Chrysler's New Lifetime Drivetrain Warranty

tguild

I decided not to purchase the "lifetime powertrain warranty" for the 2007 Dodge Ram that I had purchased before the new "free" warranty went into place. I figured I could better spend $750/$900. With the Cerberus take over Chrysler might have a very short "lifetime".

Tom

Mr_Shiftright

Well the "lifetime warranty" is also the lifetime of the company that backs it, that's true.

Oh man, I never thought of that...how would current regulations fit into the demise of a company that offers a lifetime warranty?

That would be REAL sticky. Ouch, my head hurts.

british_rover

Thats what I have been saying from the beginning. What if Chrysler doesn't last much longer in its present form.

Post 48

Mr_Shiftright

I dunno...some sort of court settlement to buyers?

Let's not think about that---that would be very ugly if Chrysler fails completely.

isellhondas

And no warranty from a company that doesn't exist.

blueiedgod

As far as I know, NY state defines LIFETIME of anything as 7 years.

So, how is Chrysler's LIFETIME warranty going to be enforced in NY state, which limits LIFETIME to 7 years? What happens to Chrysler Owners in NY state after 7 years?

It is just a bunch of baloney on Chrysler's part. Worn out piston rings because of inferior materials specified in the engine design would not fall under manufaturer's defect, since they were designed to fail after 150,000 miles.

joel0622

There are allot of good questions in this thread, do the Edmunds Officianado's happen to have a subject matter expert on there staff that could answer them?

Mr_Shiftright

Why don't you browse some of Michelle Krebs' columns and then drop her a line. She'd probably have some good comments for you:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/ColumnsLanding

lemko

"Taking Diet Pill X along with a sensible diet and exercise..."

What? You mean I can't eat fourteen Big Macs for lunch everyday and still lose weight with Diet Pill X?

Diet Pill X is probably just a placebo and weight loss is just the result of diet and exercise.

lemko

Dang! And I just bought the lifetime warranty on my 1966 Studebaker!

tedebear

It is just a bunch of baloney on Chrysler's part. Worn out piston rings because of inferior materials specified in the engine design would not fall under manufaturer's defect, since they were designed to fail after 150,000 miles.

The new lifetime powertrain warranty covers ANY internally lubricated part that fails. It doesn't mater if you drive the car for one million miles, as long as you are the original owner. I don't see any baloney in it.

tedebear

I don't think it helped any that you included the link to his ad in your reply title.

isellhondas

I agree but it doesn't matter now.

These guys keep trying, don't they?

blueiedgod

It is just a bunch of baloney on Chrysler's part. Worn out piston rings because of inferior materials specified in the engine design would not fall under manufaturer's defect, since they were designed to fail after 150,000 miles.

The new lifetime powertrain warranty covers ANY internally lubricated part that fails. It doesn't mater if you drive the car for one million miles, as long as you are the original owner. I don't see any baloney in it.

But, the warranty excludes wear and tear. Worn out piston ring is worn out, wouldn't that be excluded by the wear and tear exclusion?

From reading thr text, it specifically says that it only covers manufacturer's defects. How do you go about proving that the part was a manufacturer's defect and not worn out after 150,000 miles?

tedebear

I don't know where you guys are reading that this free lifetime powertrain warranty doesn't include certain things related to the powertrain but I'm willing to read whatever link that states this if you'll post it.

The only requirement for the original owner to maintain the lifetime warranty is that the vehicle must have a powertrain inspection performed by an authorized Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep dealer once every 5 years within 60 days of the 5-year warranty start date. The inspection is free and there is no deductible for work performed under the warranty.

Here's a FAQ link for more info on it:

http://www.chrysler.com/en/lifetime_powertrain_warranty/faq.html

qbrozen

the fine print was posted by Shifty a couple of months back. And his post also explains the obvious loophole.

