Per my many other posts concerning problems with my truck, injectors, pumps etc. I hired an attorney last year to persue a buyback, replacement or whatever he could arrainge. Per his informationj that I posted prior because I bought thru an employee plan I waived my lemon law rights etc....

Well on to the point.

Got a call yesterday from attorney. He "Said" arbitrator was making an offer to me to replace my truck with an 07. They would do a "collateral excahnge" for a new truck. Sounded real good till he explained details...They would exchange truck but because of time and my driving of truck that their was a formula for miles. Will try to simply explain. Michigan only allows (per his explaniation) 25000 miles for buyback without any customer charge, then there is a formula and set amount etc. In my case cost, due to having 64000 miles on truck, would be about $13000 then lawyer fees of $3000 of which Dodge would pay only $1000. Net cost to trade truck for me would be about $16000 plus balance of paymnents I still owe (slightly over $21000). Sounded real good till I computed it out and it will cost me $37000 to trade to a new 07 truck. It will raise my monthly payments by $200 or so. Guess I'll have to stick with the "broken" truck till I either give up or get a better offer. Oh!, Dodge also stated that they would change over all my optional equipment, 5th wheel hitch, box cover, Running boards, etc for no charge also. I would have to guess spray in bed liner also.

Anyone else ever heard of a like situation? Looking for opinions? would you consider it or do it?

I figure that I can almost match the above price on a new oughtright buy from any dealer that does volumn pricing and if I can find an 06 there are some good offers still out there with rebates etc.....

Thanks for your thoughts & opinions...Don

 

sounds like you'd be better off to buy the 07 outright, and still be able to sell off the 04 (you could get more than $21k) and come out on top.

 

I cannot speak to dodge but I did have a Form Mustang bought back by Ford in the early 90's. I did not have an attourney to do any of it.

Background: 91 Ford mustang that had multiple problems. It was in the Shop 7 times for multiple things but two of the things 4 times. Bingo lemon law in my state. The dealership tried to blow me off until I got ahold of the regional ford rep.

What happened: Ford paid me the agreed selling price of the vehicle minus a milage charge for use of the vehicle. The milage charge was $.05 per mile. The car had only 1400 miles on it. Ford them had me go out to the dealership and pick ANY car we wanted off the lot and would sell it to us at dealer cost. They assured me the dealership would make zero money on the car and they would only be paid a $200 transaction fee from ford.

We could not find a car on their lot we wanted. We then found a car on another lot and asked them if they would transfer the car to the origional dealer we dealt with. They said no because of they never would tranfer them a car they needed. I explained the whole deal with the lemon buyback. The ford rep called and talked to the owner and believe it or not they agreed to do the complete deal at that dealership. NOW WAY! They sold us the Mustang at their cost, took the lemon back (which they did not even sell us) and made a $200 processing fee. They then only asked that if we ever needed a new car to consider them first. We did.

Hub

 

That sucks I have never heard of a buy back on a dodge Cummins Only on the Jokestrokes

 

I would argue the mileage charges. What was the mileage when your buyback process started? That would be the mileage I would persue in the deal. All the problems, frustrations, etc that you have had to endure while still trying to keep the vehicle on the road and get along driving it amount to something that should NOT have taken place IF they had done the right thing from the start or at that point where you finally took matters into a legal perspective. That point in legal perspective is where your number should be.

Think of it like this - You have the right to sue someone for something and there is a time period associated with that right to sue from WHEN YOU BECAME AWARE, so someone could harm you, you become aware months after that harm took place, even thought that harm took place back several months ago, your statute of limitations on your right to sue BEGAN when your awareness began. So reverse the thinking, at what point did you come to the conclusion that you were getting nowhere except the run-around? That your problems had continued without resolution or end? That is the place where your mileage number is. Because of the debt/payments, your need for transportation, etc you have been limping along to make due, not because it was your choice to do so, because THEY have been stringing you along. So the additional mileage from the point of utter denial and game playing should be on them, not you. I would certainly press my attorney to go for that point. That's why you have an attorney, to regain your loss from the point where you became harmed.

CD

 

How many times did your truck stay in the shop and not available for use? Did you have to provide alternate transportation? That should factor in the equation. The miles you drove other vehicles rather than your own, should be considered. Present them with a bill for the rental and the mileage on the alternate vehicle, even if it was your own. The most they can do is say no.

 

donvov, what were your prob.'s & how many times was it in the shop, under warranty, for the SAME problem?

 

I had a 04.5 buyback for the vibe problem only had 600 miles on it and they gave me full price plus paid for all acc. that could not be removed,window tint and linex.Plus they ordered me a 05 at emp. price with all the rebates I had on the 04.5 Im glad it all happend now its over.

