Dealer won’t “release” my truck after repair

So there is a very long story here which if I detail it will send me into a fit of rage. 
 

short version:

I had to let my son use my 2016 Ram 1500 for National Guard duty because we hadn't finished fixing his 4runner in time for him to use it. No problem, I'll finish it and switcheroo next time he comes home. This is early November. He calls six hours later outside of Simi Valley a little frantic- truck stopped going.... pulled it over to the side of the road and called. 
 

So, we have the good AAA and he has it towed the rest of the way to Ventura and leaves it at a dodge dealer - Crown Dodge of Ventura. End of the next week, the estimate is $11k parts and labor to replace the entire axle. I am not going to pay that amount. It's out of warranty but I'm miffed and decide to address with Chrysler customer care.  
 

After over a month where three weeks of my calling and getting either 1. Nobody, or 2. Different people trying to tell me it is a wear item, or 3. The major runaround, I reach Amanda, who is actually helpful. Initially they offered $5k of assistance, and I appealed, they offered $8k of assistance, leaving me right at $3k, which was close enough to my number. 

Yes, I know I could have done it myself for cheaper- car part had an axle in Simi Valley for 1300.  Yes, it's an easy job. Yes, in retrospect, I would have just done it myself. I was trying to turn over a new leaf of not doing car work that doesn't give me pleasure. This is now amended to "the pain of the work being less than the pain of dealing with shiny happy people'.   
 

Sure- so parts get ordered, Chrysler Amanda emails me saying they remitted the $8k payment to the dealer on 20 Dec.. Finally get the call that it was finished on Friday- verified with my service advisor that I owed $2400, as it came in a little cheaper with the labor. I live 6 hours away and was away on a work trip, so verified all twice and sent my son in to pick it up Friday afternoon.  
 

So he gets there after dropping off his rental car, and they say, ok, your bill is $10,400.  We will not release the truck to you until it is paid in full. The big manager's rule and we can do nothing about it.  Also he left already for the weekend and won't be in until Monday. I flew all night and was unable to help, my wife tried, but no one would budge. Chrysler reps are out all weekend.  Many voice mails left, emails sent.  
 

Flew all night home from Honolulu this morning, called first thing. Explained to big manager situation assuming it was just a misunderstanding and he would offer the smallest amount of contrition-understanding our situation and how he left my son unable to get a rental in a Friday night so has been stuck all weekend with no transportation.  I even offered to pay my part, and leave my credit card on file for the rest of it if we couldn't resolve it today just so my kid would have a vehicle to get to his Guard duty.  My feeling over the phone was that he almost was taking pleasure in giving zero berkeleys about the whole situation, and how it was up to me to prove the dealer had the money from Chrysler.  I asked him to please not leave work today without calling me "I leave at 530".  
 

I am very good at controlling emotions because being emotional doesn't get you anywhere.  No name calling, no bs.  But I was tense and terse, because there was zero attempt to help me come up with a solution.  So- I completely own the vehicle , title in hand.  They do not.  
 

Finally the question:

Can they keep my vehicle from me until they are paid in full? 

This is California by the way if that matters.  I am fully prepared to call the police, but I'm afraid it will be either laughed out of the building or ultra low priority to help given that I'm sure the storms have caused all manner of extra work for them. Further, I thought that this was exactly what a 'mechanics lien' was for.... hence why I offered to pay the part that I'd been quoted by my service advisor for my portion of the repair. He claims they have the right to keep it.  I think that's bullE36 M3.  
 

Thank you anonymous internet family for heating me out.  I hope I can work it out today but I feel impotent being so far away and just having things out of my control.  

Berk.  That is annoying beyond belief.  Unfortunately, not surprising - I had a similar experience - although nowhere near as bad - with a VW dealer many years ago.

Only thing I can think of is to print out the emails from the various parties stating the $ figures and maybe that will give you some arguing power.

I'm pretty sure they can keep it until paid in full, but that raises the question where the $8k that you mentioned went.

No ticket, no laundry.....

Where's Amanda? 

Can you call Chrysler corporate? 

