# 2008 Dodge warranty/legal advice



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

I have a 2008 Dodge 2500 4x4 diesel truck with 6K miles on it. While driving it down I-35 the water light came on in the dash. I pulled over and drained the water from the fuel filter as per the owners manual. About 3 ounces or so came out. The light in the dash went off so we continued driving. About 50 miles down the road the truck would bang and shake for a second then all was normal. When I reached my destination and pulled in the parking lot the truck was running rough. No lights were on in the dash. I bought a new fuel filter and replaced it in the parking lot but truck still ran rough. Took it to the dealer and they said #6 injector was out due to fuel contamination. They replaced it and the truck still runs rough and now they are saying #5 injector is out. They also said that it wasnt under warranty due to fuel contamination after telling me its $2000.00 for the first repair and they wouldnt gauranty the work unless they replaced all six injectors for a repair bill around $9000.00. Now I am aware of all of the problems they are having with the 2008 models and sick that I bought this truck. Can I get a lawyer and just ask for a refund or possibly an 07 with the 5.9 cummins? Any advice is appreciated.


----------



## Blue Water Ho (May 21, 2004)

How long have you owned it?


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

Since April or so. Only made three payments and put 2k down on it.


----------



## Blue Water Ho (May 21, 2004)

I would think that you could lemon it. DC has been screwing people with their warranty work. Maybe try a different dealership for work.


----------



## Dargel79 (Apr 24, 2008)

If they prove that it was bad fuel they are right. Where did you buy your fuel, get them to pay for your repairs.


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

I have no idea where the fuel came from or when the damage happened or even if the fuel was the problem. Got the same answer from another dealer. Fuel contamination not covered under warranty. I am scared to death of this truck even if they do fix it under warranty.


----------



## Newbomb Turk (Sep 16, 2005)

I would Google a diesel injection specialist in your area, take them the bad injector & let them tell you what is wrong with it. With all the problems DOdGe has had with that 6.7 they may be just trying to get out of a warranty covered repair. Diesel injector specialist should be able to tell you if it was contaminated fuel. Go from there... my 2cents


----------



## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

All I know is 3 oz. is a bunch of water. I have a diesel and so far have never had a drop bleed from my fuel filter when changing or any other time.


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

I spoke with a diesel mechanic at Freightliner and he said water in the fuel was an everyday problem for them. So as a consumer that cant afford a 8-9k repair job on a truck with 6k miles on it how do you protect your self from getting bad fuel? What would stop this from happening again three more months down the road?


----------



## Blue Water Ho (May 21, 2004)

Look on several different diesel site on the WWW, alot of people sell their OEM injectors after they go aftermarket.


----------



## jpal (Sep 22, 2006)

I don't know about Dodge, but Ford says to replace the fuel filter/water seperator every 10,000 miles. If yours failed to seperate that much water after only 6000 miles, it sounds like the injector failure is due to their water/fuel seperator system or filter malfunction. This would make it their problem and a warrantable repair.

Paul


----------



## Hunter11 (Jun 26, 2008)

I would suggest trying a different dealer if you have another one around you. It sounds like the one you went to is trying to shaft you.


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

I have an attorney working on it. We are asking for Chysler to take the truck back and leave our credit report alone. With all of the problems they are having with the 2008 diesels I dont want this truck. It also sounds like to me that their filter water seperator didnt do its job.


----------



## Blue Water Ho (May 21, 2004)

Its a horrible all this is going on, but everyone can thank the tree huggers. I hope everthing works out for ya. BTW now it a GREAT time to get a helluva deal on a 5.9.


----------



## elpescadorclements (Jul 20, 2007)

Blue Water Ho said:


> Its a horrible all this is going on, but everyone can thank the tree huggers. I hope everthing works out for ya. BTW now it a GREAT time to get a helluva deal on a 5.9.


You are absolutely right my friend...great time to purchase a 5.9L. If anyone is serious about purchasing one please PM me.

mc


----------



## Blue Water Ho (May 21, 2004)

How much, I could use one for each foot? 4x4?


----------



## elpescadorclements (Jul 20, 2007)

UGH...FOOT IN MOUTH....thank you Blue Water HO...

sorry guys...my post belongs in the classifieds...please disregard.


----------



## Bull Fish (Nov 15, 2006)

Bottomsup said:


> I spoke with a diesel mechanic at Freightliner and he said water in the fuel was an everyday problem for them. So as a consumer that cant afford a 8-9k repair job on a truck with 6k miles on it how do you protect your self from getting bad fuel? What would stop this from happening again three more months down the road?


Parker and Raycor both make an atahment that will fit the end of the nozzle at the station. it has a clear bowl at the bottom and works like a sintrfuge. it will trap 90% or so of the condisation and trash that comes from the stations tanks. I had one until some little ^%$# thought he needed it more than me.