 

reecegr, that was the kind of offer I was hoping for. According to the lawyer, Michigan has some type of clause in their buyback/lemonlaw that you only get 25000 miles for the problem after that there is a factor that "Has" to be used for the additional millage. (Think it is .450) Info I was given first attempot was at 9000 miles so that from 25000 allows me only 14000 miles. After the charge is for my usage of the vehicle which I am now at 64000 so somehow it amounts to about $13000 for usage. Much higher than the usual lease millage of .05 to .20 per mile. Seem Michigan has some really doozy of laws not in the consumers best inmterests.


as far as the probloems, kinda long list but here goes.
1. At 9263 miles complaints of extremely poor millage, about 12 empty and 7 or so pulling 5th wheel, no problem found but reflashed.
2 two more trips for same problem up to about 12000 miles. no solution.
3. Still poor millage but lost lift pump about 22000 miles truck down 4 days. New in tank pump installed with poor wire crimps etc, lousy install.
4. about 4 weeks later lost CP3, truck down 4 days.
5. got truck back just after Christmas last year and left for Flordia with 5er. Pulled into campground after driving 1200 miles leaking oil from cracked front timing cover to have cooling fan come off just as we pulled into campground doing much damage. Down 10 days while 2 dealers agrueed who was going to pay for damage as it wasn't warranty. Michigan delaer finally paid before I could get truck back.
6. 6 months later lost injector #4, filled crankcase paid out of pocket for oilchange and a few other problems related.
7. Less than 1 month later while in Kentucky found another failed injector, again filling crankcase with diesel fuel. Fought delaer over frequency of repairs before getting truck back.
After the lift pump and CP3 repair millage increased signicifinatly, 20-22 highway and 11-14 towing. After the second injector truck is now back to the lower numbers. No rhyme or reason.

Also when the lift pump failed and for the next 3 repairs lost a Relief valve each time, total 4 valves. This truck is a lemon and Dodge needs to make a fair offer to replace it and that is what I'm looking for. Should have happened at 35-40000 miles but they wouldn't even talk to me then.

No loaner cars other than the Flordia breakdown that Michigan delaer paid for. No reimbursment for hotel, food or whatever else.


Thanks for the thoughts as that was along the lines that I was also thinking but wanted to "Run it up the flagpole" so to speak. Lawyer did call me back this afternoon and did state that Dodge would be willing to come up with a lower basis if I was to find an 06 and they would subtract the dealer bonus from the MSRP if I can find one I want, or even a used one if I found one I liked. (Off the record truck seems to be OK for the last 20000 miles but I'm mentally still worried about the engine and if any damage was done with the 2 injector failures) and what will quit next.

Told lawyer today no, but to continue trying to find a fair offer from them.

Thanks for the replies so far...Don

 

OK, still waiting to hear from the Attorney. Did find an 06 Big Horn package for $30K + tax out the door. Called attorney and he seemed to think that the $11K difference in cost from mine would be enough to offset most of the $16K they wanted originally. If the arbitrator will accepot this truck will be driving back to Michigan from lovely warm Flordia for 2-3 days to get all switched to 06. DC si supposed to switch all items from old truck to new, 5th wheel hitch, running boards, spray in liner (new) and folding cover. Then it should cost me $5000 or less which includs attorneys fees and hopefully will have a new truck. Hope that this happens. Would make me very happy and get rid of my worries on existing 04.5 truck.

Wish me luck cause that's what it's gonna take.

Don

 

Don, I'm wondering if you had the dealership that initally worked on it for poor fuel mileage and the lousy pump install involved in the suit. It sounds like they may be partially responsible for some of your pains. I would have asked them for the certifications of the tech. who worked on it. I know with the D-Max in my company truck, the local dealership thet we once used seemed to cause more damage while performing repairs that he did good. We eventually found that they were car/gasser techs. NOT diesel techs. Some dealerships(most around here) don't want to pay or train diesel techs. Needless to say, we now take the company trucks 45 minutes away to another town for service work.

 

As far as the dealer that worked on the truck and caused a few pf the problems, no such luck, he wouldn't even admit to the original screwup until the 2 district managers worked out a deal to get it fixed and get me on the road again.

Also just heard from the attorney, the 06 wouldn't help, Dodge wants to go from a MSRP basis no matter what. Guess I'll just wait till warranty is closer to finished then look for something to trade in on. Think attorney is just blowing smoke. Sounds like a lost cause for me. Have to take my lumps and live with it.

Don