happy_heathen

I bought a 1997 Wrangler Sport on a whim when they came out in 1996. I loved that thing like a family member. It was very good to me. Aside from a persistent electrical problem with the turn signals, it was a pretty easy vehicle to deal with as far as upkeep, particularly with my being a single woman on a limited income. At 130,000, and a few years after I married, I felt it was time to give her up. I actually went through a little mourning period. I sold her to a lady who I felt would take good care of it. I knew in my heart I would buy another Wrangler someday.

Less than a year later, hubby and I bought a stunning Flame Red 2006 Rubi (same color as my 'ex'), right when the 2007s were coming out. I wanted to stick with the 'old-school' design. I was thrilled to buy what I considered 'top of the line'. I had added on the aftermarket stuff I had taken off my beloved Sport: the light bar, tubular bumpers, etc. She's gorgeous, attracting compliments everywhere she goes.

At around 20K, I was driving as usual and it suddenly started to drag. It was thought that the problem was caused by bad gasoline. The gas that was flushed out was very dark. The injector cleaning set me back about $400. The warranty didn't cover this. Shortly thereafter, it was discovered the cat was damaged due to the trauma. Thankfully the dealership got Chrysler to pay for the replacement, saving me almost a thousand dollars. It was a stressful experience. But I thought my problems were over with.

I got laid off Halloween 2008. The Jeep never sat for long, but I only needed to run local errands. Didn't go on very many far journeys.

My warranty expired this past May. The Jeep odometer just turn to 26K. Now, however, I'm experiencing a mountain of problems.

First, the passenger seat belt stopped retracting. OK, fine. I understood I would have to pay for this, though I was a bit perturbed, since I hardly ever carry a passenger. So I bring it in to get this fixed, the e-brake tightened a bit, an oil change, and other assorted minor maintenance. Oh, and the timing chain replaced, which I thought was a little premature for the mileage, but some days it would scream when I cold started, and I felt I had no choice.

I get a call from the dealership. They tell me I need a new seat belt assembly as well as an e-brake assembly. 900 bucks. Of course I declined, this is absurd. I argued that these are not only customer satisfaction issues, but more importantly they are safety issues, and told the service manager he needs to call Chrysler to pay for this, because there is no way in hell that I am gonna fork that over.

After an 'approval' from Chrysler and some further haggling with the dealership, I managed to knock the quoted 'deductible' from $250 to $100. I accepted, because I figured that, if I had gone to another Jeep dealership as I had planned, to simply request the e-brake tightening and get the seat belt fixed, to see if I would get a completely different answer... it would have cost at least $100 for that to be done anyway. This dealership charged me 47 bucks and some change just to take apart and reassemble the seat belt. By accepting the $100 quote, I would get all new parts.

Tonight my husband tried out the seat belt for the first time as we headed out to run errands. It retracts, but it doesn't catch when he yanks it. It is useless. This just tops off my experience from this past Sat, when I was leaving the car wash and was adjusting my seat (rolling it forward), when it suddenly got stuck. It now only moves about an inch forward or backward. I now have to drive with the seat back straight up (ouch) in order to reach the pedals. And, it is too squished for my husband to drive; he's 6' 4". This is now yet another safety issue. The seat could adjust at any time. What if it flies back should I have to stop short? I could rear end someone.

And today, my driver's door started rattling, even while driving. I'm thinking, What next? These aren't even engine problems. I truly feel I am going to die in this big beautiful piece of crap. The thought of taking it out four-wheeling is utterly laughable.

I am already feeling a coronary coming on, knowing I have to place yet another call to the dealership tomorrow morning.

I really don't know what to do here. What are my rights? Surely there is someone at Chrysler I can write to. I'm livid! There is absolutely no excuse for this. No wonder GM is tanking.

Thanks for listening.

happy_heathen

I think I was supposed to post this in the Stock section.
Please forgive me, I'm a noob. If anyone can assist me in moving the thread, I'm all...er...thumbs.

Yamaha90

So wait, is this a JK or an LJ? you said you bought a 2006 Rubicon, bc you wanted to stay with the old school design, and put on your mods you took off your TJ. i have not had any problems of that sort with my 2007 JK if that helps. i hope everything works out for you and you can keep enjoying your Jeep.

vw73182

maybe on a non jk forum?

happy_heathen

Again, I am sorry, seems I posted in the incorrect place.

