2004 quad, 4.8l, 35,000 miles

One week ago I turned on my dakota quad to hear an awful banging from the engine. It would continue to run, but I never moved it out of park. After towing to mechanic, I was advised today that the problem is most likely a lower rod bearing, based on his use of a stethoscope. He has not yet dropped the pan. The mechanic has a line on a used engine with 20k miles.

A) Has anyone ever heard of this problem for a very lightly used truck (commuting car)
B) Should I be complaining to Dodge about this, even though I believe it is out of warranty
C) Does the mechanic make sense in looking for a replacement engine rather than repairing this one.

Feedback greatly appreciated.

 

first of all, you have a 4.7, and no it is not common for a rod bearing to go bad this soon, however it is possible. should you complain to chrysler? absolutely. some things are covered under warranty longer than others, the worst they can do is say no. is the mechanic right in just replacing the engine? probably. who knows what else may be damaged in the bottom end. even if it could be fixed, the amount of labor that pulling the engine, fixing the rotating assembly, and then putting the engine back in would probably be more expensive than just replacing the engine.

 

Sorry, my mistake. thanks very much for the reply.

 

Ouch. Anything can happen in an engine, but this is very abnormal, if you ask me. I am not sure whether the best way is to rebuild or replace the engine. I guess whichever costs less.

At 35 K and just 4 years old with no heavy-duty use, I would definitely ask the dealer Service Manager if they can cover it for you. Dodge dealers are empowered to repair vehicles out of warranty, but it is up to the dealer to decide whether to help you. They will base their decision on the maintenance and repair history of your truck and to a degree, whether you have had the maintenance and repairs done at the dealer or not. In a situation like this I would really expect the dealer to ask you to show documentation and receipts from all the truck's oil changes.

If the dealer is unable or unwilling to assist, you could contact Chrysler. They may be able to convince the dealer to cover the repair, cover a part of the repair costs (meaning you pay for parts or labor only and the dealer pays the rest), offer a straight 50/50 split on the repair bill, or possibly a discount certificate on a new Dodge truck. Or, Chrysler may just issue you a full or partial reimbursement of the repair costs. You will have to convince them to do that though. Be prepared, if the dealer refuses to help you, Chrysler may very well side with the dealer too. If you have to replace the engine, there may be a longer warranty on the new engine if you pay for all or a part of the cost. Ask the dealer or the rep at Chrysler.

No matter what the outcome here, I would definitely ask for some help on this repair, based on the age and mileage on the truck. And you should start at the dealership, preferably the dealership where you bought your truck. They have a very strong interest in keeping you as a satisfied customer. You will also have a much better chance of getting some assistance if you bought the truck new or if used with very low mileage.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Jimmy

 

another way to tell its a bad rod or main bearing will be your oil pressure, pretty much would be close to non existent.

 

moe in wichita ks
if the dealer will not help do this. get 4 or 5 little kids 3 to 5 years old from where you live. stop by the icecream store and get each something messy. go the dealers showroom and tell the manger that if he doesnt fix your truck you will turn the kids loose on his showroom. and/or bring along channel 10 news.

 

if you are at 35000 miles sometimes even out of the 3 year period they will cover it and it has a 7 year 70k mile warrantee on the drivetrain for that year i would go to the dealer and see if they will replace it under the powertrain warrantee (i beleive the engine is covered under that warranty) just a thought

 

yeah definitely try to get as much as you can out of the dealer before you go paying for a new engine...it never hurts to try and be tough with them sometimes they try people to see if they will be easy so stay persistent and you may just come through with them paying for some or all of it.

 

Thank you Shrpshtr for your extended warranty idea. Turns out the engine is covered for 70K in this model year. It is now at the dealer and they expect to receive a 'reman' engine by end of week. I'm hoping its in at least as good condition as the original.

 

I am happy to here that they are taking care of your problem. what did they do, they just told you to bring it in. was just wondering