In an attempt to keep this short:

2006 Dakota Quad Cab 2wd.

(Last week)
Front end clunk, I have an extended warranty to 70k miles, being at 38k I take a trip to the dealer. They have it for the day and come to the conclusion it's the sway bar end links. Replaced costing me $100 deductible (Thank whom ever for the warranty since these things are apparently made from Gold costing $80 each and requiring a masters in physics since it's $150 labor).

I leave a satisfied customer, get a few miles down the road and a front end squeak develops....I'm no longer a happy customer.

Knowing it's going back this week I wait on complaining and bring it back for remedy. Bring it in today to have the rear end fluid changed and the tires balanced and they check the front end. Now they say it's the ball joints and I should replace both sides at $900 per side. I bring up the warranty and now I should only replace the right side. They want the deductible plus $100 for an alignment. I told them to hold off because first I want to talk to a manager since it may only be my humble opinion but it's very difficult to misdiagnose end links for ball joints if you actually do a thorough inspection of the vehicle (Basically I'm cheap and am pissed about replacing parts that didn't need it) secondly feel the alignment should be covered under the warranty since it's needed because a part failed, and third they are saying the other side is going to fail in a week so why not replace it now instead of trying to charge me the deductible twice.

Any ideas or comments on how to proceed? I'm going out of town Friday and it would have been nice to have the truck all ready to go but I think I'm going to end up listening to a squeak the whole way.

 

Thanks for the tips!!!!

 

just punch EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM right in the face.

 

Am I supposed to feel kind of weird agreeing with you?, but THIS.

 

I was more looking for tips and tricks. I would love to grab the handle bar mustache of the moron I've been dealing with and bounce his face off the counter but there are so many ways in which I do not like jail and I almost got arrested last night don't need to push my luck today. To top it off they still haven't gotten the original work done which was balance/rotate the tires and change the rear diff fluid and they've had the truck since noon of yesturday.

 

I have never had a problem with my dealership and service advisor. But I always knew about my problem when comming in, because of doing research on this forum lol. Fact is, balljoints have been an issue on dodge trucks for years and years, and the end links on these trucks are garbage, dealerships go through hundreds of them, because the top end nut gets rust welded 50% of the time.

If they are doing one ball joint under warranty, they might as well do both. The upper ball joints cant be replaced, the entire control arm needs to be replaced. Its actually an easy job to replace the control arm, but expensive in parts. Just make sure they replace BOTH at the same time, or Go to a Different dealer, and threaten to do all your service at the new dealership from then on out. You can take your truck to any Dodge to get coverage.

Niether replacing the sway bar end links, or replacing the upper control arm should put your truck out of alignment.

Thats BS, don't pay for an alignment. Unless you are already out of alignment, there is no way you will need one after either repair. Unless they are removing the strut or tie rod ends, which I doubt....and if they put them back in the way they came out, I still don't see how you would need an alignment.

 

Sway bar end links are the vertical parts from the lower control arm up to the bar itself, correct? Mine have both been replaced within the last year as the dealership replaced the 2 front shocks for reasons we all know by now. BTW it did no good to replace the shocks, leaving the dealership driveway.. boing boing boing.. Can't wait until later this spring when I can get some Ranchos.

 

put a call into the dmv. you pay motor vechicle taxes. fill out a report and have them send a inspector over there. you will get what needs to be replaced

 

This is a good point. I have had no problems with my dealer on anything. They are very helpful and basically will kiss my ***

Let us know how ya make out