Need to get some advice on what to do and how to proceed. My 21 ram died on March 16, Never to start again. Got it towed after waiting for 4 hours and got it to start but made a loud clanking sound and would die 10-15 seconds later. It has been sitting at dealers since and they have not even looked at it. Being I’m in California is there anything I can do to get this truck lemon lawed and replaced? Dealers saying needs a new engine but 12k miles and only 6 months old is requiring a new engine? I’m thinking I got a bad build and would rather replace this with a new one. Anyone been in this boat before? Really regretting trading in my tundra for this right now.
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21 ram 1500 limited e torque dead at 12k miles
- Thread starter Harmz247
- Start date
ferraiolo1
Spends too much time on here
That’s what warranties are for. If they say it needs a new engine and they are installing one.
There is no case for a lemon law.
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There is no case for a lemon law.
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It’s happens. Mass produced vehicles it not a limited only so many made blah blah Bugatti. Let them fix it that’s what the warranty is for. Lemon law doesn’t come into effect unless they fix it and it still a problem even then you may have to give them a few opportunities to fix it (state lemon laws are different )just because you had this issue doesn’t mean the complete truck is a turd.. components fail prematurely sometimes.
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Darksteel165
Legendary member
**** luck.
It's a Hemi engine and they seem to have great track records.
Get it replaced with a new engine due to it's age.
DON'T let them put a REBUILT engine in.
Worst case take a Re-manufactured engine, they are almost like new.
I can go into more details but i'm sure you can google the difference if you want.
As far as laws are concerned each state is different but i'm sure you have 0 legal footing here. It's a used truck with a broken part the dealership is replacing under warranty.
mikeru82
Legendary member
OP never said anything about it being a used truck. Sounds to me like he bought it new 6 months ago and it only has 12k miles on it.
I don't believe any dealership is even allowed to do a warranty replacement of an engine with a rebuilt or reman'd engine.
cevans6318
Ram Guru
we do replacements all the time under warranty and most are reman engines. 70% of parts that go into the vehicle is a reman part. Depending on the manufacture, some only allow for a reman part to be installed under warranty. I work for mercedes and certain powertrain items only allow for a reman to be installed. Nothing against doing that. Other times, it is all about availability.
cevans6318
Ram Guru
**** happens. I have seen engines take a **** with 50 miles on them. You will get a new engine under warranty and be on your way. Only way you can do lemon law is to find out what qualifies in California and see if you meet those requirements.
rubrduk
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California is "30 days in the shop" or "2 or more repair attempts for the same problem"
California Department of Consumer Affairs Arbitration Certification Program - this is a free service that will help you determine if your vehicle qualifies for a buy-back or replacement under state law.
California also has some of the best lemon law consumer protections in place i have discovered, but you also have the federal Magnuson Moss warranty act to help protect you as well.
Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act - California
Tanner Consumer Protection Act - California
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act - Federal
Also, you should prepare yourself for the long game, this is not a fast process...the manufacture buyback takes 5-8 weeks after the lemon law requirements are met, and after that time you are on your own. Once you receive the buyback check, the manufacture does not cover rental cars or any additional costs...so you hopefully have a 2nd car or you will need to quickly purchase a new vehicle and pay whatever marked-up prices they are asking.
I'm literally in the middle of a lemon law buyback with my 2021 Ram due to electrical issues,...and mine has been in 9 times and a total of 150 days.
You should start a case now:
- The Chrysler Case Management telephone number: 1-844-378-0597
Just know they will not replace the vehicle and they will only offer you the price you paid for the truck at the time you bought it in 2020 or 2021, not current market value...no accessories Mopar or aftermarket are covered, and you have to remove those you have at your own expense, and they pro-rate the milage subtracting that from the buyback.
The best thing you can do is consult with an attorney. In the state of California...attorney fees are paid directly/additionally by the vehicle manufacture in a lemon law case and are separate from vehicle settlements.
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rubrduk
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If the repair work and subsequent repair visits for the same problem are not completed in 30 days total, then it's a lemon law case in California
Darksteel165
Legendary member
OP did say it was a used truck.
You don't buy a new truck with 12k miles on it, that's called a used truck.
My Kia was had it's engine replaced under warranty at 55k miles and was given a reman'd engine with a 10 year 100k mile warranty.
There's nothing wrong with a reman engine, but I would ask for new (and likely will get declined).
Just don't accept a rebuilt engine because on those they take a broken engine fix the 1 people and just ship it out. Remans are combed over and like new, and sometimes better then new because they are already broken in.
ZombieSlayer
Well-Known Member
mikeru82
Legendary member
No, he actually didn't. But feel free to point out where you think he said that...
Fatherof3
Spends too much time on here
Sorry you're going through this .
Do you have the Hemi , V6 or Diesel ?
It may not make you feel any better right now but the Rams don't usually have any drivetrain problems ( not saying never just very few ) chances are once you get it back you won't have any more problems with the engine . Rams really are a great truck but there are a few people that get lemons just like every other manufacturer out there .
