Help, my car's a piece of excrement

[GWashington1732]

You have problems my friend. That loud thumping doesn't sound like the engine it sounds like a ball joint especially when you say it happens at higher speeds and rattles as you slow down.

I'm going to take it to some random mechanic to have them look for the problem. If it's a ball joint I'm going to go to that dealership and make someone eat their left kidney because they were supposed to have replaced that already.

it had a v6, check/change the cam position sensor, my intrepid did that exact same shit. not an expensive job or part. if its not the v6 i got nothing.

I had that problem back in April, supposedly they fixed this too, this problem doesn't feel like the same thing, but I could be wrong.

If it's under warranty, take it out on the freeway and put your foot into it until it detonates (my own experiences might have lent an off color to this advice.)

I'm getting to the point where I'm considering putting a road flare into it until it detonates.

If the previous owner never had scheduled oils changes performed than you maybe SOL on the warranty. Did you buy the vehicle from the dealership?

I bought it from the dealership, but unfortunately this dealership is really sleezy.

By the way, anyone in the Vineland, NJ area should avoid both of Lilliston's dealerships at all cost. Buy a car off of someone's front lawn if you have no other choice.

 

[Bufford]

I bought it from the dealership, but unfortunately this dealership is really sleezy.

Take it to a different Dodge dealership, it doesn't have to be the one you purchased it from, any Dodge will do. You have a contract that contains warranty, you have a right to have it fixed properly.

 

[roughneckrob]

Man, I really despise car dealerships.

 

[Trail Edge]

Man, I really despise car dealerships.

lol, I just got my car back from the shop, and the shop owner wanted $800 "in cash"

 

[JPD1998]

Take it to a different Dodge dealership, it doesn't have to be the one you purchased it from, any Dodge will do. You have a contract that contains warranty, you have a right to have it fixed properly.

Absolutely, take it to another dealer.
My Jeep is serviced by a dealer close to home, but I didn't buy it there.

 

[Unk]

Due to early life experiences I remain amazed that automobiles manufactured with thousands of parts run as well as they do AND that OEM continue to allow them to be sold...and serviced... by CRIMINALS.

If VW almost disappeared from the U.S.marketplace in the mid-70's I like to think that I had some influence on the dozens of prospective VW buyers I came in contact with.

You can screw your customers however there may be costs far beyond what you are willing or able to pay.

Sorry about your Mopar but could have been a VW Dasher back in the day.

Save up and buy a Viper, if it implodes you will go out in style.

 

[nccole]

If you have learned anything, do not buy an older Chrysler product again. I had a 96 Sebring, the only thing decent in that car was the Mitsubishi engine. Transmission was junk, chassis was junk, and it just was not all pleasurable to drive.

 

[suppertramp]

take the car out and red line it till it explodes have it towed back to the dealer after they fix it trade it in for a Toyota and never look back its,sad but unless someone wants a headache and to throw away what little $ they have buy an American brand car. I'm all for American made but I'm not for buying a crap box that won't last 7 years i have boots that are worn daily that have and will out last any newer vehicle made by an American company

 

[richard thurman]

sounds like you need a new mechanic. the way you talk he is stupid. I have a dodge 1999 1500 PU and I have 175,000 miles on it. I had transmission problems. he asked me how long has it been like this and I told him 4 months. he ask me what happened to 2 gear. I ask him what are you talking about. I didn’t have 2 gear. besides the transmission I have not had any major problems. the breaks, alternator the battery. just small stuff. nothing like you are talking about.

 

[GWashington1732]

I took it to NTB this afternoon. The thumping noise is the front right hub bearings, another thing that was supposed to be fixed a month ago. The ball joint's were also not replaced, but the guy said they were fine, I'm going to have to check if the dealership charged me for repairs for that. I'm not going to risk any more crap from this dealership though, I'm going to demand a refund and take my refunded money back to NTB to let them do the work on the bearings. Still no explanation for my stalling, grinding, lack of acceleration, oil burning problems. The guy at NTB took me out and showed me the problem. They also said I could use a tune-up and new spark plugs, which I have a receipt from the dealership that says they did that work in May . Big plus, NTB didn't charge me to do the inspection, dealer charges $90 to do the same thing.

 

[GWashington1732]

Just want to make sure I have my stuff straight before I go in there swinging. I know for sure that they didn't do, or did wrong, the bearing work they were supposed to last month. I can't find if they charged for ball joints, so for now I'll assume they didn't. Now, I'm not completely mechanically challenged, but does this look like the end of a spark plug that was replaced on June 6? I can't tell.

