2 Check engine lights and the dealer finally fixes the "known" defect

albnyblows · 05-17-2011, 12:39 PM

Hello all.. this is my first post so I hope it is informative..

I picked up my Limited about 2 months ago and instantly fell in love.. that is up until about 2 weeks ago when the check engine light came on. A short trip to the dealer and they tell me it was a "cam shaft error" which they reset and performed a software update, shouldn't happen again.. I would normally ask more questions but I was running late so I let it go..

All is well for a whole 2 days when the light comes back on again. I am less then happy at this point, so I make a second trip and they tell me that there was an additional error that came up the first trip but they decided to reset it hoping it would go away. It was something to do with the thermostat. They tell me they will have to keep it overnight to test the thermostat when the engine cools down. At least I got a free rental.. note to self do not ever buy a dodge dakota..

I get the call in the morning that there is a problem with the thermostat and it needs to be replaced. This intrigued me as it seemed odd that this would fail so soon. The tech then told me about a known issue that when the thermostats were cast, "some" had a tiny defect which caused the valve to remain open and never close.. He took a few pictures and sent it off to Jeep.. they let him know it's a simple fix with a grinder to remove the excess metal to make the thermostat operate correctly but they would not replace it under warranty, only fix it. Being less than happy with this news I simply left and promised them I wouldn't be coming back to them for service...

So long story short keep an eye on your temperature gauge, and if your car doesn't warm up in a "normal" amount of time you may have a defective thermostat.

77rednecktruck · 05-17-2011, 01:35 PM

That sucks. It's better that it sticks open rather than closed though.

Does an aftermarket thermostat fix it? I replaced a few on my other cars and they were less that $10. Hopefully, the hemi is like this.

Brady12 · 05-17-2011, 02:17 PM

So it never actually caused u a problem besides the light? And it is being fixed? I would not be too upset IMO.

albnyblows · 05-17-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brady12

So it never actually caused u a problem besides the light? And it is being fixed? I would not be too upset IMO.

Yes it was fixed... what annoyed me was the fact that the error was thrown on the first visit but they ignored the issue and made me come back when the light came back on.

Brady12 · 05-17-2011, 09:48 PM

I see, understood.

**LuckRider** · 05-18-2011, 02:24 AM

They should cover that. Take it to another dealer and file a claim with Chrysler against the first dealership. They told you outright that it was a defect in manufacturing which is covered in ALL (even the most Basic of) warranties from automobiles to home goods and electronics.

kentman · 05-18-2011, 05:24 AM

A thermostat is not a wear part, like tires. All non wear parts should be fixed under warranty. Even if it is not covered for some strange reason, most reasonable dealers would just eat that one since it is only a $10 part and less than an hour of labor.

I would not try to fix a thermostat. I would certainly buy a new one.

I find it strange that you would get these items to go wrong. I certainly would not throw the baby out with the bath water. If I really like a vehicle, then I will look past little things no matter how annoying they might be. I would much rather have a slightly quirky Jeep than a zero defect Toyota. Perfect reliability would be nice, but it is not my highest priority.

Once you get over the small issues early, then you should reach a nice steady state of no issues.

Styling, functionality, rugged components, and value for my money are more important to me than making zero trips to the dealer for covered service or for inexpensive non-covered service.

dedoman · 10-18-2011, 11:04 PM

Hmmm on my way to dealership this morning...same exact thing. Check engine light...on twice now,, over a week period. Went off the first time on its own. Just annoying with only 700 miles. I'll let younknow *

Iamnid · 10-19-2011, 12:35 AM

Had the same thing... Light came on three times and would randomly go out. They told me the timing phasers were defective and replaced them. So far, so good, one week later

dedoman · 10-21-2011, 08:14 AM

Got my light issue fixed ! Took about 45 min. The service mngr. advised that the connectors to the group of sensors wasn't. Objected properly, apparently the wire harness was wrapped around some other harnesses and when it was connected to the plug in, it was too taught. Causing a connection which was not plugged in completely. Sporadic bumps in road caused connection to break and gave the warning lights. he said they unwrapped the harness, which gave more length to properly connect. All done! So far, all works perfectly.