My Dodgy Dealership Never Even Saw My 2021 Dodge RAM 1500

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 166 – From Dodged

Dear Suzanne, 

I drive a 2021 Dodge RAM 1500 that I leased brand new. I’ve taken it up to 25,000 miles and I’m about 2 years into my three year lease. I have added no aftermarket parts nor have I had any accidents. I just don’t understand why I’ve had so many problems with this truck!

Ever since I got it, I have been in and out of the repair shop for one issue or another. The very first issue I had with it came up not even three weeks after I leased it. The problem was with the backup sensors that kept malfunctioning. 

There were times when I would be driving and the sensors would notify me that there was a vehicle on my rear end about to hit my truck, but when I look back, there’s nothing. I thought it would be funny to add a little ominous soundtrack so it felt like a horror movie coming to life. I mean, how else do you explain the sensors warning me about a car on my tail when there’s nothing there? There are even times when mine would be the only vehicle on the road  and the sensor would still beep. 

There’s been several occasions where I’ve been sitting at a traffic light and this would happen. Sometimes I’ll receive a message saying “backup sensor failure”. 

When it became unbearable, I took the truck to the Dodge dealership and they said they would need to keep it for a week. After a week had passed, I called them to ask for a progress report only for them to tell me they hadn’t even checked it yet. I was so frustrated that I went to pick up the truck because it seemed ridiculous to leave it there if they weren’t even going to inspect it. 

After I left, I ranted about my vehicle problems to a friend who advised me to take it to another Dodge dealer. It was at this new repair shop that I got the sensor issue fixed. I thought that would be the end of my troubles, but unfortunately it wasn’t. 

Sometime in June early in the morning, I walked up to my truck, started it, and it sounded like it was about to break down. I tried to keep it moving until I got to the dealership and asked them to check it out. They found out that one of the fuel injectors was bad, so they replaced it. I asked if that was why the truck engine was behaving that morning and they confirmed it was. 

After they replaced the fuel injector, I left with the truck. But two weeks ago, I was back because another fuel injector went bad and needed replacement. They fixed it and the truck is back with me now. 

I have two major issues with how this all went down. One is that I don’t understand why my main dealer was acting dodgy when I first took my truck in for repairs. Because of this, I had my subsequent repairs done at the other dealership that my friend referred me to. The second is that it’s unsettling that two fuel injectors went bad within such a short time and it just doesn’t sit right with me. I even heard somewhere that Chrysler has been producing a bad batch of fuel injectors recently and this is why the problem keeps coming up. 

Regardless, I just need to determine my next line of action before something else comes up. Please tell me more about the lemon law. 

Dodged

You Should Duck and Cover From Your 2021 Dodge RAM 1500 

Dear Dodged, 

Sorry to hear about all the issues you’ve dealt with, from sensors to injectors and a bogus dealership to boot. Your vehicle can definitely qualify for a lemon law case even though it’s a lease. The first thing you should know though is that with lemon law, your attorney is going directly against the manufacturer. In your case that’s Chrysler, and the claim is that they sold this vehicle to you defective. Given that you have had all these issues with the truck when you did, it sounds like a lemon. 

Is It A Lemon?

To prove that it’s a lemon, you’re going to need at least two visits to the dealership for the same issue or three or more visits for different issues. If you had to leave your vehicle at the repair shop for over a month, this qualifies as well. These visits must have occurred while still under the manufacturer’s warranty. 

All in all, it’s quite a straightforward process. Considering that there are many defective Dodge vehicles every year, it shouldn’t be hard to get the case settled without dragging it out. If it eventually gets to a court case, that can take between 3 to 7 months depending on how fast Chrysler wants the case resolved. 

After everything you’ve said, it seems like you have a solid case. What remains is for you to gather the paperwork for each of these visits, because they are the physical evidence presented in the court. 

When your case proceeds to court, you may be offered one of the following three options as compensation: 

The Trade-in Or Replacement Offer 

This option is probably the least favorable option as people may end up with another lemon. This is where you swap your vehicle with another that has similar mileage, value, and model as yours. The manufacturers may try to give you something of less value, or they may try to upsell you which means they give you a vehicle of higher value and make you pay the price difference. 

The Cash And Keep 

This is the option to choose if you wish to keep the vehicle and want cash compensation from the manufacturers. This offer allows you to retain your original warranty on the vehicle. You may sell the car later on without deeming it a lemon to the next owner. 

Before the automakers hands you the cash, you must first sign a waiver form that you won’t pursue a lemon law case against them for the same vehicle. This means that if you have any new issues, you’ll have to keep taking the truck for repairs without filing a claim. 

The Buyback Option 

This is the third and usually, most profitable option for you. With the buyback you get the manufacturers to buy back the car from you and refund all that you paid for the car. They pay back everything like the down payment, monthly payments, taxes, and even interest. 

If you took out a loan on the car, the automakers would refund that as well to the finance company. You don’t have to worry about your credit receiving a negative rating. If you can prove that the vehicle defects inconvenienced you more than usual, you stand to receive a larger sum. 

Seeing as you leased your vehicle in California, a consumer-friendly state, you enjoy certain benefits. One major benefit is the chance to have your lemon law case taken on full contingency. In simple terms, it means that you do not need to pay for hiring a lemon law attorney. Rather, the carmakers are the ones responsible for paying their fees. You don’t have to worry about splitting the original settlement amount with them or anyone else. 

With all of this said, if you still have any more questions, let your attorney know. I hope you’re able to find the best option for you, whether that’s keeping it or dodging the bull and opting for a reliable ride. Best of luck and turn those lemons into lemonade!

Suzanne

Featured Image: 2021 Dodge RAM ©Ethan Llamas (CC Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 license)

Free Legal Advice About Your 2021 Dodge RAM Lemon Law Claim

Dear reader, are your vehicle problems ruining your life? Confused about what legal route to take? We’re here to help! Find information about California’s lemon law protections here, fill out the form on this page, or give us a call at (323) 553-7525 to discuss your situation with someone who understands how frustrating it can be to have a lemon car, and what to do about it.

DEAR SUZANNE is a weekly column written by Suzanne Henderson and published in LemonLawyers.ORG. If you have a defective lemon vehicle and have questions about California Lemon Lawyer or how to file a claim in California, please write to help@lemonlawyers.org. While not guaranteed, we will try to feature your letter in this column to provide you the answers you need, as well as enlighten other consumers who may have lemon problems similar to yours.

Disclaimer: Suzanne Henderson is not a lawyer and the points discussed here are intended for general information and reference purposes only and not to be construed as legal advice. Please consult a CA Lemon Law Attorney to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

Related Articles:

• Missing Out On Quality Time With My Kids Because Of My 2020 Dodge RAM 1500
• My 2021 Dodge Durango Thinks It’s A Boat
• My 2019 Dodge Challenger And Its Manufacturer Want To Rip Me Off