🚀 go-pugleaf

Hey everyone -

I'm having a problem with my Dodge truck.  I want to tell you about it so
that you can evaluate whether or not you ever want to buy a Chrysler
product.  I ask you to forward this to your friends and colleagues, as I'm
interested in costing Chrysler some money, they've certainly cost me time
and money.

On July 1st I had a significant engine failure on my truck (1998 Dodge
2500 4x4 diesel quad cab long bed automatic with 23,000 miles).  The
specifics aren't necessary, but it was catastrophic (injector pump broken,
engine red-lined with the keys out of the ignition).  It was my suspicion
then that there was significant engine damage in addition to the injector
pump needing to be replaced.  I told Chrysler that, from my experience
with diesel engines having driven them for several years, this truck would
need a new injector pump and engine at the minimum, and that the
turbocharger and torque converter would also need looking at (due to the
circumstances of the failure).  

The vehicle ended up at Poll Motors in Sheridan, the closest city to where
the truck died.  They replaced the injector pump and fiddled with the
truck.  They had the truck from July 2 through July 16.  On the 15th they
told me it was done, come get it, so I did on the 16th (Friday).  They had
the truck for nearly two weeks.

I got the truck and it was NOT done.  It had a new injector pump in it,
which turned out to be bad.  They never inspected the engine, the
injectors, didn't change the oil nor inspect it for metal shavings from
the engine failure, didn't pull the head and measure valve lash, nothing. 
Their work was slipshod at best, completely pathetic and incompetent being
more accurate.  I urge anyone travelling through Wyoming to avoid Poll
Motors like the plague, their service manager was pitiful and they proved
that they are incapable of diagnosing and servicing diesel engines. 
Additionally I received poor treatment for my diagnostics; I explained the
step-by-step happenings during the engine failure and was pooh-poohed for
it.  The only reason the truck stayed there was because it was, at the
time, required to be repaired there under the Chrysler service contract.

The truck was drivable when I picked it up, but only at 50mph or less.  It
was pretty evident that the service manager just wanted my truck out of
his shop; when I turned it over and it ran roughly as soon as it started I
asked him "what's that?!" and he said "I don't know what to tell you."  I
drove it back to Casper, about 170 miles.  It has been in the hands of an
independent diesel repair shop covered under warranty by Chrysler, but
only because I flipped out on them and provided proof of precedent in
which Chrysler had paid for a non-Chrysler mechanic to fix something under
warranty.

Throughout this ordeal I have told everyone involved that I had to leave
for a medical conference on August 6th in San Diego, and that I had to
have my truck to travel to it.  I have called Chrysler's 800 customer
service line which I have found to be totally impotent and ineffective;
all they can do is make phone calls to people but have no real power to
cause action or change.  I sent a $100 telegram to the CEO of
Daimler-Chrysler (Robert Eaton in Michigan) asking for his help and
intervention.  I got a phone call from a customer service center rep and
some lip service; again no real change or action.

Today is August 2.  The new pump, having been rebuilt, is on the truck. 
The injectors, which has metal shavings in them from the pump failure
initially are back on too after having been fixed.  Today they discovered
that there is damage in the valve train, internal engine damage just as I
told them the day the truck failed, damage which the first shop ignored. 
I find out tomorrow if the engine will have to be replaced (which I
believe it will, just as I told them from the beginning); if so it will
take a minimum of 4 days to get the engine shipped here, plus a day to
swap it out.  

My truck has been dead over a month, with no end in sight, and the only
service I've received from Chrysler has been Lip Service.  I purchased a
$35,000 truck in good faith from them, and have received "service" that is
utterly deplorable.  If I treated my patients in this apathetic cavalier
fashion I'd be receiving lawsuits weekly. 

Please think twice before buying a Chrysler product.  I won't tell you to
avoid them, that is to be your decision.  But please be aware of the
complete lack of service behind their products as I've experienced it.  I
know some of you do own Chrysler products, and maybe mine is an unusual
set of repeated bad luck.  However I wouldn't expect bad luck to run this
long, and I do expect more than "we'll get on it in the next couple of
days" (quote from Poll Motors service manager).   A friend of mine had his
injector pump go out on his Chevy - it was back on the road in two days. 
Interestingly I know someone who bought a USED Saturn, from a non-Saturn
dealer, and when she had trouble had it on the road in two days with
Saturn sending the part for free.

Because of the trouble I've had, my father, who loved my truck when he
first saw it and wanted to buy one, now refuses to buy one based on my
dealings with Chrysler.  One of my x-ray techs, who was thinking about
getting a truck similar to mine with her husband, has now decided to look
at Ford.  That's at least two people who refuse to buy Dodge trucks
because of what happened to me, a minimum of $50,000 in lost sales going
to someone else. 

I hope others of you out there will consider following their lead,
Chrysler has treated me poorly, and I intend to let everyone I know read
or hear about this.  I have lost untold hours in useless phone calls,
frustration, and a complete lack of customer service.  Perhaps Chryler
will lose some money over this, that might get their attention.  If 30
potential truck buyers decide to go buy a Ford, that's $1,000,000 lost to
Chrysler.  Please help me in achieving that goal.

-- 
Intelligence is a constant.  The population is increasing.

Jason Whaley, PA-C
Medical University of South Carolina - PA Program
Instacare of Casper West, Wyoming