Ram quality & company and dealer response

[jccjr500]

This is a letter that I sent to Ram

Ram problems

Dealer: Covert Chrysler Austin, TX
First, I purchase this vehicle to pull a 23,000 lb 5th wheel, and reviewing the specs, it showed that this truck would be capable of towing this unit. Each year I take my trailer to Colorado as well as other places and I expected to be able to go and return safely.
These are following things that happened
1. Transmission computer board went out. Could not drive vehicle. The truck had to be towed into Covert Chrysler. Fortunately I was near home, but I could have just as easily been on a trip and broken down in an area where there was no cell service. What would I have done then? It took Covert 3 to 4 weeks to fix this issue.
2. On last trip, pulling my trailer, at 21000 miles my two front tire treads separated from belt. Fortunately, after feeling the front end vibrate and dropping my trailer for some maintaince I took my truck to tire shop to have wheels balanced. That is when I was informed the treads had separated. Had to buy new tires. What would have happened if I had had a blowout and wrecked and either kill one of the members of my family or someone else. Know you did not make tires, but you did pick the tires to put on truck. Also I had previously taken truck over commercial scales to make sure I had not exceeded weight limits. On trip home had a rear tire where part of tread completely separated from belt. This was about at 22000 miles. Knowing I could not trust tires, I replace all 4 rear tires.
3. The last issue, which again I was fortunate to be close to home and not pulling trailer, I lost both power steering and brakes. If I had been on road with trailer in a high traffic area, I would have caused a major accident, which one or more people could have been killed. That would have been Ram’s fault.
4. Again the truck was towed into Covert. Took 2 to 3 weeks to fix. When I picked up I saw that I had a crack along the lower left side of windshield. The crack was not there when truck was picked up.
Showed the crack to Covert and they would not do anything about it. Then contacted Ram customer service and they would not do anything. This ended costing me out of pocket almost
$500.00.
You can check with Covert Chrysler to see about all the warrantee work that has been done over the time I have owned the vehicle.
Don’t know how many other trucks you have trouble with, but after seeing the latest information on Consumer Reports on auto brand reliability, I see that the Ram brand is considered one of the most unreliable and the 3500 was the worst of Ram brand.
This is a very unreliable truck and I cannot put my family’s safety in peril.

[Cummins12V98]

"That's an excellent point.......possibly more to or another side to the story? "

YA think??????

[austingta]

There are two sides to every story.

[dodge_guy]

Dadoffourgirls wrote:
The dealer is a franchise of RAM. They are covered under state franchise laws. This is a dealer issue.

Do RVers really think that FCA in Auburn Hills should send a person to the dealer and stand in the dealership until they talk to them?

Yes, they are called zone reps and handle issues with dealers in their area!

[DakotaDad]

Dadoffourgirls wrote:
The dealer is a franchise of RAM. They are covered under state franchise laws. This is a dealer issue.

Do RVers really think that FCA in Auburn Hills should send a person to the dealer and stand in the dealership until they talk to them?

Yeah, I do. Or some other, better, method of getting the dealer to communicate.

I would assume that to maintain a franchise, that dealer has requirements to meet. Levels of service that they need to provide. That would include things like maintaining a certain level of brand inventory, or providing a service department for warranty and recall work. I would assume (perhaps incorrectly) that there are requirements for customer service metrics, and communication with the corporate office.

If the dealer is not meeting minimum levels of service, FCA (in this case) should address the issue with the dealer. Here, the dealer isn't even responding to FCA's queries, much less the customer. That's a problem that needs to be addressed, and it's not the customer's job to fix it.

Now, that's assuming that "Michael" was honest in his attempts to contact the dealer, and was truly ignored... rather than just making a token call and calling it done.

[Samsonsworld]

We stopped buying FCA for our fleet because the local dealership is horrible to work with. I think recalls have over-burdened their service departments.

[ib516]

jccjr500 wrote:
See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

I agree 100%. I'd be angry as well. Sounds like that dealership doesn't care about it's customers at all.

[mich800]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

jccjr500 wrote:
See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

I'm confused... why does this work need to be done at this exact dealership? Other than the broken windshield, can't any other dealer do the work? Am I missing something here?

That's an excellent point.......possibly more to or another side to the story?

Why should someone have to dealer shop to get quality service? That is a problem with the system and not the individual. If you want to create brand loyalty this is the wrong business model.

[Dadoffourgirls]

The dealer is a franchise of RAM. They are covered under state franchise laws. This is a dealer issue.

Do RVers really think that FCA in Auburn Hills should send a person to the dealer and stand in the dealership until they talk to them?

[Ralph_Cramden]

spoon059 wrote:

jccjr500 wrote:
See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

I'm confused... why does this work need to be done at this exact dealership? Other than the broken windshield, can't any other dealer do the work? Am I missing something here?

That's an excellent point.......possibly more to or another side to the story?

[transamz9]

jccjr500 wrote:
See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

How are you communicating with ram? Email? Post up the email address on here and a bunch of us can email them with our thoughts and disappointment in their customer service. Flood them with emails from a lot of different people and they may change their tune.

[spoon059]

jccjr500 wrote:
See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

I'm confused... why does this work need to be done at this exact dealership? Other than the broken windshield, can't any other dealer do the work? Am I missing something here?

[DakotaDad]

jccjr500 wrote:

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Yep, that's completely unacceptable. If RAM can't contact the dealership, RAM has a problem with the dealer that needs to be addressed immediately. That dealer represents RAM. Badly, in this case. Under no circumstances should it fall back to you to have the dealer get in touch with them. Not your job.

Can't blame you for being upset by that. Gotta say, I own a RAM and like it, but if I ever heard that, I'd be buying from the competition for my next truck.

[Ralph_Cramden]

jccjr500 wrote:
See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

It seems Dodge is going over to the customer service model used by Forest River, Thor, Camping World, etc? Michael may very well be the brother of Emma and Stacey who pay lip service on this board. Oh the humanity!


Seriously....who the he'll is Michael? Some online rep who just lost his diaper and is sending a canned response to an inquiry? Have you been in contact with a division rep? I find it hard to believe one of the big 3 will openly admit they can not have one of their dealers discuss a matter with them or not be able to contact them. An RV manufacturer and dealer I could buy into, but Fiat/Chrysler?

[jccjr500]

See the reply from Ram customer service. The dealer is Covert Chrysler in Austin TX

Dear Customer:

Case #: 32713753
VIN: 3C63RRKLXEG273715
Vehicle Description: RAM 3500 LONGHORN 4X4

Hello John, After multiple attempts to contact the dealership to discuss this for you we were unable to reach anyone. At this point we are unable to continue to look into this but if you could ask the dealership to contact us next time you are in we would be happy to continue looking into this for you. Thank you Michael

Tried to call a supervisor in Ram customer service to discuss this issue and he would not return call.

Ram definitely does not care about their customers and they have lost my business forever. There is no excuse for this.

[Cummins12V98]

If ya "LOVE" the truck as you say then let the items get fixed and drive on. It's not like they have refused to pay for any of the repairs.

I would be more PIZZED at the Dealer for taking so long. Let's not forget all the recalls ALL the trucks have had.