Engine Failure - Warranty Claim - DENIED

[kdove]

my motor broke in january 12th...and im fighting with the dealer who dont understand my receipts....he thinks my 5gal of rotella is a 5L -_-
+ he said i dont have my ViN on my receipt LOL...but its all the same mastercard# on them...easy to see its me and the funniest, out of nowhere 12 days after the diagnostic he said oh and btw your oil filter was not sitting properly ( 12 days after the first call saying they found metal particulate in the oil pan) WOW unbelievable. impossible to talk to the manager to understand something he only repeat its denied. he even hang up the phone on me while i was aking a question.

I did 4 oil change and i have all my receipts with 5w40 rotella, 3 mopar filter and 1 wix(napa gold). MY only mistake is on my 3th oil change i couldnt restart the oil life monitor before 2 days so i ended up doing 16,600km instead the 16,000 recommended by FCA. Should i try to go to another dealer (province) ??? thank you for your help

 

[GriffM]

Definitely try somewhere else. You have more of a chance than I do. 600km should not be the be all end all. What province are you located in? Also what year is the truck. I was quoted 19000 to replace my engine in my 2019.

 

[kdove]

Definitely try somewhere else. You have more of a chance than I do. 600km should not be the be all end all. What province are you located in? Also what year is the truck. I was quoted 19000 to replace my engine in my 2019.

My truck broke in Ontario (Timmins) and ill bring it to my hometown in Quebec. (2018 my truck)

Do you guys know if we do our own oil change are we supposed to do a statement for the record or keeping the receipts of oil and filter it supposed to be good enough.

 

[burwellflagin]

Not an ideal first post, but I am hoping someone here will have some advice that will help me out.

My 2017 Ram with 47,000 miles that I bought new had the bottom end go out on Sunday while driving flat on the freeway at 65mph. The dealer said the main bearing on the connector rod went out, but I don't think they have taken the motor apart to confirm yet. They filed a warranty request to Chrysler to authorize a new motor Monday and today (Tuesday) I was told Chrysler denied the warranty request.The reason cited was that I had changed the oil at an interval of 10,170 miles for my second oil change which exceeded the 10,000 mile max interval. All oil changes were done at the dealer and all but that one were under the 10k mile interval. I was/am shocked to say the least that 170 miles over would even be considered as voiding the warranty.

The service manager does not seem interested in putting much effort in appealing the decision, but she indicated she would talk to her regional rep. I called the Chrysler Customer Care line and a friendly woman said she would look into my case and get back to me.

Does anyone have any experience appealing a warranty claim denial or have any helpful advice otherwise? The dealer threw out a figure of $28k for the repair. I cannot imagine having to foot that bill for a motor that clearly has an issue unrelated to my oil change.

Orion

I have a 2016 Ecodiesel, that failed with 74,000 miles. No warning. Just stopped on the highway. Warranty expired in august 2021 - now in February, its toast. they will not offer any assistance.

 

[kdove]

Well, I had another long talk with the service manager today which ended in further disappointment. She indicated the regional manager is dug in and believes my warranty is void by exceeding the 10,000 mile mark on oil changes. She admitted it is surprising and unusual that he is taking a hard line stance on this particular case and could not give me a reason why. She said she has had several conversations with him and tried to plead my case but was unsuccessful. This was further confirmed with the follow up call I got from Customer Care today. The call was surreal, the guy sounded like a body guard from the Soprano's and kept telling me that "There's nothing we can do for you bud, you rode that truck too hard". The truck is hardly "ridden hard" - it commutes 50miles a day to get to my desk job and then road trips on the weekend. Almost all of the miles are freeway.

The district manager even told my service manager that he would not pay for the oil pan to be dropped to look at the bearings since it didn't matter what caused the failure, since in his opinion I broke the terms of the warranty. The dealer service manager is going to go ahead and pull the oil pan anyway on the dealers dime to take a look at the bearings. So, I will see where that leads...

Everyone I have spoken to so far keeps telling me that the oil should be changed between 5k and 7k and that oil life indicator rarely makes it to 10k. Is that the experience of others here? My oil life indicator looked like it tracked to 10k for every oil change. When I purchased the truck I was told the interval was 10K and I have had conversations with the dealer in the past about oil interval and they instructed me to follow the oil life indicator.

I am quickly losing hope that Chrysler is going to come through without going to the mat. I wonder if the burden of replacement engines is becoming too much for FCA and they are taking a hard line as policy or do I just have a district manager that is having a bad week and feels like sticking it to someone.

