Well I doubt I'll ever buy a new Chrysler again.

Wife and I bought a 2014 Jeep and paid a pretty good penny for the lifetime warranty. Maxcare was the name I believe.

I took it in to get a driveshaft replaced and some bushings in the rear end replaced which should have been covered under the warranty.

They replaced the driveshaft but said the bushings were declined because it was considered a normal wear & tear item. I can't find the original sales brochure but I am pretty sure it said it covered the suspension for life.

I realize that eventually they would say the XYZ repair was worth more than the car and pass on the repair but I didn't figure they would just make excuses to not cover repairs that were supposed to be covered.

I called to complain and it was a complete waste of time.

I won't buy a new Chrysler again and when I replace the bushing it won't be with a Chrysler part either.

Sorry had to vent.

Just answer one of those calls about your cars extended warranty. Im sure they've tried reaching you.

But I agree,
I have zero interest in every buying any car new again.

There has to be more to this story than what you are telling. I've never replaced a driveshaft or suspension bushings on anything.

I'm siding with Chrysler on this one.

Anything that moves will wear and tear. You're lucky they covered the driveshaft.

We bought a maxcare with our 18 Durango that we bought used. It had a massive list of things it covered but I don't recall if suspension bushings were on it, this was not a lifetime one just a 5 year bumper to bumper. The main reason we bought it was for electronics, suspension work I would do myself normally.

Rubber or rubber type items are considered wear items and aren't covered by any warranty beyond the typical 12/12. Examples would be belts, hoses, weatherstrips and suspension bushings so your anger may be misplaced. Good luck with an aftermarket bushing as well as most of them are pretty much garbage.

Hmm. Just looked at the website and this is a partial list of what the website lists as "COVERED COMPONENTS WITH OUR MOPAR MAXIMUM CARE EXTENDED WARRANTY"

"Bushing, rear axle housing

Bushing, rear spring

Bushing, rear spring shackle

Bushing, spring eye

Bushing, starter pilot

Bushing, tension strut bar

Bushing/cushion, rear stabilizer sway

Bushing/cushion, rear sway bar"

I'm not familiar enough with Jeep to know which bushing you are speaking of AND I am not sure this is the plan you have but I think I would look at the website and have another discussion with them.

Maximum Care Warranty

Thank you for the link to the maxcare warranty.

I guess when I said Jeep people think 4WD Wrangler. Sorry about that. To be a little more clear it is a 2WD Jeep Compass. 135K miles driven way to gentle by my wife. She is anything but an aggressive.

The front swaybar end links went bad and the rear upper control arm bushings too. What I called driveshaft was the front CV axle. It was mechanically fine, but had a small crack in the boot that started slinging grease.

The rear suspension has an upper control arm. Why I don't know because it has struts and could have been designed with out them. The bushings are about an inch in diameter. Way to small for the job.

I have never had a modern car have problems with the suspension until over 200K except for wheel bearings. Did my fair share of those. There is no reason this car should need those parts.

I have multiple older cars far more mileage and age, their suspensions are still all original except for my Stealth with performance struts and wider tires. It as more miles, hard miles, but the bushings and ball joints & drieshafts are still original.

If the car had been a wrecked POS I would have expected them to balk at it but FCA just turned it down without ever seeing the car. Dealer says it should be covered but they can't control what FCA will pay for.

The Charger and 300 people are having a field day with their screens peeling and door panels separating and Chrysler doing nothing about it.

I'm not sure if I'd expect driveshaft and bushing problems at that age but I would expect them to honor extended warranty over it.

Sounds to me like Chrysler is not the problem, the warranty company is the problem. I also agree that that’s a very odd malfunction.
KID

We have Max Care on all 3 of our Mopars. 2008 Avenger just had the lower control arm replaced this year as well as the TIPM. A couple years ago the starter was replaced. I have never had any questions on what they didn't cover. I usually look up what the problem may be and see if it's covered. I see it covers struts and they are a wear item. You can request a copy of your contract online. https://www.mopar.com/en-us/care/mopar-vehicle-protection/access-plan.html

The screen in our '18 Charger started looking as if it was delaminating in the upper left corner. Couldn't even see it from the driver seat. I stopped in the dealership to show it to them. They asked me to wait while they took it back into service to read some data and ensure they ordered the correct replacement. In a few weeks, I went back and they installed a brand new unit and sent me on my way. Funny thing is that the tech didn't bother setting the clock, but did take the time to tune the radio to a religious station.

Did Corporate tell you the claim was denied or the Service Manager?

Dealers make less money on warranty work than they do on cash customers so if you're dealing with a crooked Dealer or Service Manager that gets a bonus based on sales, you're going to get blown off every time on a warranty claim for a 7 year old car.

If you go back with the supporting documentation, they'll begrudgingly resubmit the claim which will miraculously clear this time.