I never trust anything over the phone, because people's word is E36 M3, especially anything coming from a dealer. I want an email confirming the price, or I believe it as lip service bullE36 M3.

$11k to repair an axle.....

I'm just gonna mention that you got lucky with that failure. I had a similar failure of a drive flange on a Miata and my rear rotor was not strong enough to keep the wheel under the car. I drove over my own wheel and went pirouetting down the road. Would have led to a lot more damage if the truck had ejected the wheel at speed like my car did.

Here, I'd be seeing if I could reach Amanda and also heading to the dealership with printouts of those emails in hand. Also, I'd get the service manager involved since they confirmed the $2400 owing. Dealers do love power games - it's the core of the sales experience - but they can't argue with documentation.

According to BBB, Robert Crown owns the place. Based on their email addresses, I'd guess robertc@4crowndodge.com or possibly bobc@4crowndodge.com might reach him if they won't give him to you on the phone.

IIRC, California has a board of auto repair or somesuch.  Might not be a bad idea to tell them about deceptive practices.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

$11k to repair an axle.....

Right?!

yupididit said:

Where's Amanda? 

At mother Chrysler customer service/complaint center. 

Keith Tanner said:

I'm just gonna mention that you got lucky with that failure. I had a similar failure of a drive flange on a Miata and my rear rotor was not strong enough to keep the wheel under the car. I drove over my own wheel and went pirouetting down the road. Would have led to a lot more damage if the truck had ejected the wheel at speed like my car did.

Here, I'd be seeing if I could reach Amanda and also heading to the dealership with printouts of those emails in hand. Also, I'd get the service manager involved since they confirmed the $2400 owing. Dealers do love power games - it's the core of the sales experience - but they can't argue with documentation.

It's an extra pain in the butt because I live 6 hours away from the dealer. Also, 'luckily' (because it's never lucky to break an axle) he was going 5-10 mph and trying to merge onto a highway when it broke.
 

My suspicion is this- the transmission after the latest reflash hangs up really badly in first- like dangerous bad if you aren't accustomed to it, and the shift to second can be very harsh. My son, being 19, probably didn't leave enough room to merge and stood on it, and stood some more when it hung up, leaving plenty of time for the turbo to spool up, then "crash" shift to second at full torque and blasted the axle. 

But yes, another 73 days in the shop. Last year it was 80 days for the glow plug repair. F250 on order. 

Driven5 said:

According to BBB, Robert Crown owns the place. Based on their email addresses, I'd guess robertc@4crowndodge.com or possibly bobc@4crowndodge.com might reach him if they won't give him to you on the phone.

Thank you for this. I have been so irritated and solution focused I haven't gotten to the follow up yet. I'm so easy to placate- if the dude had been the least bit sympathetic, or even approximated it with a 'that sucks man, let's figure this out' rather than a very confrontational and standoffish manner, I'd be irritated but mainly just about the inconvenience. I promise the hive that I came into this with a very "let's figure this out' attitude- with documentation of quotes and promises. I was very surprised that he came at me just IDGAF.   

Appleseed said:

Can you call Chrysler corporate? 

I never trust anything over the phone, because people's word is E36 M3, especially anything coming from a dealer. I want an email confirming the price, or I believe it as lip service bullE36 M3.

Amanda is Chrysler corporate- I have emails etc detailing everything. No budge. 

Speaking from a parts sales/service tech guy side, there is ZERO reason ANY axle repair costs 11k, even in this E36 M3ty economic environment. They rode you hard and put it away wet. berkeley the matrix pricing, which I'm sure they do, which will put parts way above msrp. 
Unfortunely, you're on the hook for 11k.

My breakdown is this:

housing is maybe 3k on matrix.

axles at 1k/pr although you only need one.

They probably got you for a new diff at 750.

Gears at 500.

all the bearings at another 500.

new rear brakes at 300-ish.

and probably 200/hr labor for 5-6 hrs because customer pay in Cali....

Adds up quick.....

I'd honestly challenge the part costs and overkill of parts replaced. 
 

Personally, I think I'd price out a housing, brake bracket, rear brakes, axle, and axle bearings and been done with it.