Orion

So at the end how you get away with the exceeding mileage that yoi had on one of your oil change ? I did 300miles over on one of mine and i would like to know for my warranty thanks

 

[Augiedoggy]

It seems to be the luck of the draw as to which dealership you go to. Many look for any excuse not to cover work. If the warranty is up though your at their mercy.

Until they officially acknowledge this engine has a major QC problem in the bottom end which doesnt seem likely at this point, they will simple sweep this chapter of the ecodiesel lineage under the rug and try to suppress expressed frustrations, as they have taken measurements to address these failures on the newer generation design so ive read. There are still folks even here in denial who will be quick to dismiss these failures as poor operator maintenance but theres just far far too many main bearing failures for that. If there was a superior aftermarket crankshaft and bearing on the market Id already have purchased them to save me the grief and worry of when and where... A complete replacement engine was about 8k from mopar last I checked but they are always backordered because of all the constant failures.

 

[scoffman]

This guy talks about wanting to build a crankshaft for the ecodiesel. He believes it's the main cause of all the engine failures. Not sure where he's at in the development process but he gives his email at the end of the video.

 

[Augiedoggy]

This guy talks about wanting to build a crankshaft for the ecodiesel. He believes it's the main cause of all the engine failures. Not sure where he's at in the development process but he gives his email at the end of the video.

multiple experts believe the crankshaft flex is main issue.

 

[cdumotoman]

I have a 2016 ecodiesel with 57,000 miles. Spun the main bearings. Chrystler told me sorry warranty is up it will be 8 to 10 months and 14,000$ for new motor is there anything I can do?

 

[Augiedoggy]

I have a 2016 ecodiesel with 57,000 miles. Spun the main bearings. Chrystler told me sorry warranty is up it will be 8 to 10 months and 14,000$ for new motor is there anything I can do?

You can buy a rebuilt or junk yard motor but most of the ecodiesels in the junkyard died from the same engine flaw so... this is one way to get rid of the gen 2 ecodiesels out there..

 

[burwellflagin]

I have a 2016 ecodiesel with 57,000 miles. Spun the main bearings. Chrystler told me sorry warranty is up it will be 8 to 10 months and 14,000$ for new motor is there anything I can do?

Same thing happened to me. The cab has to be taken off the frame to install the engine. I paid the 14k.
Got 100k dealer warranty. Beats saving 4k otherwise.

 

[burwellflagin]

Same thing happened to me. The cab has to be taken off the frame to install the engine. I paid the 14k.
Got 100k dealer warranty. Beats saving 4k otherwise.

Took 7 weeks for new engine to arrive for me. Got it back 1 month ago

 

[CAVEMANN]

Has ANYONE bothered to have a failure analysis done?

 

[Ramman1]

I don't know if I believe that. Oil gets extremely contaminated by the EDR valve. If you don't have a bypass filter or a delete kit you need to cut the oil life in half or run extremely good oil like Amsoil. Amsoil is rated for 20,000 miles on that vehicle but I will change the oil at 10,000. Bearings have tight tolerances on practically every motor out there it's a failure of the oil that ruins the bearings. Use good oil and change frequently the bearing should never wear out on any vehicle. VM Motori is a very high-end diesel builder they did not screw this up. It was screwed up when the American EPA demanded there shit Emissions system be put on this vehicle. https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/30255/reasons-bearings-fail The top 2 have to do with the oil that you can control.

I did the delete just recently at 176k miles, night and day, better mileage, cooler running temps, no def, I wish I had done it years ago.

 

[Ramman1]

Well I was able to get the following email sent to the District Manager that apparently is getting some amount of traction. I rolled in much of the advice that was given on this site and elsewhere, so thanks all again. My service manager said the District Manager was interested in the emails regarding the bearing failures and is going to talk to his manager.

We have started talking with other dealerships and lawyers so I am not dead in the water yet!

Hi Janell,

I have put together a summary of my case and am asking that you to please forward it on to the District Manager. When we spoke yesterday I was concerned that the district manager does not have an accurate understanding of how the truck has been used and so I am hoping this summary will help clarify any confusion that may exist and lead him to reconsider his recommendation to not cover my engine under warranty.

If you have the opportunity to speak with Scott again, I would ask you highlight the following items

• There is a known issue with bearing failures with ecodiesel engines and there is no evidence that my maintenance caused the failure.
• All oil changes were done within 500 miles of the oil change required message.
• The truck was maintained in a manner that I understood to be reasonable and in accordance with the owner’s manual. The dealership advertised the oil change interval as 10,000 miles when I purchased the truck. I have discussed oil change intervals with Rairdon service managers in the past, and I had been advised to follow the dash oil life indicator which I have done.

