What to do??

[Crunchy]

My new 2026 RAM 2500 6.7 that I bought in October has been at the dealer for a week.  Check engine light came on for the electronic throttle control and the screen on the dash mentioned emissions issue.  The next day I dropped it off at the dealership and the following day was told it needs a new PCM.  Dealer says backordered lol.  He also mentioned that there were 60 other people waiting for them.  Not sure how accurate that part is.  Anyway, I opened a claim with RAM Care.  I need to learn how to speak Hindi or Punjabi because the phone call wasn't that easy.  They say oh we will expedite the part and will contact me the following week (today).  So today same person says we expedited the part but dont have an eta for you yet.  Now I am getting a little pissed.  I had to rent a car to get around while the truck is in limbo which RAM says they will reimburse me for.  I have a boat in the garage I can't take to the ocean for bottom fishing which opened last week.  I told them I will give them one more week and will need to come up with a solution.  Anyone go through this? I dont want to have the same phone call each week and get strung along for months on end.

[blackpowderhunter]

that sucks, especially with fishing starting up.... sadly i don't have any constructive advice to help you on the situation.
maybe our resident service advisor will chime in.
i had a similar issue with my duramax i bought brand new in 2020...emissions issues ALL the time, parts backordered, crappy work at the dealer etc.
it actually went into limp mode on the freeway once WHILE i was towing.   everyone just kept telling me to delete it...well sure, then my warranty wouldnt be good for anything and electrical crap goes wrong on new stuff all the time.  one of the main perks of a new truck, is the warranty.
when that stuff started happening during summer fishing seasons i moved on.
sold it back to a dealer for more than i paid new and went back to an older gasser 3/4 ton.  at least i can work on it and parts are available....not as fancy or comfy or good on fuel, but it runs.

[jackelope]

I have 4 employees with me now that were at our Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram store before it closed down. They say our worst, most hectic day is still way better than their best days there due to stuff like this. Getting screamed at by customers day in and day out is no fun.

It’s been a while since I’ve been with Chrysler but I’d think the dealer could put you into a rental vehicle that you wouldn’t have to pay for and get reimbursed. That doesn’t solve your towing problem. Enterprise has trucks you can tow with but they’re ~$125 a day. I know Ford wouldn’t cover that. Not sure about Ram.

Again speaking for Ford as it’s been 15 years since I worked at a CJDR store. The number of part orders for backordered parts is visible, so the 60 pcm’s thing could be accurate. As far as expedited parts, that sounds great and all, but backordered is backordered. They’ll expedite shipment once they come off of backorder, but until that happens, you’re twiddling your thumbs. Ford will give you an estimated date off of backorder a lot of the time, but usually add a couple weeks onto that date to actually get the part to the dealer. It’s got to get built, packaged, shipped to the distribution center, then to the dealer.

[Sandberm]

Anybody else watch The South Main Auto channel on Youtube? He is a mechanic in upstate New York and his videos are a real eye opener to how ridiculously over complicated new vehicles are. Lots of new parts out of the box that do not work etc etc.

It has me wanting to hang onto my 2010 and older vehicles.

[jrebel]

One solution for the boat / fishing issue.  I know lots of guys with trucks that would not only tow your boat, but would also pay for fuel in the boat for a days worth of good fishing.   


As for the part....unfortunately it happens to all manufacturers at some point.  My brother in laws ford ended up in the same situation a couple years ago.  Part of buying a new car now days.  The electronics are so specialized that it doesn't take much for there to be a mistake.  Definitely sucks for the guys buying these rigs and immediately having problems. 

[Alchase]

@Jackalope will probably know this, at what point does the "Lemon Law" come in to play in a situation like this?

[jackelope]

@Jackalope will probably know this, at what point does the "Lemon Law" come in to play in a situation like this?

