Car Trouble....need advice

S

sarab

Cathlete
So who do I turn to???? The smartest group of people I know :)

Anyway, I have a 2004 Dodge Durango with 40000 miles. This morning we were on our way to ds's football game and the transmission started slipping!!! We have a warranty on it so it is covered...except for $125 on deductible and towing expenses, but I don't feel like I should have to pay that. A car having that serious of a problem at 40,000 miles seems like a manufactoring defect and not something I should have to pay out of my pocket!!

So now, I am carless with 3 kids. My husband has a car, but he needs it to get to work. Does anybody here have a durango or dodge that has been a heeping pile of transmission junk??? Would I be in the wrong asking dodge to cover my deductible expenses and providing a rental?

Thanks for your advice!!!
Sara
 
Don't waste your time. You'll just get aggravated and it will cost you too much in stress and frustration. You could ask for the tow to be covered, but be ready for them to say "no-can-do" and don't even push the issue beyond that. If they say they'll pay the tow bill, count yourself VERY fortunate. If they won't pay the two bill, just pay the $125 and be done with it.

Cars need maintenance...period. Don't take this the wrong way - I'm just saying it to prove a point - but when you buy a vehicle, you MUST budget money for service and maintenance -- cars cost money over and above the sticker price. Be thankful you have a warranty, or you'd be out a WHOLE lot more than $125.

My advice: Next time, do yourself a favor and buy a Toyota. I've never like Dodge. They always seem to have problems. I just got back into the Toyota family with a recent Corolla purchase, and I couldn't be happier! They've got a high re-sell and trade-in value, and they've stood the test of time for decades and are awesome cars! Toyota has truly perfected car making! It's no wonder people drive them until the wheels literally fall off, or until they hit 400,000 miles, whichever comes first (my dealership actually had a Toyota Solara that had hit 400,000 - the owner had said he'd drive it until it did, and then he'd trade it in for a new one). It was still in great condition!
 
My DF is a mechanic and used to work at a Dodge dealership, now works at a Toyota dealership.

You can certainly ask the dealership to cover the $125 bill, but it may or may not happen. The way service departments are set up, they do have a way to cover that kind of stuff, but many service advisers do not like to do so -- it cuts into their own paycheck. Again, you could ask, but I wouldn't count on it.

I agree with the above poster that you might consider a different make the next time around. If you simple love the Durango and the way it looks or have some other specific reason for buying that, then go for it, but know that it is more likely to have issues than some other brands.
 
Sara, my DH has been affiliated with car warranties in the business for years...his reaction...is your warranty the original manufacture warranty or is it an extended warranty which you purchased extra? He doesn't know what the original factory warranty is on an 04 Durango (usually 3 years or 36,000 miles) He thought you might be making a claim under an extended warranty. If you are, extended warranties have built-in provisions that pay for towing, and so much per day for a rental car. (HOPEFULLY, it's an EXTENDED warranty and all you have to do is tell the dealer that your warranty has a towing provision & a rental car replacement provision and they should take care of it for you. If it's a factory warranty, you are on your own. :-( Let us know if you have any questions. We will be here for a couple more hours. (Or, if you want, you can E-mail me directly..either way.)


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Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH (AKA "Den Mother Debbie") http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/aktion/action-smiley-066.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance, I Hope You DANCE!
 
Hi!

Thanks for the replies. The reason we have a durango is because dh is a dodge lover.

Debbie, the original warranty ran out at 36,000; we bought the car used with 16,000 miles. But, we purchased an extended warranty through Advantage. They will pay $75 of the $100 towing bill. Do you know anything about that company?

Thanks!!!

Sara
 
Sorry, he is not familar at all with Advantage. Look in the copy of your warranty contract & there will be a section for rental or rental re-imbursement and also towing. Sometimes, you have to pay it up front & then apply for a refund.


http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid8692709


Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH (AKA "Den Mother Debbie") http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/aktion/action-smiley-066.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance, I Hope You DANCE!
 
Years ago I worked for a car rental company who rented quite a few chrysler products. At that time the Dodge Neon was infamous for having horrible transmission problems. We had one down at the dealership pretty often. We had a few Durango's and I remeber them having issues also. Good for you for purchasing the extended warrenty. Having a bill for a new transmission at 40,000 miles would be pretty heartbreaking!

Sally
 
Ummmm, probably a little too late for this advice, but Dodge's almost always have trans problems. I work for a finance co and 85% of the time when someone has paid their bill due to mech issues its a Dodge, the other 15% it's a Caddy. Also the aftermarket warranties usually aren't worth what you pay for them. The coverage is minimal, and you normally have to have a ton a proof that you kept up with the maintenance on schedule and not a mile over, and they normally top out at about $1000 or $1200 in coverage - which maybe will cover a trans - and only cover part of the repairs. They aren't worth the $$ or the hassle, unless you can manage to bring the price of the vehicle down to where you're getting the warranty for "free." If you have roadside assistance, they should've towed for free, unless you called a tow co on your own, see if they will reimburse you, or meet you 50-50. You might even be able to talk the dealer into a rental, as your car doesn't have very many miles on it and "the customer is always right" As a dealership, bad word of mouth is one thing they def don't want. On the upside, a new/fixed trans for $125 is not that bad, so you may just need to deal with it, even though it sucks. I don't have extra $$ like that laying around, especially at the end of the month, but it's better than a few grand, anyway!!

Nan
 
Hi Nan!

We paid extra for the warranty....a little over $1000 I think. We have roadside assistance and they are paying $75 out of the $100 that is cost to have the vehicle sold.

As far as having extra money laying around....we don't really either. But, we do keep extra money in a savings for times like these. You just never know when this stuff is going to happen!!!

Thanks for the advice!!1

Sara
 
Sorry you're having to go through this. This is exactly the reason I own a Honda. I want the car to run for at least 200,000 miles with only routine maintenance. According to Consumer Reports, the Dodge Durango has an abysmal reliability history when it comes to transmissions, drive systems, engine colling, climate systems, suspension, etc. This said, Dodge has improved the Durango considerably in the last 2-3 years, but I would be weary of a car or truck that has a solid poor history like that. Of course, if hubby likes it, then I guess that's a whole other factor to add in. Sorry again for your frustration.
Manmohini
 
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