Also, if you have any comments/concerns/additions you would like to provide regarding the information below, that would be great.

Thanks,
Orion xxxxxx
206-819-xxxx

Vehicle Description:
2017 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel Laramie Crew Cab LB 4x4
VIN:xxxxxx
Odometer: 47,000 miles

Vehicle Usage:
The truck is primarily used as a commuter vehicle to travel daily from my home in Kirkland to my place of work (Boeing) in Tukwila. The daily commute is ~50miles total. On weekends, we frequently travel to camp and recreate outside which can involve many highway miles. The truck is generally driven in a manner to maximize fuel economy. Approximately once a month during the summer, a small fiberglass travel trailer (Dry weight 2,000lbs) is towed on the highway for camping. The truck is NOT used for heavy hauling, offroading, frequent city driving or short commutes or other severe condition use.

Vehicle Issue:
Suspected seized main bearing and thrown connector rod.

Sunday 11/3 at 11:30 the truck started making a sharp knocking noise while driving on the freeway at approximately 65mph. I was hauling a small dirtbike and driving a steady speed on a level surface. The knocking became quickly much worse and the truck began to lose power. I idled the truck to the shoulder immediately and shut off the engine. I was towed to Rairdon’s Kirkland and truck was started three times that I know of since. Once to shift the truck to neutral to load. Once to shift the truck to neutral to unload. Once to move the truck a short distance in the lot.

Vehicle/Service History:
The vehicle was purchased new in late 2017 and had all service maintenance done at Rairdon’s Kirkland. All oil changes were done within the maximum recommended interval of 10,000 miles with the exception of the second oil service done at an interval of 10,170 miles per the odometer. This truck is equipped with and an oil life indicator which alerts me when service is due. The only time that I had service light illuminate was for the second oil service when the service light illuminated at 10,000 miles. The truck was brought into the dealer for service within the 500 miles of the light illuminating as instructed per the owner’s manual. At the time of engine failure, the vehicle has just over 47,000 miles on the odometer.

Service records are attached (HS537930.pdf)

Dealer Response:
Rairdon’s Kirkland service manager Janell informed me that the engine needs to be replaced due to failed main bearings. Janelle initiated a Chrysler warranty approval for purchase of a new engine. Service records were provided to the Chrysler District Manager (Scott). Janell communicated verbally to me that Chrysler rejected the warranty claim citing improper maintenance as the cause of the engine failure. As of 11/7/2019 no mechanic inspection of the vehicle has been performed; the diagnoses of the engine problem and cause of failure appears to be entirely done without inspection and it is unclear what evidence they have the engine indeed needs to be replaced or what caused any failure.

I have had multiple interactions with Janell and another service manager (Marcello) in an effort to appeal the decision to deny the warranty. Janell has insisted that the dealer does not have any leverage with Chrysler and there is no additional recourse available. Janell also communicated that the District Manager suspected the truck was “used as a work truck” and that the oil life indicator likely came on well before 10k miles – this is not true as described earlier.

Known Engine Problems of Ecodiesel:
High failure rates of main bearings in the ecodiesel are a known issue within Chrysler. This has been documented with emails between Chrysler(FCA) and EPA that were made public in the ecodiesel emmissions settlement case 17-MD-2777-EMC. See attachments and the following links.

https://jalopnik.com/baffled-by-dieselgate-emails-reveal-fiat-chrysler-stru-1822737746
https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/emc/chryslermdl

There are also numerous anecdotal accounts available on the internet. It is worth noting that it appears that Chrysler honored the warranty and provided replacement engines for the vast majority of accounts. There are examples the warranty was honored with similar service history as I have.

I consider myself fortunate, I have 176589 on my 2016, no issues except my tone ring failing, which is a recall item but does not include my exact VIN , but it happens to the 16 eco. 2000 dollar replacement as the trans has to come out. FCA would not cover this repair despite most other 16s needed it done, there is no negotiating with them whatsoever. What difference would it make if yours was a “work truck”? Can’t I use my truck any way I see fit?

 

[DATA]

I did the delete just recently at 176k miles, night and day, better mileage, cooler running temps, no def, I wish I had done it years ago.

Which tuner did you use?

 

[mike@hangar46]

my motor broke in january 12th...and im fighting with the dealer who dont understand my receipts....he thinks my 5gal of rotella is a 5L -_-
+ he said i dont have my ViN on my receipt LOL...but its all the same mastercard# on them...easy to see its me and the funniest, out of nowhere 12 days after the diagnostic he said oh and btw your oil filter was not sitting properly ( 12 days after the first call saying they found metal particulate in the oil pan) WOW unbelievable. impossible to talk to the manager to understand something he only repeat its denied. he even hang up the phone on me while i was aking a question.

