What happens when the dealer can't fix your car?

[DMCVegas]

My only point is Farrar stated he needed a Transmission Control Module, TCM. The image shows "Engine Computer", "Electronic Control Module".

While it was well intended, it isn't what is needed unfortunately.

I thought Traction control was TCS control module or something similar? (they are all confusing, yes!)

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In any case, good luck - I hope they will do something for you to fix the issue!

Ahhhhh! I see what you're saying now. Whew! Any more acronyms here and we might have accidentally summoned Gary Busey...

Anyhow, looking at the site, anytime you choose the Transmission Module, it keeps skipping over to airbags. In any case, it shouldn't be too difficult to also just search for parts for one of these cars, and then just call the junkyard directly to ask for the part. Seems also like front impacts to the left side and high water also shorten the life of these modules. However, there are places that also rebuild them, so it is possible to repair the part.

[David T]

Assuming the dealer is correct and the module is bad, one should be sourceable but not necessarily through their normal parts channels. Maybe a salvage (junk) yard? What happens when they get one and it still won't work? Blame the new part? As a customer it should not be your problem, all you care about is getting it fixed with the service contract you paid for and is still in force. You need to read the fine print to see what rights you have if it cannot be fixed. If they do manage to fix it, dump the car as quickly as you can before it breaks again and never buy another Chrysler again. Tell them if it needs a shift computer you have one that fits a Delorean, maybe it will work? There is a reason there are no more of those modules, they all probably fail and there are no more and the vendor is no longer making them because they are so bad. Support and service on older cars (and even no so old cars) is getting worse and worse. The manufacturers don't want to spend the money it costs and it costs a LOT! Just imagine the situation you would be in if you didn't have a service contract! You might have to junk the car! Don't get excited, you may still wind up giving up the car but someone may have to give you something for it. You may have to have a lawyer read the service contract and send them a letter to force the situation. Otherwise this could drag on for a while and you don't have the use of the car. Does the service contract provide for a loaner or a rental?

[DMCMW Dave]

Assuming the dealer is correct and the module is bad, one should be sourceable but not necessarily through their normal parts channels. Maybe a salvage (junk) yard??

It's not like you can't find a PT Cruiser in the junkyard at this point.

[DMCMW Dave]

(I am done buying cars - only leasing from now on.)
.

A smarter move would be to quit buying Chrysler products. The company has been bought and sold so many times in the past 10 years it has no real "culture" anymore. They really don't care.

BTW - Leasing does not protect you from anything, the lease company has nothing to do with the manufacturer and couldn't care less if you are happy with the car. It's also generally the most expensive way to own a car.

What you want is a good car with a strong warranty, and good dealers. "Good dealers" is the hard part.

[sdg3205]

The "post bail out" models seem to have a better reputation. I have owned two pre-bailout Jeeps (2000 and a 2001) and they need a lot of TLC. My old TJ went through crank position sensors like water. In the end i sold it because I never knew if it was going to run. My 2001 Grand Cherokee has over 350,000 km and is pretty darn reliable, but has some of the worst electronics and coding - like AC that powers on and off randomly and memory seats and mirrors with Alzheimer's.

[Farrar]

If the OP ends up trying to source this part himself I'd recommend requesting a photo of the actual part before it ships to confirm it's a match.

Someone suggested getting the OEM part number from the service advisor. I'd probably do that.

I'm not a native of this area, and last night I spoke to someone who is. Apparently, this particular dealership has a reputation for being notorious for trying to push people to buy a new car instead of having theirs repaired. I guess I should have done some research before I had my car towed there. Live and learn, I guess!

[Farrar]

Apparently, this particular dealership has a reputation for being notorious for trying to push people to buy a new car instead of having theirs repaired.

Looks like the stories I was told were true. After the Fiat-Chrysler customer service representative called on my behalf -- lo and behold! -- the dealership has found a PCM and it's being shipped.

I'm amazed that businesses can engage in such shady practices and get away with it, even have a reputation for it. But that's the way it is, I guess.

[DMCVegas]

Looks like the stories I was told were true. After the Fiat-Chrysler customer service representative called on my behalf -- lo and behold! -- the dealership has found a PCM and it's being shipped.