----------



## rockhound76 (Feb 22, 2007)

Bull Fish said:


> Parker and Raycor both make an atahment that will fit the end of the nozzle at the station. it has a clear bowl at the bottom and works like a sintrfuge. it will trap 90% or so of the condisation and trash that comes from the stations tanks. I had one until some little ^%$# thought he needed it more than me.


Thanks...I didn't know about that such a device was available.

My wife has gotten contaminated diesel three or four times in the 5 years she's owned her Excursion (6.0L). She EVENTUALLY learned to only buy fuel from high volume retailers, like truck stops. I eventually learned to drain the separator every few thousand miles, just to make sure, even if the "water" light wasn't on...

Speaking of which...did YOUR water light come on? If it did not, it sounds like a warrantable failure. And, while 3oz is a lot of water, your separator should have been able to handle that kind of volume. Again, that sounds warrantable (consequential damages).


----------



## Fuelin (Jun 21, 2005)

I have a 5.9 for sale in the classifieds if anybodys interested


----------



## welder (Jun 26, 2006)

My owners manual says to dump the water sep. once a month.

New 07 5.9 , 3800 miles so far. 6spd manual 3.73's , 2500HD

Also check on the , www.cumminsforum.com


----------



## catchysumfishy (Jul 19, 2008)

Bottomsup said:


> I spoke with a diesel mechanic at Freightliner and he said water in the fuel was an everyday problem for them. So as a consumer that cant afford a 8-9k repair job on a truck with 6k miles on it how do you protect your self from getting bad fuel? What would stop this from happening again three more months down the road?


 There is a big difference between heavy diesel trucks and p/up trucks! Sure freightliner deals with water problems every day, they consume very ,very large amounts of fuel and they have very large tanks that build up very large amounts of condensate especially in our climate! I really don't know what i'm ranting about, i'll shut up LoL! i've never squeezed 1 drop of water out of my ford!


----------



## POC Transplant (Feb 26, 2008)

It seems as though the real problem is that the 6.7 has been turned into a pussy diesel. I'm sorry, but isn't part of the cummins reputation that they would burn **** near anything. My '00 24V will. I buy fuel from whoever is cheapest and have had to drain water out only a couple of times, but that was in my '95 12V. I am a Dodge/Cummins guy all the way, but you couldnt pay me to own a 6.7 right now. Sorry for your troubles. Also, you can get a complete set of aftermarket edge injectors for around $600. They increase the HP and mpg.


----------



## ShallowSportJ (Apr 8, 2005)

Where would you suggest purchasing the after market injectors from?


----------



## baystlth22 (Aug 12, 2008)

I sell commercial trucks which all have diesel engines and i am sorry to say there may not be much you can do. The problem is that the new ultra low sulfer and bio-diesel fuels have a propensity to hold water. Add the fact that the gas companies can add up to 5% bio-diesel to the ultra low sulfer fuel without posting the fact only adds to the problem. Initially the truck manufacturers were covering the injector and injector pumps under warranty until they discovered what the actual problem is. The only ray of light in all of this is that some dealers to keep their customers happy are finding ways to take care of this under warranty. All manufacturers are now STRONGLY advising anyone with a diesel engine to install a good fuel water separator to keep the water out of the fuel system. The price can range from 250.00 to 900.00 installed but if you consider this against 600.00 for just one injector it is well worth the money. Something else to consider on the newer diesel from around 2002 and up is the cooling system. They are not as forgiving as they used to be so keep your coolant clean and in the correct PH range. You can buy test strips to check this and buy an extender to bring it back into the correct range. If anyone would like more info just send me an IM and I will do my best to answer any questions.


baystlth22


----------



## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*lose the attourney*

Bottoms up. take it to another dealer with a good reputation. 3 ounces of water is very little(less than half of a small styrofoan coffe cup). take a fuel sample yourself from the line before the fuel filter and see if your fuel is really contaminated. If it's contamination and you have no idea where you bought it from, you then have an insurance claim. GM would take care of this for you 1-time but dodge and ford will not. Lose the attourney, it'll just cause you greif and aggrevation. if your fuel is in fact contaminated, they can shoot you down for warranty repairs to correct it. And if you go to court against them(assuming it is contamination) you will in fact lose. I have done this many years and found ways to help owners instead of ******* them off when such as this is found. I'm not trying to discourage you, just help you. in the future as said in a post before mine, only buy fuel from a very busy fairly new fuel station. also if their delivery tanker truck is there filling their tanks, pass that one up and go to the next one.
the delivery stirs the bottom and therefore you pump in more trash than you normally would. Plead your case to another dealer, but when you get an attourney involved, It's part of their franchise agreement to stop everything and the dealer seeks Indemnification from the Manufacturer and then the Big Boys attourneys step in. Long and drawn out. Pain in the butt.. if you have any questions, PM me and I'll help you any way i can..even if you do drive a Dodge(no punn intended). Good luck.


