A little over a month ago I brought my 2003 Dodge Ram into a service department in Delaware for a recall. The recall performed was for #C44, transmission cooler line. After having this service performed on my vehicle, I hitched up our fifth wheel and headed to New York. After arriving to our destination, we noticed that the transmission on our Dodge truck started slipping under normal driving conditions. We checked the transmission fluid and found that it was low about two quarts. We checked underneath the vehicle and noticed that transmission fluid had been spraying all over the bottom chassis. We immediately took our truck to a New York service Center.

I spoke with the Service Advisor there. Upon evaluating the transmission trouble, the service advisor explained that the problem was a cracked and bent fitting where the transmission cooler line had been installed, which probably was cracked while the cooler line #21C44183, and assembly 21C44183 was performed (recall #C44). Upon inspection of the cracked fitting, it was detected that the crack in the fitting had just recently occurred for three reasons;

First, there has never been any issues with the transmission previously whether towing or not towing until after this recall #C44 was performed. Second; upon inspection of the cracked fitting, it was detected that this was a new defect caused by an improper installation of previously mentioned transmission cooler line. Third; that after this broken fitting was replaced, no further operating problems transpired.

Due to the improper installation of the recall #C44 performed by some technician who was either in a hurry or had other things on his mind, this had inconvenienced me a whole day and a half trying to located a service center that would honor the warranty of some else’s error, not to mention additional transmission fluid that was required in an effort to keep the transmission from blowing up that day which wasn‘t easy to find at 7 o’clock in the evening in some hick town. Other customers who were scheduled for service at the time this transmission line fitting was being repaired, had to be set aside, causing delays in their schedules. Is it too much to ask for quality service these days? Is it too much to expect professional service from a service center with a big name like Dodge who is supposed to offer up-to-date technically trained mechanics to work on your $45,000 toy without something catastrophic going wrong down the road?

I spoke with the service advisor in Delaware and he accused me of making unfair accusations towards his service center. The service advisor there offered no apology and passed my complaint onto the service manager who returned my call and seemed to be much more professional and responsive to my concerns in this matter however, he also told me that this probably had not caused the tranny any damage and insisted that there was not enough evidence to do a tear down for inspection. Carefull people...these mechanics do not have your best interest in mind.

 

What a load of horse manure. And dealerships wonder why people hate them so much.

 

I would go nuts and get an extended warranty if I could... for free.