YMMV.

I have no suggestions for what to do now, but be sure to kill them on review sites, and of course any survey you might get.  It will cost them money if you can tank a survey.  I'd ask Amanda to be sure they send one because you don't trust the dealer to do so.  I'd also slash the service managers tires, but I'm petty like that.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

IIRC, California has a board of auto repair or somesuch.  Might not be a bad idea to tell them about deceptive practices.

YES this

Ok- sorry for bombing the front page. Case finally closed. My son called me as the wheels crossed onto the street from the dealer. 
 

berkeleyhead the service manager called about 45 minutes ago while I was on a rage run- " you're good to go". Hangs up- maybe I had Bluetooth issues.....whatever. Two full minutes go by before I get another call just as I'm starting to dial the dealer to get the full info. He calls again-  I said, I don't know who hung up on who, what's up.  'We'll just take care of it, you are good to go.'
 

 I verified the correct price again, again, verified details, and said ok, I'm sending my son now with a credit card. I said I'm sorry I got tense in our last call, I'm at my wits end with this and was making no progress. Nothing- not even a peep of contrition or 'same team' sentiment from him. Like- yeah we could have handled it better and will do our best in the future. Or even, hey I'm just glad we worked it out to get you guys down the road. 
 

That stuff matters to me, but I'm pretty emotion driven and will take a lot of bullE36 M3 if you are just nice. Be a dick? It's on. 
 

Son shows up 20 minutes ago, bill still shows 10,400. Jesus tap dancing Christ.  They call the service manager again again, and apparently it gets corrected quick fast and in a hurry. 5 later he calls and we are done. 
 

Anyone want a 2016 ram 1500 ecodiesel crew 6.5 bed? Immaculate condition. Haha. 
 

thanks for being there to commiserate and for the constructive input. 
 

Ranger50 said:

Speaking from a parts sales/service tech guy side, there is ZERO reason ANY axle repair costs 11k, even in this E36 M3ty economic environment. They rode you hard and put it away wet. berkeley the matrix pricing, which I'm sure they do, which will put parts way above msrp. 
Unfortunely, you're on the hook for 11k.

My breakdown is this:

housing is maybe 3k on matrix.

axles at 1k/pr although you only need one.

They probably got you for a new diff at 750.

Gears at 500.

all the bearings at another 500.

new rear brakes at 300-ish.

and probably 200/hr labor for 5-6 hrs because customer pay in Cali....

Adds up quick.....

 

I'd honestly challenge the part costs and overkill of parts replaced. 
 

Personally, I think I'd price out a housing, brake bracket, rear brakes, axle, and axle bearings and been done with it.

YMMV.

I 100% agree. The parts prices were definitely full retail plus plus. I did parts checked on mopar  parts deal and got the same list for literally thousands less shipped to my door as quoted. I was never going to pay 11k.
 

Like I said above I found a 3.92 anti spin in a yard in Simi Valley for 1300, and had planned to just do that. With the $8k from Chrysler it came close enough that I figured I'd save my back and the inconvenience of a 13 hour round trip.  Little did I know that drama would ensue. 

Glad that's sorted out!

From a customer service standpoint, an apology goes SO FAR. But it's a lesson that very few people/companies seem to learn.

Steve_Jones said:

I have no suggestions for what to do now, but be sure to kill them on review sites, and of course any survey you might get.  It will cost them money if you can tank a survey.  I'd ask Amanda to be sure they send one because you don't trust the dealer to do so.  I'd also slash the service managers tires, but I'm petty like that.

I wish I had the balls to do that (slash tires). It would feel good until that first skin on skin contact in prison. 24 years in the military has me conditioned to be a rule follower. 

Ecodiesel?

Run away quick!

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :

Instead, spread the full story far and wide.

And make sure good 'ol Bob Crown knows as well as making sure you get and fill out a survey.    That is still going by the rules, and will hurt them more than a set of tires that can be replaced at cost.

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :

No, no, no - a small pebble or BB under the valve stem cap - tighten just enough.  Do all 4 tires.  He'll get the message....