Whodathunkit?

I'm amazed that businesses can engage in such shady practices and get away with it, even have a reputation for it. But that's the way it is, I guess.

They do it and get away with it because they can.

It's a symbiotic relationship between the dealer network and the manufacturer. The dealers need cars to sell, and the manufacturer needs the dealers to move vehicles. Sometimes the manufacturers can also abuse the dealers too *cough* *Nissan*. But no matter what, they move cars, and in the end that is all that matters. Particularly in the world of Chrysler who terminated franchises during the bailout, only the strong dealerships survived, which ultimately meant the shadiest ones.

I've dealt with 5 separate Chrysler dealerships across 4 different states when it came to car buying and getting them fixed. Only 1 of them in Arizona was decent, and the Nevada and Texas ones were disgusting. I've also ever really owned a single Chrysler product that I enjoyed, and that's probably because it gave me the least trouble. Everything else was just riddled with engineering flaws. On the used ones I bought that had trouble, I can't always blame the manufacturer since I don't know what happened before. But I've had everything from leaking radiators to destroyed differentials. But for the one factory-new Liberty I bought, what a nightmare. 9 Window regulators in less than 3 years. Gunk in the oil filler because the dealership didn't reinstall the vent tube insert to address the factory flaw. Bad factory alignment that chewed-up the two front tires. And then that whole exploding gas tank thing too. But we dumped it before the recall came out.

Every manufacturer has horror stories with the cars, or the dealerships. So when you have customer complaints, you've just got to weed through them and find the few with legitimate problems, the rest who are whiney morons. But Chrysler? Never again.
Their assembly line employees that build vehicles are the worst workforce save for Yugo.
Their cars designs are old as hell and not as safe.
Their trucks are worse than their cars.

Do yourself a favor: Save for perhaps older Jeeps, Muscle cars, and some older Diesel trucks which are all for a hobby instead of a daily driver, Never buy another Chrysler. There are far better choices out there from every other manufacturer available.

[Farrar]

Save for perhaps older Jeeps, Muscle cars, and some older Diesel trucks which are all for a hobby instead of a daily driver, Never buy another Chrysler. There are far better choices out there from every other manufacturer available.

I rented a Ford Focus recently. It was nice, especially the backup camera. I liked the way it felt planted to the road. Toyotas (the wife's car of choice) always feel too bouncy for my taste.

But truth be told, I'll probably just lease whatever is affordable and gets the job done.

[DMCVegas]

I rented a Ford Focus recently. It was nice, especially the backup camera. I liked the way it felt planted to the road. Toyotas (the wife's car of choice) always feel too bouncy for my taste.

But truth be told, I'll probably just lease whatever is affordable and gets the job done.

I bought a Ford Focus in 2014, and love the hell out of it. It's a weird design because it has an automated manual transmission with rotating cams to move between gears instead of a shifter knob with linkage, and solenoids which operate the clutches (dual because it has telescopic input shafts that divide between odd and even gears). You can't creep like you do in an automatic which is why people have so many complaints about them behaving oddly. Only the 2013's and up have the better seals on the transmission case to prevent leaks, and the final shift profile the flashed it with last year make the thing just smooth as silk.

Damn thing is also a go-kart. Handles like it's on rails, gets beautiful fuel economy, and has a nice burst of power when you need it from the variable timing.

Anyhow... What is affordable and gets the job done doesn't just mean getting the cheapest car you can. Some are just inherently bad. And as for leasing, it's one of the worst mistakes you can make. Unless you're trying to make a Mercedes affordable, you're opting for a hell hole of a money pit that you know ahead of time will constantly breakdown and cost you a couple thousand each time (Land Rover), or it's a commercial vehicle that's going to plummet in value from mileage and be purposefully abused/destroyed, never ever lease a vehicle. You'll loose money every time, and you're no better off.

Us? We opted for the Focus since it's pretty cheap, safe as hell, and it's a true-global platform car. Meaning parts are going to be super-cheap and plentiful for years to come since we're shooting for 10 years of service before retiring it. And it was just fun. That is what makes a car affordable for me.