Kirstie_H

Hi tedebear,
What it doesn't include is wear-and-tear on any part, or items that weren't maintained as required. While the link to the FAQ is helpful, it isn't the complete warranty. On the website, it says that you have to visit a dealership for a copy of the limited warranty.

What Shifty posted was a link to a scanned copy of the warranty that you can pick up at the dealership:
http://www.mouseprint.org/wp-content/avert/chryslerlifewarr.pdf

That's where they tell you the exclusions, and that it covers defective workmanship and materials.

joel0622

Damn, I hope Ford never comes up with a best in the industry warranty. Chrysler has got 18 pages of bashing for it here so far.

Regardless of what you all think about the warranty let me ask you this.

What other manufacture other then Chrysler is it even worth taking the time to call the shop if your engine blows at 250K miles?

None, because no one else will even consider covering it. At least Chrysler will lay a program out there that if you do as they say you have shot a getting a new engine at 250K

jlawrence01

At least Chrysler will lay a program out there that if you do as they say you have shot a getting a new engine at 250K

If the company is still around when/if the vehicle reaches 250k.

tedebear

That's where they tell you the exclusions, and that it covers defective workmanship and materials.

Again, what Shifty said is HIS interpretation of what he thinks the warranty covers or doesn't cover. I don't put much weight on some outsider's opinion of what they consider the lifetime warranty to be. As it says in the FAQ link that I posted, lifetime means LIFETIME.

I also posted the dealership location and phone number that anyone can call to ask the service manager what is included in this. I also posted what the service manager said to me as far as replacing the transmission.

I notice my post has been removed. How convenient when a forum host disagrees with someone else's opinion that they can just delete a post without responding to my valid points.

LIFETIME means LIFETIME - how much easier do I have to make this???

Mr_Shiftright

Okay, fair enough.

What OTHER interpretation could there be of this warranty clause from Chrysler?

"What’s Covered
The Lifetime Powertrain Limited Warranty covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair a powertrain component listed in section E below, that is
defective in workmanship and materials.

What else could this mean except "you have to prove our workmanship or our materials were defective. Owner negligence, or normal wear and tear don't count".

If "Lifetime means Lifetime", why put in this exclusion? Why not say:

"covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair a powertrain component---PERIOD!"

tedebear

Hi Shifty,

Wouldn't you think Chrysler could mean that they aren't going to do something like replace the engine every 5-6 years if it is still running okay but it might be burning 1/2 quart of oil or so and the compression might not be as high as when it was new?

I could see how they would not be willing to replace an engine or rebuild a transmission if the component had not failed. If something happened to the point that the vehicle could no longer be driven then I'd expect them to honor their warranty by replacing whatever defective part that was causing it not to work.

We could go back and forth like this for a long, long time but if you guys ever happen to be near a Chrysler dealership stop by the service department and ask the service manager's interpretation of this warranty. I already posted one example of how they said it would apply to a 5 year old transmission with 75k miles that was still operational.

Mr_Shiftright

Hi bear,

well it's pretty obvious that the "defects in M & W clause" is a loophole that they can (or choose not to) use as required, don't you think? Again, why would they put it in there if they didn't plan to use it on us?

If what you're asking me is whether Chrysler would repair a non-working transmission with tons of brass and debris in the pan after 150,000 miles, I would say no, they wouldn't. That's the normal wear and tear life of a transmission. Nor would they, I suspect, repair an engine with 150K with no oil in it. Or a clutch. Or rotors, or a catalytic converter that rusted out in 150K. Or leather seats with tears in it or power windows that groan and moan slowly at 150K or a flooded interior with clogged vent drains the cause.

I bet you if you asked ten Chrysler dealers you'd get ten different answers. My inquiries suggest they are pretty confused about what it means. I suspect we will be seeing clarifications in the near future.

I think what all this means about "lifetime" is that your "lifetime" warranty works out, in real life, to just about the same as a regular Chrysler warranty except in a few cases of lucky individuals who can prove a materials or workmanship failure at very very high miles.

I think the campaign is VERY clever (kudos to Chrysler) and essentially without content.