Myself, I'd take the documentation to a different dealer and go from there. No sense rewarding a business that uses fraud to pump up the numbers.

Kevin

Here's what is in my contract for the 2014 Durango.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4x4): Transfer Case and all Internal Parts; Axle Housing and all Internal Parts; Axles Shafts; Axle Shaft
Bearings; Drive Shafts Assemblies (Front and Rear); Drive Shaft Center Bearings; Wheel Bearings; Universal Joints and Yokes;
Disconnect Housing Assembly; Seals and Gaskets.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD): Power Transfer Unit and all Internal Parts; Viscous Coupler; Axle Housing and all Internal parts;
Constant Velocity Joints and Boots; Rear Driveline Module; Drive Shaft and Axle Shaft Assemblies; Wheel Bearings; Differential
Carrier Assembly and all Internal Parts; Output Bearing; Output Flange; End Cover; Overrunning Clutch; Shift Motor; Vacuum Motor;
Torque Tube; Pinion Spacer and Shim; Seals and Gaskets.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE: Transaxle Case and all Internal Parts; Axle Shaft Assemblies; Constant Velocity Joints and Boots; Shifter
Mechanism; Wheel Bearings; Differential Cover; Oil Pan; Transaxle Speed Sensors; Transaxle Solenoid Assembly; PRNDL Position
Switch; Transaxle Electronic Controller; Torque Converter; Seals and Gaskets

NOTE: MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH PARTS ARE NOT COVERED AT ANY TIME.

REAR WHEEL DRIVE: Rear Axle Housing and all Internal Parts; Axle Shafts; Axle Shaft Bearings; Drive Shaft Assemblies; Drive
Shaft Center Bearings; Universal Joints and Yokes; Seals and Gaskets.

There is nothing Jeep about the Compass except the emblems. It is a re-badged Caliber. And rather than give a list of negatives on those vehicles, I'll just say that there are better choices out there for basic transportation.

If a CV boot and a couple of bushings are the first and only problems the OP has had so far, he has been very lucky. Sway bar end links are very prone to early failure on a lot of vehicles anymore.

Ah yes, the woodpecker under the hood sound.

Yep

Chryslers haven't been made for quite a while now. Our beloved Corporation passed away long time ago.Raped and pillaged too many times.

After reading the posts I can see a bit more clearly.

I was sold on the plan because I was told it covered all those things but obviously it doesn't.

I just won't expect their warranty to cover anything and then I will be pleasantly surprised if it does. LOL

You should never buy an extended warranty. They have huge margins for those that sell them, and there is a reason for that. I bought a Jeep back in 94 with a bumper to bumper warranty. The steering wheel hub fell off (before airbags) but since it fell off and didn't break - not covered. The steering damper failed at 13K miles - not covered because it is considered a normal wear and tear item. The final straw was a problem with the power windows. The wiring failed - again not covered. They covered the switch and the motor, not the wiring. I was able to cancel and get some of my money back.

I normally would agree about the extended warranty thing. But my wife and I bought one on our 2018 Durango R/T that we bought used. We bought the Mopar MaxCare for it strictly for the electronics. We figured one failure of the nav/radio system and we would be close to even on money, two failures and we are golden lol. Our 2015 Journey had two nav units replaced in it under warranty in just two years. But because we bought the extended warranty the system in the Durango has been flawless now for 18 months or so.

Also having extended warranty keeps me from doing things like changing the camshaft, and other modifications I shouldn't do to my wife's car.

I disagree. While extended warranties for most things aren't worth the money, a warranty for a vehicle is, especially the one sold by the manufacturer. You can't touch most repairs these days for less than $500-$1000 so 3-5 trips to the dealership for repairs more than pays for that $3000 warranty. And if your vehicle has all the fancy options and features then it's a no brainer. I've seen some audio head units costing upwards of $4000. Just read the warranty to know what is covered before you buy it.
You can also shop around for a warranty, you don't have to buy it from the selling dealer.

Going to disagree based off my experiences. The last 4 vehicles I've purchased all were bought with an extended warranty. It paid for itself very quickly(sadly), all vehicles were Mopars.

I've always been a Mopar guy, but I too will probably be done with modern mopars after my current ride expires.

I also disagree on not getting extended warranty. We've gotten use out of them and never had any hassle. It's a gamble getting them but the warranty is usually a fraction of the cost of a rebuilt engine or transmission is and especially with all the electronics and higher hourly rates these days repair bills can add up fast.