Lemon law cases all seem to be different. A couple months ago we had a newer Mach E with door paint issues. Corrosion under the paint. All 4 doors had to be replaced. The owner got pissed, called Ford, 3 days later we learned it was a buy back.
More recently we had a brand new F150 with 520 miles on it that Ford bought back because the right rear door was out of alignment. During adjustment, something broke loose inside the door causing the door to need to be replaced. Customer wasn’t happy. That one got done pretty quick also.

[Crunchy]

@Jackalope will probably know this, at what point does the "Lemon Law" come in to play in a situation like this?

Lemon law cases all seem to be different. A couple months ago we had a newer Mach E with door paint issues. Corrosion under the paint. All 4 doors had to be replaced. The owner got pissed, called Ford, 3 days later we learned it was a buy back.
More recently we had a brand new F150 with 520 miles on it that Ford bought back because the right rear door was out of alignment. During adjustment, something broke loose inside the door causing the door to need to be replaced. Customer wasn’t happy. That one got done pretty quick also.

Yeah I hate to do that.  Just give me the same exact truck and let's call it good.  I just think the Ram Care people saying they will expedite the part is just trying to buy them time.  I gave them til next Tuesday which will be two weeks to give me a firm answer on the date the part will arrive or find me the exact truck and we can trade.  I'm not going to play the wait until next week and then next week and for sure next week game.  Im paying a note and insurance on a truck I can't drive.  Minus the boat I can't tow without it as well.  I'm retired and my time is valuable.

[jackelope]

The Ram Care people aren’t actually doing anything to expedite your pcm. I mean maybe they are but what about the 60+ people waiting for them ahead of you?  I doubt it. I’d spend more time focusing on the dealer than the customer service people at Ram if it was me. Ford has VOR (vehicle off road) status and another process called COPIS which lights fires for us. I’m not sure what Ram calls it but I would assume they have some sort of process for a brand new truck that is down with no parts available to fix it. There’s got to be. The people on the customer relations phone likely don’t know squat about this process.

[baldopepper]

Been my experience over the years that new vehicles that start having problems never stop having them. Quit dodges years ago because it seemed everyone I ,or family members, bought was constantly have one problem or another.  Probably just bad luck on our part, but I have learned that new vehicles that start out with problems seem to keep having them. Personally would get rid of that rig asap.

[Pegasus]

Been my experience over the years that new vehicles that start having problems never stop having them. Quit dodges years ago because it seemed everyone I ,or family members, bought was constantly have one problem or another.  Probably just bad luck on our part, but I have learned that new vehicles that start out with problems seem to keep having them. Personally would get rid of that rig asap.

I agree. Use the  lemon law if you can. Watched my neighbor go through a nightmare with his new truck. The problems kept coming for years. Watched others have similar experiences. Maybe a swap or they cannibalize another truck on their lot for the part?

[Lincoln4]

I took my truck in for service at the dealership the end of December.  Had to wait two weeks for a turn signal switch to come in (warranty).  The service guy told me that wasn't too bad.  He told me he had "several" trucks out back for over six months waiting on new engines...  I don't think the supply chain has yet recovered from Covid.

[jackelope]

I took my truck in for service at the dealership the end of December.  Had to wait two weeks for a turn signal switch to come in (warranty).  The service guy told me that wasn't too bad.  He told me he had "several" trucks out back for over six months waiting on new engines...  I don't think the supply chain has yet recovered from Covid.

Dodge?

[Kingofthemountain83]

I've never had a Dodge as a daily or something that needed to be reliable... Just beaters and yard cars and trucks... Most my friends that I can recall having a Dodge diesel truck newer then 2010ish regretted it... I only buy Chevy or Ford for the road...

[Crunchy]

I've never had a Dodge as a daily or something that needed to be reliable... Just beaters and yard cars and trucks... Most my friends that I can recall having a Dodge diesel truck newer then 2010ish regretted it... I only buy Chevy or Ford for the road...

My last Dodge RIP was a 2017 and was a very reliable truck.  It was totaled which is why I had to buy a new one.