BUT...I'm always ready to be convinced otherwise...like by some solid, blanket statement from Chrysler, IN PRINT, for instance, that doesn't waffle.

Something like "If your car breaks, and it wasn't sheer neglect or vandalism, we'll fix it for free forever".

isellhondas

Exactly, and I see a can of worms down the road for Chrysler.

Worn out piston rings and cylinder bores are not a defect in material or workmanship and as I read things, this wouldn't be covered.

But, a oversold customer who heard what he wanted to hear from an over eager salesperson might think EVERYTHING is covered FOREVER as he drives his new prize home.

I see trouble brewing....

qbrozen

so you think a service manager's interpretation overrides what chrysler's legal department put down in black and white?

Mr_Shiftright

Here's an interesting comment from another board, wherein the poster apparently called Chrysler corporate. Take it for what it's worth:

*****************************************************************

"Just spoke to Chrysler Corporate @ 1-800-992-1997 The “Supposed”
Lifetime warranty only covers DEFECT in Workmanship… IT Will NOT Cover
an engine that wears out normally, just if it was a defect in
workmanship…. There is NO real Lifetime warranty from the horses mouth,

call chrysler and ask about normal wear and tear…"

Comment by Joe Momma — September 10, 2007

*******************************************************************

jipster

Even if that is true you're still looking at a 150,000-200,000 mile warranty, what an engine would be expected to get provided proper maintenance. That would be good enough for 95% of the people buying a Chrysler.

Joe Granny

Kirstie_H

This was my thought as well. The service manager doesn't determine the warranty's coverage; Chrysler does. I bet if the dealership's service department found that Chrysler would not reimburse them for a particular repair needed due to something other than defect, they would change their tune.

Still... good program, and way better than NOT offering it, IMO.

joel0622

Still... good program, and way better than NOT offering it, IMO.

Thank You!!!!!

isellhondas

Fast forward this topic down the road five years...

Will people be happy with the way it worked out?

Will Chrysler still offer the same warranty?

Only time will tell.

Mr_Shiftright

True as far as it goes, but Chrysler knows full well that the vast majority of Chrysler buyers will get rid of their car by 75,000 miles. I don't know how many will keep their cars to 150K but it's a very small fractional percentage.

So the cost to Chrysler on this is really nil, statistically speaking, and for 99% of us, meaningless.

I think one would have to view this Lifetime Warranty on a case by case basis and make no assumptions how Chrysler will act on a claim.

for instance, just as a case to debate: You drive to a Chrysler dealer with your oil pressure light on. Your car has 99K miles. They discover a rod knock. Was that a defect in materials and workmanship or did you just screw yourself by not towing the car to the dealer?

PF_Flyer

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A little fun on the Alternate Route as Dub Schwartz gives out an automotive award in the ongoing Ask Dub Schwartz blog entries.

blueiedgod

What other manufacture other then Chrysler is it even worth taking the time to call the shop if your engine blows at 250K miles?

I'd say Honda.

A) Properly maintained Honda engine will not blow at 250,000 miles, heck it is just getting broken in.

By the perponderance of evidence, Honda has stepped up to the plate when people way out of warranty (50,000 -- 100,000 miles outside of 36,000 mile warranty) called the Corporate and asked for the coverage. They were either covered 100%, just parts, just labor, or 50/50.

C) Has Chrysler done anything like that in the past?

tedebear

so you think a service manager's interpretation overrides what chrysler's legal department put down in black and white?

I think a service manager's interpretation overrides what someone in an online forum puts down in black and white.

As I said earlier, I doubt that they are going to replace a worn engine under this warranty if it is still running and nothing is actually broken. If a rod or whatever breaks then, yes, I'd expect them to honor it. Some of the things mentioned such as rotors and seats are not even part of the powertrain.

From reading these posts it is apparent that a few of you just have something against Chrysler. I'm beginning to wonder if some of you work for Consumer Reports, the free ad import buyer's magazine.