Here is some input from an ex dealership employee. Parts for me. The factory extended warranty is the way to go, but shop around or just deal direct with the factory as the dealer can sometimes pad the price for additional profit. Some do, some don't. For sure you need to be informed of what is and what is not covered. Getting the repairs done at the selling dealer sometimes gives you leverage on issues needing to be dealt with. Some dealers just plain blow on customer service so be prepared to search one out who will help. When you but that extended service warranty contract, make sure it is the FACTORY ONE, NOT AN AFTERMARKET CONTRACT. Some F&I departments get sneaky and will sell you an aftermarket contract because they make more profit on it. Stay away from those like the plague. All you will get out of them is the happy finger. When you run into difficulties getting something taken care of, make sure the contract shows that the item is covered. If it is and you are getting nowhere with the dealer, look on the back of your owners manual or in the owners portfolio packet. There is a number to call the mothership to complain about what's going on. Sometimes the coverage problem is just the dealer but there are times when the issue is the district service manager trying to make his/her monthly numbers look good to the higher ups. When I was working parts, you knew there was an issue with something by the frequency of repairs or replacement of a given item. Like the 604/518/618 trannies, 4.0 liter Jeep exhaust manifolds etc. The district service managers would put dealers on restriction because the repaired/replaced too many of something. I worked at a dealer in the mid 90's where the other two dealers in the immediate area were put on restriction because of the frequency of repair/replace 604 trannies and they referred customers to ours and then we got put on restriction. How about confessing that there is an issue with the item Mopar? Anyhow, call that number, have all your info ready and don't let up. One time I "slipped up" and gave a customer the district managers number to them since they were getting nowhere at the dealer due to the district manager. That made it so he couldn't just hide. He didn't like that phone call but took care of it. When he had to deal directly with the customer as opposed to letting someone else deal with it he sang a different tune. Be prepared to get mean.

Chrysler Corporation was DOA in 1998....hasn't been an American company since then. As basketcase said...been raped and passed around like a cheap [censored] ever since.

Pretty much what I stated but the DSM and the factory have nothing to do with the service contract side. Service contract repairs do not count against the dealer for any reason, totally seperate. There really is no reason for a dealer to decline a repair covered by the service contract, it's money in the bank.

As I remember, service contract work pays the least, regular warranty is a step up with customer pay being the highest. The techs would really complain when the repair was a service contract as the labor rates were less, the labor times were cut from even regular warranty. If you had a creative writer or service manager, they could get some of the labor time back so the tech and department got hosed less. Its like being stuck between squabbling children that don't want to play together. You may have to get testy with the mothership on the contract as its theirs and they need to stand behind it and you are not going to be the referee between the mothership and the dealer. You are the customer that bought it, they sold it to you and they need to stand behind it otherwise its media and possible legal time.

Chryslers service contracts pay the same as regular warranty, all the same labor op codes. Aftermarket warranties will pay Chilton, Motors, All Data or factory warranty times. Depends on the company but nobody pays less than regular factory warranty.

Ok. Last time I worked at a dealer was 04. Looks like they changed then. I just remember the complaining while I worked the tech's counter.

this post reminded me of a story. I deliver commercial parts for Advance. Recently one customer had a nice (relatively speaking) '18 Chevy Silverado. Ball joints SHOT at 30 some thousand miles. Local dealer says 'normal wear" and won't warranty them. I know it's 3 yrs old but the truck looked basically new. No wonder folks buy "foreign" cars nowadays.

A few years ago, our friends bought a used BMW from the local BMW dealer. He wanted to sell them an aftermarket extended warranty and refused to sell them the official BMW warranty. I told them to shop the warranty at another BMW dealer. The BMW warranty was actually a lot less money than the local dealer wanted for his aftermarket one. They bought the car and then bought the warranty afterwards from the other dealer. Their salesman wasn't too pleased about how it worked out.....

It's threads like this that make me want to stick with my old cars. I've looked for years at newer vehicles and have just never pulled the trigger. I've also heard stories like the above for years and they make me question if I want a newer vehicle. I've really been looking at newer Rams, F150's and 3-6 year old Chevy's (the newer body style is butt ugly).

Just made a 400 mile trip today to the Indy swap in my 98 Chevy 1500. Clicked over 198,000 on the trip. Other than normal wear items, I've never replaced anything on the truck in the 5 years I've owned it. Paid $1600 for it and have put over 32k miles on it.

FYI- I'm a car who*e, I own Mopars, Fords, Mercurys and Chevy's. My newest car is 23 years old and they all serve me great and are all relatively easy to work on. None have had any major issues either.

My parents have a Ford Fusion that one of the control arms was replaced not too long ago because of excessive ball joint play so not all dealers/North American makes are bad. Warranty wise anyway. No comment on ball joint being bad so soon.

Seems the gold standard across many brands is for the dealer to say "Its normal thus its NOT covered." For example- its normal for a low mileage still under warranty engine to consume 1 quart of oil per 1000 miles. And if a malfunction happens to the majority of the same model- the dealership has made this a legal definition of normal simply because if they all display this same malfunction- its normal.