I did 4 oil change and i have all my receipts with 5w40 rotella, 3 mopar filter and 1 wix(napa gold). MY only mistake is on my 3th oil change i couldnt restart the oil life monitor before 2 days so i ended up doing 16,600km instead the 16,000 recommended by FCA. Should i try to go to another dealer (province) ??? thank you for your help

I am in the first stage of a similar situation. 2020 RAM Ecodiesel(29K miles)...low oil pressure light came on within 50 miles of me changing oil and filter. Used Pennzoil Euro 5W-40 as prescribed, and correct Mopar filter Part number. Dealer Service writer said I didn't lubricate the O rings and didn't properly seat the filter. My son laughed out loud at that as he has been trained by me about O rings and many other needs for perfection on aircraft. They said $20K to fix with new engine and that warranty wouldn't cover it since I changed the oil/filter. They DROVE the truck to get it to operating temp(212F) and tech said there was metal particles on dipstick, and filter not properly seated.
They took pictures which I can't seem to verify are even from my truck. I have not found any metal on the dispstick when using 16X magnifying loupe. I own and operate an aircraft maintenance shop, am an FAA licensed mechanic and inspector...and they accused me of not properly lubing the O rings and not using the proper torque. My wrenches are calibrated, and I know that 25.5 Newton meters comes to 18.8 ft. lbs. I have a full Mopar warranty, 100K miles/8 years bumper to bumper, all inclusive.
So, this morning, I emailed to ask about a meeting to discuss options and issues with the service writer and the service manager. Let's see how this plays out. Please keep me informed and updated on your issues, and I will do the same.

 

[TC Diesel]

Mike46, If even if the O-ring was seated in correctly there should have been enough Lube/pressure to for the rotating mass lubrication, it certainly would not destroy the mating surfaces in 50 miles of driving. Its the same failure that has plagued VM 3.0 from 2014, its either QC or that darn bed Plate squirmed and took out the bearings.

 

[biggrits21]

Not an ideal first post, but I am hoping someone here will have some advice that will help me out.

My 2017 Ram with 47,000 miles that I bought new had the bottom end go out on Sunday while driving flat on the freeway at 65mph. The dealer said the main bearing on the connector rod went out, but I don't think they have taken the motor apart to confirm yet. They filed a warranty request to Chrysler to authorize a new motor Monday and today (Tuesday) I was told Chrysler denied the warranty request.The reason cited was that I had changed the oil at an interval of 10,170 miles for my second oil change which exceeded the 10,000 mile max interval. All oil changes were done at the dealer and all but that one were under the 10k mile interval. I was/am shocked to say the least that 170 miles over would even be considered as voiding the warranty.

The service manager does not seem interested in putting much effort in appealing the decision, but she indicated she would talk to her regional rep. I called the Chrysler Customer Care line and a friendly woman said she would look into my case and get back to me.

Does anyone have any experience appealing a warranty claim denial or have any helpful advice otherwise? The dealer threw out a figure of $28k for the repair. I cannot imagine having to foot that bill for a motor that clearly has an issue unrelated to my oil change.

Orion

Same happened to me on a 2015 Outdoorsman 90k.
Ram knows these motors are a ticking time bomb on the crank bearings there are more and more failures each day. I will never buy a ram again and I will tell Everyone that they produce junk and like to lie and cheat their way out of warrenty like they did to you.
I would definitely sue if I were you

 

[mike@hangar46]

Well, my warranty was denied because...I did my own oil change. FCA says, and I quote..."warranty does not cover any work done by other than FCA licensed dealers or shops". (a violation of the Federal Trade Commision Magnusson Moss Warranty Act)AND the dealer says I didn't put the filter on correctly. Even though I followed all standard practices, used a calibrated torque wrench to the proper torque. They took pictures of "a filter" not seated correctly, and call that evidence. Never did I get a call as soon as they thought something was awry. If I did that in my business I wouldn't have lasted 6 months.
They said there was metal on the dipstick. So I sampled the dipstick three times, wiped it on a clean white tissue. No metal either with a magnet or visually by 16X jewelers loupe. They said there was metal in filter. So...next step...oil sample and filter analysis by an NIST lab. Invoke Federal trade commision Magnusson Moss warranty Act, call Bureau of Automotive Repair, call Dept. of Insurance. The battle is on and I don't like it, but this will certainly look bad for the dealer and FCA. All this following a $300,000,000 fraud settlement against FCA by the Department of Justice. When will they learn. I'll keep this post informed. I wonder if FCA monitors this?