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

Goes to trial this Monday at 9AM. Wish me luck.


----------



## MIKE S. (Apr 8, 2007)

Good luck.. Keep us posted.


----------



## goodwood (Mar 30, 2009)

GOOD LUCK!!!


----------



## FormerHR (May 21, 2004)

I lost the #1 injector at about 40k, have 108k now. I initially took it to the Dodge dealership, they diagnosed the problem same as yours, fuel contamination. Same as you, not covered under warranty, $1100. My argument was that I change my filter every 10k, buy the filters from them, and have never had a light come on. Didn't make a difference. I told them I'd be there to pick my truck up that afternoon and they didn't have to worry about doing the work.

When I went to go pick my truck up the service guy told me the mechanic wanted to talk to me. I went back in the shop and it was like buying a watch from a guy on the street. The mechanic looked around and then told me he'd sell me an injector for $350, instead of the $700 Dodge wanted just for the injector, and pulled one out of his rolling tool box. No thanks buddy.

I ended up taking it a fuel injection shop and had it done for $600.

Good luck in court, hope it works out for ya.


----------



## El Carnicero (Aug 27, 2009)

Almost 3 years with this?


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

Yes long drawn out deal. My lawyer took it on contingency and his fees are up to around 70k. Went real good today and I like the jury selection. We will see what Tuesday brings. Dodge is blaming everything on fuel contamination to get out of warranty work.


----------



## mchildress (Jul 11, 2009)

Might check out TDR1. There is quite a bit on the water and dirt getting in the diesel tank from the two one way vents on top of the tank.They are in indention's on the top of the tank that is easy for dirt and water to get in the tank especially if you use the truck off road. Not sure if the problem was fixed on your 08 but know 03,04,and 05 was definitely a problem. I put fuel line over the vent nipples with small engine fuel filters and stuck them in the frame rail. Good luck


----------



## mchildress (Jul 11, 2009)

Here is a post that describes what he found in his tank and how it got there. There have been numerous post on the same problem.http://www.turbodieselregister.com/...ssions/125393-check-your-fuel-tank-today.html


----------



## El Carnicero (Aug 27, 2009)

Good Luck Bottomsup! I hope you get them!


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

I know about the roll over valves and vents on top of the tank. I think things went good today. Our expert witness was great with the jury and we feel like the jury is on our side. In the morning the lawyers give their closing arguments. Will post the results here and if positive maybe it can be used to help all the others that Dodge has screwed on the warranty.


----------



## 6.5 shooter dude (Jan 8, 2008)

good luck.


----------



## mchildress (Jul 11, 2009)

Hope it goes well for you. Waiting for someone to nail them for the hvac blend door that is notorious for breaking. Mine is broke now giving me dash air but no defrost. I keep a towel handy but I know it is a safety issue especially with the folks up north. Good luck


----------



## MARKN (Feb 17, 2005)

I have 2 of the hvac blend doors that have broken. I did find a place that i can order a DIY kits for under $200 for the first one and like $35 for each of the other 3. I just need to find the time to do it.


----------



## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

Well there is no justice in this country. The biggest fear a US citizen should have should be the US Government. The jury was very sympathetic toward us but in a civil case the burden of proof is on the plantiff. Its been a learning experience that I really didnt want but the jury found that Chrysler did not breach its warranty or its implied warranty because we could not prove the fuel filtration system failed to protect the engine. We all know it didnt but we couldnt prove it do to lack of evidence. 

My lawyer sent request to all involved that the truck and failed components were to be held for evidence and they were not. Chrysler did away with the parts and the truck. We also requested in discovery the numerous repair orders from Chrysler for this specific problem. The judge denied us these records from Chrysler so we had very little evidence to support our claim of component failure.

So anyone with a diesel truck be ware that even Chrysler admits all diesel fuel is contaminated with water. It all has a certain amount of water in it that fuel filter/water seperator may not be able to catch and if damage occurs to your injection system from this water it is not covered by warranty. Everytime you fill your truck up you are playing Russian Ruelet. 


Also learned that a judge will always rule in favor of big corporations because he wants to be re-elected. He doesnt want large corporations supporting another candidate to run against him. The large corporations own this country and guess who gets to bail them out when their mismanagement causes them to go bankrupt? We do the tax payer.


----------



## El Carnicero (Aug 27, 2009)

Sorry to hear it.


----------

