OK, went to the dealership last night after work and took out a new R/T so I could compare it and the way it drove, to mine.

OH MY GOD!!!! There is definitely something wrong with my car! As soon as we pulled on to the black top, I told the guy that this one is a lot smoother than mine already. It was much, much smoother, drove so much easier! The little expansion joints that would make my car seem to "hope" over, this one just soaked up and went on.

The front of mine really dives hard whenever I stomp on the brakes hard. Also, the front of mine really lifts when I hammer the throttle. This other car did none of that. Sure, the front dropped and lifted respectively, but NOT like mine. We are suspecting the struts/shocks are bac. I told the guy it acts like the suspension on mine was put on upside down! It is really harsh over the small stuff, and yet, I have on occasion bottomed the suspension out - not hard, but I could feel/hear it hit the stops.

Monday morning, the service manager is supposed to call me. I'll be making another trip and hopefully, we'll get it fixed.

I cannot not honestly tell you how much different the new R/T drove than mine. I thought I had mine pretty well sorted out with the alignment and new tires, but NO WAY, Jose! The kicker was that the other R/T had the very same Continental tires on it that mine HAD. So, other than the fact that the original rear tires were starting to show considerable wear , they were probably alright.

If dodgdlr sees this, maybe he can give me some insight or suggestions on how to deal with this problem. Could the wrong shocks and struts have been put on my car? It's not just the front - the rears are the same - harsh initially, then soft.

Let me hear some suggestions, theories, etc.

Thanks folks.

dave[:@]

 

The first thing if the Dodge dealer is going to see it here is to lose the photo!!! LOL.

Hmm. Sometimes, although they are rare, you just get a lemon. Heck, I'd even put them up on the racks side by side and walk back and forth looking for differences. Take a tape measure with you and measure to see it they match. This isn't rocket science -- something has got to be causing this... If none are found, it's in the adjustments. But the way you are saying something is so wrong, you should see something...

Did you hit a monster pot hole at one time? Did someone jack it up on the wrong spot and bend something? Was it dropped on it's head at birth? (Was it just bad from the start?) Did you let your brother in law drive it and when he got back said nothing about the monster pot hole?? Did they drive it off the transport? Was it driven to the dealership and something went wrong? How many miles were on it when you purchased it? Are all the tires the right size? Are the trunk lid bumpers turned the same??

Sounds like you're on the way to a fix -- you just have to be methodical here...

Good luck, Dave.



MN

 

Its been this way since day one. While driving it home that first night I though, "OK, it's a new car, bigger, heavier, bigger tires - I just need to get used to it. Hmmm. Kind of stiff riding. Well, again, it's new and needs some time to loosen up."

No, haven't hit any big holes with it. Like I said, it's been this way since day one.

OH, one other thing I forgot to mention - and maybe this is normal, too. I decided to try something last night on the way home - I can move the steering wheel back and forth a good inch or more without any change in direction - know what I mean? Is this normal. I'm just amazed at how different the other R/T drove than mine. It was so much more solid all the way around. My dad bought a new Plymouth Fury in 1960, and he always thought that it had been tied down too hard on the transport and the torsion bars were damaged. No evidence, that we know of, was ever found, though.

It's baffling to me. If it can't be corrected, then I'll be looking to trade for a 2007 model.

dave

 

Maybe a lemon if it was like this off the bat. Maybe damaged. Maybe a part wrong or missing or broken. Damaged during delivery. Who knows. Mine is about perfect as I have had in a car in a long time. It's better than my son's Grand Am GT and my other son with the STi loves the Charger. I just drove mine and can't tell you about the steering wheel play. However, Dodge did stress that it is a quick steering car, and did mention the number of cogs. Even Consumer Reports stated the car felt darty...

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/ov...&model=Charger

Keep at it Dave. Its got to be frustrating... []

Hope it all works out for you.

MN

 

Just like ours they said it was the CAI lol I removed it and it still does it.

 

All I can tell you guys is that there was a definite difference between mine, and the R/T I drove. Time will tell, but I hope they can find the problem, because I'm more convinced than ever that something is not right here.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys.

dave

 

One thing you pointed out is the trip from the rail yard to the dealership via a "new car carrier". I've seen cars bounced around so hard on those things, not to mention how they're secured on the trailer (they'll put the chains and binder on anything they can reach). What you're describing sounds like a broken shock mount. Is there any clunking noise in the front end, or any chattering in the steering wheel under braking or hard acceleration?

I would take the car to the most reputable mechanic in your area, describe the problem in exacting detail, and tell him to find the problem. Whatever you end up paying him, present that bill - with his findings - to your dealer when you insist they fix it and refund his fee.
We have a "lemon law" in NY and if a dealer doesn't make it right, or make good on a bad car, the State Attorney General takes up the case upon filing of a consumer complaint. Along with that goes public notices - bad publicity, which the dealer doesn't want. Most often, the complaint is addressed satisfactorily before a court date is even assigned and the case is dropped.
You deserve to have the car right. That's what you paid over $30K for.

 

Wow Dave, not good news. The 1" play isn't normal. Do you have the R/T performance pkg?

Next time your at the dealer park next to another R/T and push on the from and rear of each to compare tension/travel of the suspension.

Have them jack it up and check the wheel play right off the bat that shouldn't take but 5 minutes. If it's not loose there they should move on to the rest of the suspension and steering. From the descriptions you've given something should jump right out and wave a big "here's the problem" banner.

 

Randall, if you mean the road & track package - no. I wanted it, but was told that it wasn't available - at least at that time. Dont know what was going on there.

As much as I love my R/T, the other one I drove I loved even more - it was just sooo much smoother, etc. I don't hear any clunking upon accelleration or braking. The only sound I hear that I had them check the very first time I took it in was a sound I hear when I apply the brakes - almost sounds like ceramic against steel. They checked the brakes and said everything is OK. I don't find any gouging on the rotors, either. Wonder if that could be a sympton of the problem, too. I will certainly be on them as soon as I hear from them. And, if I don't hear from them, I'm calling the service manager.

I thought about checking the suspension travel/play on another R/T as well.

dave

 

You should drop it off until they make it right, and get an R/T loaner. If they give you any guff metion the lemon law. I did it with a S-10 years ago, had it 18 months and the couldn't get the belt to stop vibrating. Lost $800 but thats not bad for having a car 18 months and putting 20000 mils on it. You sound like your problem is more severe. Get tough with them,[sm=icon_beat.gif] if i read your post right you've been there more than once already. They should be bending over backwards to take care of you.

Good luck Dave,


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