated with the parts availability and there isn’t much they can do about that, I’m a electrician so I fully understand the lack of parts and equipment. I might give the dealership in the next town a call as well, that’s a great idea that I haven’t really thought of

 

[madesicc88]

I whould have left it there and drove the loaner. They would have had some incentive to get it fixed. Now they are annoyed and will possibly be less cooperative when you take it back.

Trust me, I left it there for as long as I could stand, I missed 2 long planned trips with it, one to Moab even, if I had a hard date that the part would be in, I would probably work with that, but when they are telling me that they have zero clue when it will ever show up I have a really hard time letting my truck age in a parking lot, my family and I spend a ton of time biking, dirt biking and camping, a Dodge Journey was not going to work well for that.

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