Just to clarify I bought this truck brand new, 6 months ago and current it has 12k miles on it. it is the hemi 5.7. I loved the truck but there were issues from day one. The fender was not aligned, paint defect and driver side seat leather had some issues but all were minor so I overlooked them except for the fender, had that corrected. They haven’t even opened the hood on my truck and now I find out dealer is just playing a guessing game. Went there and asked and they said it’s next but I’m sure it’s your engine. I didn’t buy a new truck so it could sit at the dealers while I have to rent a car out of pocket 
rubrduk
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Just to clarify I bought this truck brand new, 6 months ago and current it has 12k miles on it. it is the hemi 5.7. I loved the truck but there were issues from day one. The fender was not aligned, paint defect and driver side seat leather had some issues but all were minor so I overlooked them except for the fender, had that corrected. They haven’t even opened the hood on my truck and now I find out dealer is just playing a guessing game. Went there and asked and they said it’s next but I’m sure it’s your engine. I didn’t buy a new truck so it could sit at the dealers while I have to rent a car out of pocket
checkout my post above, FCA Cares will provide you a rental and or reimburse other rentals
They provided a basic rental car/truck, and then when i needed a truck for towing purposes i paid for that and they are reimbursing those costs and uber receipts. (regular rental 1/2 ton trucks from the major car rental agencies are not insured for towing, and the rental contracts state towing is not permitted,....so you have to rent from a commercial place such as Enterprise Commercial, Herc Rentals, Sunbelt, Penske, etc... and then unfortunately pay additional for the towing coverage/permission)
Just remember to keep every receipt, document, invoice, etc...they will not reimburse anything without a paper-trail
I'm going through a lemon law buyback with Ram/FCA right now and have been dealing with this for 9 months so far,...I could have initiated a buyback as soon as the CA lemon law requirements were met, but I was acting in good-faith that the dealer would have been able to find a timely solution to my electrical problems, but after launching the "parts canon" at my truck for 9 months straight,...the service center, nor Ram remote technicians have been able to solve the problem and the truck will die while sitting in traffic or at stops.
NOTE:
My local dealer that has handled the repairs on the truck has been very communicative and pleasant to work with, also my conversation with FCA Cares have been reasonable and cordial as well, but due to the pandemic, parts and labor shortages have made getting repair parts and vehicle service extremely slow due to the backlog. The manufacture will only offer you the absolute very minimum in the buyback process and potentially leave you with a financial deficit due to pandemic vehicle supply & demand when you go to purchase a replacement truck.
Based on your assessment of the slow dealer response combined with my experiences, it's reasonable to assume the dealer will not have the engine replaced and returned to you within the California 30 days lemon law statutes, so you will be able to start the buyback process then.
I do highly recommend you start researching for legal consultation with an attorney that specializes in the Ram/FCA/Chrysler legal process, it's not necessary that you contact them now as they they will not offer any solution until the 30 day statute is met, you will just want to take your time in finding a reputable attorney that is not some ambulance chaser.
Once you reach the 30 day mark, you then present your information, all emails with the dealership, manufacture, and all paperwork to the attorney and discuss what your legal options are and at the very minimum they will offer you guidelines to make sure you as the consumer are protected.
https://5thgenrams.com/community/th...-e-torque-dead-at-12k-miles.40830/post-604635
Thank you for that. I did contact ram cares but they refused to cover or provide a rental. I’m now using a friends truck since I need one for work and they will only consider covering if they determine the problem is covered under warranty. Very disappointed with the service I am getting. Please let me know if there any reccoemnded lawyers anyone is aware of for a California lemon law buy back.
Darksteel165
Legendary member
He didn't buy a used truck but he OWNS a used truck.
Clearly you can't read.
If I bought something and owned it for 6 months and used it, it's no longer considered new thus he has a used truck it's not new.
He owned it for half a year and put 12,000 miles on it.
If the engine blew in the first month of ownership sub 500 miles that would more likely to be considered new.
Stuff breaks, Ram will replace it.
If nothing ever broke there would never be a warranty for anything.
mikeru82
Legendary member
And here I've been thinking I could read. I guess I've been wrong all these years. Thanks for pointing that out.
That may be what you meant but it's not what you said. You claimed the OP did say it was a used truck, and clearly he didn't say that. It's obviously not technically a new truck. But plenty of people would still consider a 6 month old truck a new truck. And clearly the OP is one of those people. I am too. Technically speaking, it's considered a used truck as soon as you sign the paperwork and drive it off the lot. All I was saying is that he bought the truck new.
You should be able to google all the information you need to find lemon law attorneys in your state. You might also want to find another dealership to work with, although it may be too late for that now.
Klicht87
Well-Known Member
Wow this thread escalated quickly. The truck is under warranty so it will get replaced somehow under warranty. Lemon Law doesn't apply. If the OP is waiting a while to get his truck in for service, how busy is the dealership? Hardly ever do you get in same/next day. My dealership is very good and accommodating but usually requires a week to get into the schedule. The OP could contact his insurance company for a rental car...maybe they will cover it.
Lemon law might end up applying. If they have the truck over 30 days in the first year in Ca for the same issue, it's a lemon. I have a few friends that have been through the process. Overall quality has not been good for some vehicles.