Mr_Shiftright

Well said, but you'd still have to prove the broken rod was due to a fault in materials or workmanship. That's what Chrysler says in the lifetime warranty unless I'm reading something extra into that clause. It does says "due to".

andre1969

I remember when Hyundai started all that hoopla with its 10 year/100K mile powertrain warranty, it seemed like such a big deal. But then it got me thinking...of all the cars I've had, only one has had a major powertrain failure before 10 years/100K miles. That was my 1989 Gran Fury ex copcar. Sometime in 1997, the #8 lobe on the camshaft went bad, and the city of Richmond, VA, auctioned it off. It had 73,000 miles on it, and was about 8-9 years old at that time, so it failed before either of those limits were up.

Now I also had an '82 Cutlass Supreme that needed its tranny rebuilt at 61,000 miles, and the engine was shot at 73,000 miles. But that was 1993 and 1994, respectively, so it was beyond the 10 year limit. And I'm sure it was neglect rather than faulty workmanship that did it in. It was 11 years old when I bought it, so God only knows how it had been maintained before I bought it.

I also had an '88 LeBaron turbo coupe that just about totally went to crap in 1997. Turbo went out and it blew the head gasket and warped the head. It also had about 118,000 miles on it, belonged to my ex-wife by then, and had been stolen a few times. While it would be nice to think that the joy-riders took great care in respecting other people's property, it would also be rather naive. :P

I have a feeling that most cars, if there really is something wrong with the way they were built, will have a major failure within the first 3 years/36K miles, and would be covered by almost any standard warranty. Beyond that, on up to around 100,000 miles, I'd suspect that abuse/neglect probably play a major role, although there are exceptions, and occasional design flaws that will show up at higher mileage. And beyond 100,000 miles, things just tend to wear out.

My 2000 Intrepid has about 137,000 miles on it, and never any major powertrain problems. And I don't think the 2000 Intrepid is particularly known for durability. The 2.7 seems to be the darling of sludge accusations, and the automatic transmission has gotten many a mechanic's offspring through Yale or Harvard!

Okay, so its check engine light did come on, just recently, but watch that end up being something that wouldn't have been covered by any sort of lifetime warranty, anyway. :sick:

qbrozen

I really don't understand your stance.

I think a service manager's interpretation overrides what someone in an online forum puts down in black and white.

Did you read the link?? That is NOT what someone here wrote. It is a legal document from Chrysler! It clearly states "defects in materials." There is no grey area there. If rings go bad after 100k miles and you start burning 2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles, that is NOT a defect in materials. Might they still cover it? I don't know. But they don't HAVE to, according to their legal document.

From reading these posts it is apparent that a few of you just have something against Chrysler.

You probably don't realize this, but we have a Chrysler in our driveway right now. We think it is quite a nice vehicle and it has treated us well for over 30k miles now. But I don't let things like that cloud my judgement. I always try to stay objective.

tedebear

I already said earlier in this discussion that I wouldn't expect Chrysler to replace an engine if it started burning 1/2 qt of oil between changes and it was still running, or something similar.

If something internally breaks, causing it to not run, then I'd expect them to repair or replace the part.

2 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles reminds me of my old '74 Chevy Vega, although I think it was closer to 2 quarts between gas fill-ups.

Mr_Shiftright

I think you would end up disappointed with that kind of blanket expectation. There are too many variables to engine failure, some of which are normal wear and tear, some of which are owner negligence, and some of which are factory defects.

So I'd say you have one in three chance of getting Chrysler to give you a new engine at 150,000 miles if something breaks internally. If there are signs of oil starvation or overheating or sludge, etc., I think you'd be out of luck.

boaz47

like the old argument when the imports didn't offer the same warentee as the domestics. People said they didn't offer them because they weren't needed. But now they all offer at least a three year warrentee and Honda offers a 5 year 60000 mile powertrain warrentee. And Hyundai offers a 10 year warrentee. Would we assume that these warentee are only good if we can prove a factory defect? Having seen how the old standard Chrysler warentee worked when the offered the upgraded 100,000 mile powertrain warrentee if a transmission failed they fixed or replaced it all the way up to the 100,000 mile mark.

