NHTSA Complaint #11173224 — 2014 RAM C/V TRADESMAN

THIS IS A FLEET VEHICLE USED FOR SECURITY SYSTEMS INSTALLATION. IN JUNE OF 2016 DRIVER NOTICED LARGE POOL OF ENGINE OIL ON THE GROUND UNDER THE PARKED TRUCK. THE TOP OF THE ENGINE HAD OIL POOLED UNDER MANIFOLD AND THE LEAK APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR. CLEANED THE ENGINE AND REPLACED THE SENSOR. THE TRUCK HAD 45,612 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AT THIS TIME. OIL LEAKAGE DETECTED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE BUT ORIGIN OF LEAK COULDN'T BE FOUND. ON 24 JANUARY 2019 THE TECHNICIAN WHO OPERATES THIS VEHICLE CAME OUT TO GO TO WORK AND NOTICED A LARGE POOL OF ENGINE OIL IN THE DRIVEWAY UNDER HIS TRUCK. HE CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL AND THERE WAS NO OIL SHOWING ON DIPSTICK. HE ADDED OIL TO THE ENGINE AND TOOK THE TRUCK TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP A COUPLE OF MILES FROM HIS HOME. A SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED AND SAID IT APPEARED TO BE LEAKING FROM THE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $945.00 TO REPAIR. I TOLD HER OF THE HISTORY OF THE TRUCK'S OIL LEAKS AND THE KNOWN PROBLEMS OF THE ENGINE OIL FILTER ADAPTER ON THE 3.6 LITER ENGINES USED IN THIS VEHICLE. WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THE TRUCK NOW HAD 105,616 MILES ON IT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 5,616 MILES. AFTER SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION I TOLD HER TO GO AHEAD AND FIX THE TRUCK. I THEN CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE AND APPEALED FOR A GOODWILL REPAIR WHICH WAS ENTERED UNDER FILE NUMBER ER171866. I CALLED BACK TO CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE ON JANUARY 29, 2019 AND WAS TOLD THE TRUCK WAS REPAIRED AND THERE WAS NO CHARGE. WHEN THE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED THAT AFTERNOON TO PICK UP THE TRUCK HE WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $961.65 BEFORE IT COULD BE RELEASED BACK TO US. I CALLED CHRYSLER THE NEXT DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE GOODWILL CLAIM HAD BEEN DENIED. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE FROM LACK OF OIL OR A UNDERHOOD FIRE FROM EXCESSIVE OIL BUILDUP ON THE ENGINE.