May 31 last month we were in New Mexico in the wife's 2015 Durango. Warranty is Chrysler lifetime maxcare. We were leaving for home that day, started it to move it, cranked a second longer than normal, idled rough briefly, smoothed out, moved it for loading. Thought that odd, started it again, cranked again longer than normal, started, idled rough, died. That's the last time it ran, wouldn't start at all anymore.

Called Chrysler roadside assistance, they took it to the local dealer. Dealer says fuel pump died, it'll be 3 to 5 days before we can get the part. That stretched out until June 13th @ 3 PM. My little brother had showed up before we left, he wasn't leaving until the 15th so we borrowed his car and he was to drive the Durango home. The New Mexico dealer was great, they got the pump installed on Saturday the 14th. My brother picked it up, fuel gauge not working. Dealer says there's not enough gas for us to calibrate it. He goes and buys gas, the gauge still doesn't work and can't be calibrated. Dealer says the pump was in a damaged box and there may be damage to the pump they didn't notice, needs another pump. So we're out of time, he needs to come home and it's running. On the way home he fills it, the gauge reads about half and the low fuel light goes off.

The New Mexico dealer says take it in to your local dealer, you shouldn't have to pay another $100 deductible. We'll work with them so they understand the situation. So two weeks ago Wednesday we do that. I explained the situation to local service manager when we dropped it off, assuming the pump was bad. Yesterday, they call and say the float got stuck under the pump, all is well, they just need to reinstall and all will be good. If that's true, why did it read half a tank? Makes no sense.

So that's the background, I hope it's clear. Here's the question, assuming the pump is fine and it's only labor. Who is liable for the local dealers labor? Chrysler? Chrysler max care warranty? the other dealer? me? I've left messages, no return calls as yet.

Labor costs are estimated between $209 and $264 while parts are priced between $513 and $534.

For anybody who's interested, the local dealer just called, it's ready. Charges? $Ø. He says he spoke to the district manager and it's all taken care of.

Good for you!

But what kind of certified mechanic wouldn't notice that the float wasn't in the correct position or free moving BEFORE installing the thing?

Dave, I've no idea. It was explained to me it would be easy to miss as you're dropping it into a dark blind hole.

Other thing interesting to me, fuel pressure isn't monitored, no fuel pressure sensor. Seems odd to me as the computer controls EVERYTHING these days. But the computer monitors the fuel gauge and sets a check engine light when it sees it's gone wonky, out of parameters, seems to take ~ 700 miles to notice it.

Both dealers were great to work with, we'd never been to the one in New Mexico, been going to the local dealer for 9 years now, they handle everything on our newer stuff.

I had a new hood strut for the Durango but hadn't gotten around to installing it. I was expecting a .1 or .2 hour charge for it, they comped that too. Aside from parts availability , the ONLY problem I ever had was they left off two valve stems caps when we bought tires once, they rectified that immediately. When I was younger and patronized a dealer it was like I had a kick me sign on my back. I don't know what's changed, but I like it. The ONLY thing I couldn't go along with was a new battery. I'm NOT paying $500 ~ $600 for one, installed or not, and the Durango battery is a PITA to install.

She's out getting her truck washed now, she's happy. Happy wife, happy life.

Interesting. Last December, the fuel pump in my Breeze finally quit @ 305,000 miles.
Only place in town that would get on it was the local Chrysler dealer, who quoted "about $300".
Got it done - bill was $700 and "tough luck", but it was done and I needed it.
Before and since, I've never run the car under 1/4 tank.
Well, the other day, it wouldn't restart at the grocery store, gauge read 1/4, didn't hear the pump, figured it croaked.
(The replacement stuff is prone to do that, BTDT on a Chrysler reman water pump, same car, 10 years ago.)
$162 tow back home. Just for kicks put a couple gallons of gas in it the next day.
Started right up.

Lifetime powertrain on my 2015 Ram. Trans went out at 280K, got a reman one installed $200 deductible and it only lasted trip to Carlisle from Chicago and 90 miles back before it freewheeled. Towed to dealer on Chrysler, took a month for another one and told me the front pump bolts were not tightened, second trans they saw that way. 340K the engine goes, somehow drove it to a dealership in Alabama, said engine gone but they can't do it there, get it to another dealer. Decided to drive it 362 miles rattling, smoking, about half power but made it. This dealer said they would take it apart and fix the problem, guess they couldn't do it so new engine ordered ($14K ) but will be covered under warranty, still waiting to hear about the install, called and they didn't know, will get back to me, that was two days ago, so not too happy at the moment...

Damn Jim, if it wasn't for bad luck you'd have none at all! I hope it all gets better soon!

Nobody f’s techs better than max care. Deal with it often.

I'm sorry, I hate that, especially as a former mechanic. Gave it up in 1980 for good, it was bad enough then. Independant garages were still ok, but dealers?

We got the lifetime maxcare for her Durango the last day it was available, end of November 2018. The word at the time was they were ending the program because they were losing their backsides on it. Which made it almost seem like a good idea to get it. So far we're upside down on it, I'm good with that, it's the nature of insurance.