 

[roughneckrob]

That plug doesn't look too bad but its older than a month. Is this place thats been screwing you around certified by Chrysler? If so I would make a phone call to the people at Chrysler and tell them the entire story.

 

[richard thurman]

you need to go down there and start screaming at the top of your lungs and make sure that there is other customers around when you do it. they will help you out very fast just to shut you up.

 

[GWashington1732]

That plug doesn't look too bad but its older than a month. Is this place thats been screwing you around certified by Chrysler? If so I would make a phone call to the people at Chrysler and tell them the entire story.

It is certified and it's one of the places the insurance company sends you, I might be making a few calls to a couple of places if I can't get this sorted out in short order.

 

[roughneckrob]

you need to go down there and start screaming at the top of your lungs and make sure that there is other customers around when you do it. they will help you out very fast just to shut you up.

I agree, dont be nice or you will be walked on by these people. This is how they got rich, think about who owns these car companies. They are not in it for you to have a reliable car, they want it breaking down so you are replacing parts and you are using their mechanics to do it. Until you begin shoeing away future customers they won't take you seriously.

 

[roughneckrob]

It is certified and it's one of the places the insurance company sends you, I might be making a few calls to a couple of places if I can't get this sorted out in short order.

Never take your car to one of these insurance certified places. My truck was built by Chevy and if its in an accident it will be fixed by Chevy. Insurance companies don't want you doing this because other places are much cheaper for them but by law your vehicle is to be repaired to the point where it was before an accident and that was done using OEM parts and by Chevy mechanics in a Chevy factory. Stay away from these places, go right to a Chrysler dealer. It will cost a a bit more but it will get fixed right.

 

[GWashington1732]

Never take your car to one of these insurance certified places. My truck was built by Chevy and if its in an accident it will be fixed by Chevy. Insurance companies don't want you doing this because other places are much cheaper for them but by law your vehicle is to be repaired to the point where it was before an accident and that was done using OEM parts and by Chevy mechanics in a Chevy factory. Stay away from these places, go right to a Chrysler dealer. It will cost a a bit more but it will get fixed right.

This dealership is a certified Chrysler dealership.
Their body shop put my new door on after somebody hit me while I was stopped at a light last year and the new door leaked so I took it back around this time last year. Then after well over a month at the shop they finally got the door to stop leaking, until last week and now the inside of my car is flooded and smells like rot. The entire passenger side interior is ruined, and has mold growing on it in some places, and that's not good to breathe, the rubber seal for the door is coming out when I raise the window, and it doesn't open from the drivers side.

Then we have their repair shop which I know for sure that they haven't done at least two things they were supposed to have done in the past two months (spark plugs and wheel bearings). I know for sure that at least one time they didn't replace the oil after an oil change, and I drove it for a week with almost no oil, which even I know is bad. And I have my doubts as to whether or not they've checked the engine or done any of the tune-ups any of the times I brought it in there (that's $90 just to look at the car).

So basically they've ruined the car. It's going to cost at least a couple thousand dollars to fix all of the problems I have, assuming that someone eventually finds the problem with the engine. I can't even consider getting a new car at the moment because this one isn't even close to paid off.

 

[roughneckrob]

They should replace the car if it beyond repair due to the incompetence of these mechanics. The car is still under warranty and they have to honour it and if they can fix it they should begin right away, no questions asked and they can give you a loaner while your car in getting rebuilt.

 

[GWashington1732]

They should replace the car if it beyond repair due to the incompetence of these mechanics. The car is still under warranty and they have to honour it and if they can fix it they should begin right away, no questions asked and they can give you a loaner while your car in getting rebuilt.

They should do those things, you're right, I doubt they will though. The warranty only covers certain parts and it doesn't cover labor, I believe the entire engine is covered until I hit 100,000 miles but the thing would have to blow up since no one can find the problem, and even then, I'd still have to cover the cost of labor which could be close to a thousand all by its self, if they'll even cover the parts. I just don't see this ending well for me, the best I can hope for is to make it end badly for them too.

 

[roughneckrob]

There is one more thing you can consider. Maybe you should think about trading it in on something else. You will probably have a little bigger payment per month but you could be rid of this lemon and have a newer more reliable car, at the end of the day you are still going to have a payment.