I had to have the cam shaft replaced on my old Saturn 6,000 miles before it fell out of warrentee. I didn't have to prove it was defective, only that is broke. It was replaced.

If a three year warrentee is good a five year one is better and a 10 year one is better still. A lifetime one should be offered with all new cars. If not with what they are charging the consumer for these new cars at least they should have to stand behind them working at least ten years.

Mr_Shiftright

I see your point but the more I look at this lifetime warranty, and the statistics about length of car ownership in America, and the disclaimers Chrysler has added, the more I think this warranty is essentially meaningless, and isn't an actual extension process of valid warranties as in the past.

This will benefit so very few people one could hardly call it a new industry standard or new form of consumer protection I don't think.

It strikes me as an empty promise, once you unpack it and really think about it.

boaz47

Still if it works at all it could cause others to increase their warentee. I do not believe for a minute VW increased their old 2 year 24000 mile warentee to protect consumers. I think they did it because everyone else had a better warrentee. When I got the 100,000 mile warentee on my PT I never expected to use it but it was nice to have. It is hard to believe but in the 4 years I kept the car I put on more than 80,000 miles. I even like the after market warrentee you can buy for used cars at some dealers. I had a bumper to bumper on a Chrysler that more than paid for itself when the blackout instrument panel went out.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah I understand, but nobody keeps their cars that long and Chrysler knows the stats full well. The Lifetime Warranty is really only for a miniscule number of people, so sure, everybody can DO it, it just won't mean anything for 99.9% of us who already have 10 year powertrain warranties that we'll never use.

How about a 300 year warranty? An ETERNITY warranty?

Honesty, how many 100K miles ++ original owner cars did you ever have? I never had one.

Anyone here bought a car brand new that has exceeded a 10/100K warranty?

tedebear

Anyone here bought a car brand new that has exceeded a 10/100K warranty?

Certainly. Every new car we've purchased in our family has gone over the 100,000 mile limit before we sold it or traded it on a new car. I'm one of these people who likes to sit back and enjoy no car payments for a few years once the loan is paid off.

This is why I really like the lifetime powertrain warranty on my recently purchased Sebring. I just hope I never have to use it.

lemko

Definately my 1989 Cadillac Brougham which I've had for 19 years and 157K miles! The car still looks and runs like a champ!

Mr_Shiftright

I hope so too but for different reasons. I'm not as keen on this as you are.

Forbes magazine has just released its "Worst Cars for 2007" and Chrysler made the top five. That's not good.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9071128.003/worst-cars-of-2007

LEMKO! So will you trade your Caddy in on a brand new Chrysler to get that lifetime warranty? :P

tedebear

I hate to rain on some people's anti-Chrysler parade but I'm going to have to continue to disagree with your interpretation of Chrysler's lifetime powertrain warranty. I just spent over an hour reading the fine print. This is what is covered:

Parts Covered
The Lifetime Powertrain Limited Warranty covers these parts and components of your vehicle’s powertrain supplied by Chrysler Motors LLC:

Gasoline Engine: cylinder block and all internal parts; cylinder head assemblies; timing case, timing chain, timing belt, gears and sprockets; vibration
damper; oil pump; water pump and housing; intake and exhaust manifolds; flywheel with starter ring gear; core plugs; valve covers; oil pan; turbocharger
housing and internal parts; turbocharger wastegate actuator; supercharger; serpentine belt tensioner; seals and gaskets for listed components only.

Transmission: transmission case and all internal parts; torque converter; drive/flex plate; transmission range switch; transmission control module; bell
housing; oil pan; seals and gaskets for listed components only. NOTE: MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH PARTS ARE NOT COVERED AT ANY
TIME.