What you guys need to understand is that it's not the dealer that decides what is covered and what is not, it's the manufacturer. They have become hyper involved in warranty repairs. These days you have to send photos, make a phone call or request authorization to make numerous repairs to a vehicle. It has gotten pretty crazy and time consuming. It was just one of the reasons I decided to retire early, the amount of documentation we had to do was making it harder and harder to make a living. At the end they were starting to send inspectors out at random. So you tear a car down, then wait days for an authorization or an inspector. In many cases the vehicle can't be moved after that so it sits there tying up a stall that I couldn't use to make money. Frustrating to say the least.

BEST RESPONSE in this thread:



If it were me I would ask the dealership for the "warranty claim number" and any information concerning that claim. Then I would call the manufacture and/or the extended warranty provider and verify or request their response to the claim. As GJ noted sometimes the warranty claim might never have been submitted as the dealer doesn't want to go through all the hassle and down time with all that is involved. Sometimes the manufacture's customer service will step in to avoid internet and social media threads like this one........I did say "sometimes" Get the warranty denied report and warranty claim number and pick up the phone to the people where the buck stops and that is NOT the local dealership's repair shop or the dealership at all.

The factory warranty times and factory service contracts have always had the same labor rates. This goes back to the early 80's where they gained popularity.

That's good info.

What I was pointing out is that the major allure of a new vehicle to me is piece of mind and not having to worry about issues for a while because well, it's a new car. What I found is, there are many I've known with new vehicles that have more issues than what I do with 23+ year old vehicles. To pay high 20's to high 40's for a new or newer vehicle and have more issues than a 23 year old $1600 beater is just unacceptable. Regardless of who's behind the warranty issues is irrelevant to me. Having to deal with faulty ball joints, etc. after 30k miles and after the money was spent is not something I would be happy with. Having to deal with hassles and arguing with people over warranty work after the breaks is just ridiculous. Don't know if the potential drama is worth it. That's all I was saying.

You will get no argument from me on that, I love my old trucks better than the newer one, however I don't mind driving a rattling, smelly, noisy, wind and water leaking old truck with no radio or navigation system. Other people do. They also don't want to have to have work on, tinker with, or deal with unavailable or crappy replacement parts, I get it, but that's just us.

We have a Jeep we have a couple years left to pay it off and two that have lifetime warranties. When the need arises for a new vehicle, we might actually lease. Money wise, it's almost always better to buy. But since the lifetime warranty isn't available any more, we are considering a lease.

I'm not sure I'll ever buy new again--no matter the brand. They lure people into a false sense of security with warranties, but then everything is a fight to get it fixed.

I just can't see paying a six year note on a $40K or $50K car, only to have stuff break anyway and it's a 50/50 shot it won't get covered. And if it does, it takes a week to get an appointment and another week to get fixed.

I'll take my $7000 car with 100K miles on it, and my $4000 car with 240K miles on it. At least I expect things to break on them now and then. And when they do, I can usually have them fixed in the driveway in a day or two with a little help from the FSM or YouTube. While I'm fixing one, I drive the other. And if it is too serious to repair, I scrap it and get a new one. There are some really nice used cars out there if you can find one that is well taken care of.

The average depreciation on new cars is around 50% at 3 years. That is all I need to know. The warranty and other issues brought up in this thread are just icing on the 'no new cars for my household' cake. I work too hard for my money to 'invest' it that way.

"Is" or "was"? The used car market has been going crazy in recent times. I was looking for a used pickup and realized I could buy new for not much more than a 2 or 3 year old truck with 40,000 miles is selling for now.
I was talking to a buddy of mine yesterday who has a 2000 Ram 4x2 CTD he paid $27,000 for in 2003 with 16000 miles. He said from what he can tell, he could sell it for around that now with 110,000 miles!
Either wait for sanity to return someday or buy new seemed to be the choice I was faced with.

The current price rise in used cars is an aberration caused by very unusual market conditions that will soon enough revert back to normal. The 50% in three years has not applied the last year, but will return soon enough as this Covid thing winds down.

Now, trucks and large SUVs are another matter entirely. They are out-of-sight and have been for some time. With new ones listing at $50,000 and more, the used ones are just as outrageous. And ones that are in good condition whose miles are not out of sight, are hard to find. Supply and demand. There are simply more buyers than there are desirable vehicles.

Yeah, not to mention half the used trucks for sale around here have been hack-jobbed by some d*bag with the 4" lift kit, blacked-out fake beadlock wheels with low profile tires, a back window full of decals, and who knows what kind of half-a** mods. And they want you to pay extra for that mess.

No way I would touch one of those with a 10-foot pole. Factory stock only. The bad driveshaft angles alone will cause you heartache--as most of those lift jobs were done the "cheap" way, not the "right" way.