Front Wheel Drive: transaxle case and all internal parts; axle shaft assemblies; constant velocity joints and boots; differential cover; oil pan; transaxle
speed sensors; transaxle solenoid assembly; PRNDL position switch; transaxle electronic controller; torque converter; seals and gaskets for listed
components only. NOTE: MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH PARTS ARE NOT COVERED AT ANY TIME.

All Wheel Drive (AWD): power transfer unit and all internal parts; viscous coupler; axle housing and all internal parts; constant velocity joints and boots;
driveshaft and axle shaft assemblies; differential carrier assembly and all internal parts; output ball bearing; output flange; end cover; overrunning clutch;
vacuum motor; torque tube; pinion spacer and shim, seals and gaskets for listed components only.

Rear Wheel Drive: rear axle housing and all internal parts; axle shafts; axle shaft bearings; drive shaft assemblies; drive shaft center bearings; universal
joints and yokes; seals and gaskets for listed components only.

Four-Wheel Drive (4X4): transfer case and all internal parts; transfer case control module and shift mode motor assembly; axle housing and all internal
parts; axle shafts; axle shaft bearings; drive shafts assemblies (front and rear); drive shaft center bearings; universal joints and yokes; disconnect housing
assembly; seals and gaskets for the listed components only.

Near the end of the warranty it states:

All other terms of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty including the Section 1 (Your Rights Under These Limited Warranties) and Section 3 (What’s Not
Covered) apply to this Powertrain Limited Warranty.

Now, if you go to the standard 3 yr/36,000 mile warranty and look at section 3 it mentions things such as racing, accident, damage, abuse, or vehicle alteration not being covered. Regular maintenance is not covered.

The entire section 3 is WAY too large to paste it here. It is available online for anyone to read if they are interested.

Standard Warranty:
www.chrysler.com-crossbrand-warranty-pdf-07_JSC41_1-40.pdf

Lifetime Powertrain Warranty:
www.chrysler.com-crossbrand-warranty-pdf-X_lifetime_warranty.pdf

What I pasted in bold is the OFFICIAL Chrysler warranty, not someone's interpretation of it. It's right there in black and white. Read and learn, guys.

This isn't just for people like me, who keep their vehicles over 100,000 miles. It benefits any original owner who keeps it over 36,000 miles, as that is when the lifetime warranty kicks in. It is the absolute best warranty in the industry.

Mr_Shiftright

Here's some additional information on that:

The Lifetime Powertrain Limited Warranty covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair a covered powertrain component that is defective in workmanship and materials. There is no coverage for towing.

SRT vehicles, Sprinters, diesel vehicles, Ram Cab/Chassis trucks, rental vehicles, and government vehicles are not covered. Vehicles used as a police vehicle, taxi, limousine, postal delivery vehicle or ambulance are not covered.

andre1969

LEMKO! So will you trade your Caddy in on a brand new Chrysler to get that lifetime warranty?

I could see Lemko replacing one of his other cars with a 300C or something, but he'll probably take that Brougham to his grave!

In my case, that lifetime warranty is tempting, but Chrysler really doesn't have anything out there that excites me right now. I do like the Charger, but if I ever do get another new car, I really want something more economical. Like a 4-cyl Altima. Or (and my fingers are shaking as I type this)...a Civic! :surprise:

qbrozen

you keep saying we're talking about someone's interpretation. Once again, it is NOT an interpretation. Shifty posted it AGAIN. Its right there in black and white. "DEFECTIVE IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP."
Blow rings at 150k are not defective in materials or workmanship. They help up exactly as designed.

And, yeah, ok, sure, I would also expect them to fix the car if something in the engine broke. But the odds of that happening are EXTREMELY slim. Internal engine parts almost never break at high mileage without other mitigating circustances that would be constituted as abuse. What will happen is things will wear out and the vehicle will get to the point where it won't pass emissions inspection. It is the normal life cycle of a vehicle and is not attributable to defective materials or workmanship.