The aftermarket items I am referring to came off a TJ. They fit on my er...I guess it is a....I dunno. Can I just call it a 2006 Rubicon?

happy_heathen

Well, we are talking about a dealership. Do they not tend to gouge?
And I had to haggle. Haggle real good.

I am really hoping there is something lodged under the seat to keep it from moving. I keep the thing really clean from 'non-paper clutter', but it's possible. We have not had the chance to check this out for sure, but will be doing so before taking it in. Either way, she's going in because the seat belt is a dud...again.

As far as the timing chain...what is the normal wear for a 4.0L? Either way, I suspected it was too soon for a replacement. What would cause premature wear?

happy_heathen

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/atta...1&d=1261464786

captjay

ok so first off, i am not doubting you but i have never heard of a 26,000 mile warranty on any vehickle

the injector problem, sorry i just have no idea about and how did the ebrake come into all this. did they say something or did u have problems with that too. if they said something then i betcha they just threw that in there tryin to make more money off of you.

if i can recomend, place some type of mark on the seat belt in an incunspicuos place and check to see if they are realy replacing the part. this is a common occurence for some places to say they replaced something and charge yiou the money and they dont do anything at all. some seat belts are not designed for a yank but more for force applied against an internal part. just because you yank it and does not catch doesnt mean squat. you have to yank it just right for the internal lever to catch. some have a pendulum inside and has something to do with the sudden stop or deceleration of the jeep.

the timimg chain, sometimes it just happens. without getting technical, sometimes even brand new parts can fail. sometimes its just a defective part, it happens. but no that is not normal wear and tear. you should be able to reach i think 50,000 or 60,000 miles without even thinking about it

the ratle, well, what vehickle doesnt have a rattle. if its bothering you that much then yes get it looked at. sometimes just a simple wire clip inside the door may be loose.

the seat not moving, try spraying some wd40 on it and see if that works. if that doesnt work, you might just have a sticky lever or even sand or debris in the track.

sounds like to me you live in a high corrosion area like i do in florida. i have to keep things lubed up or this stuff happens. you might even try spaying some wd40 on the insdie of the seatbelt ans ee if that works

personally i think you are going overboard with disgusted. i do understand how you feel but these are minor problems, except for the timimg chain and injectors. if im not mistaken, under the lemon law, you have to deal with something 4 times before you have legal recourse. i may be wrong on that though. i dont think you should have been charged for anything, but since DC has gone under, they are going to fight us the customer on everything possible.

take it for what its worth, just trying to give you my honest opinion, hope it helps you out.

happy_heathen

A warranty is 36K or 3 years, whatever occurs first, right? I bought it in May 2006, so my 3 years makes the warranty expire this past May. Which makes me that much more upset, considering the very low mileage of the vehicle.

Making a little mark on the belt is a great idea. I'm gonna do that.

My thought is, the passenger seat belt should work just like the driver's, no? The passenger's seat belt doesn't 'catch' on a quick yank--in fact, it doesn't catch at all. The driver's side does with a quick jolt, the way it should. This problem is the total opposite of when I brought the Jeep in the first time--when it didn't retract, which it now does. The 'replacement' is most definitely a defect, without the slightest doubt in my mind. The tech did not bother to test it before I left the lot. I should have done it, and I failed to do so myself. Lesson learned.

As far as early demise of the timing chain, if other things are falling apart at the same time, as in my situation, I think it is natural to begin to feel a bit disenchanted about the construction of the entire vehicle. It's just human nature. It sounds like we basically agree, it's pretty early it for it to poop out.

I also understand where you're coming from about rattles. I know it's natural. But I know the difference in the severity. This rattle didn't occur only a couple weeks ago. It sounds as if the mechanism in the window is loose. I am a junk food addict and I admit to rolling the window up and down a lot for drive thru orders.

I have to take a look underneath the seat. We haven't had the chance to take a peek at it in the daylight. Hopefully it is something we can fix ourselves. I do have to mention that the seat rolls forward just fine when pulling the lever by the headrest. So something is funky with the lever that you pull up under your legs.

I'm not sure about the high-corrosion-area theory. My Sport was an East Coast model (purchased in NC), and it was exposed to all weather conditions for a year. I drove it out here to (admittedly practically weather-free) coastal CA regions and it was my only means of transpo for 8 years, exposing it to dirt and rocky terrain on occasion. The old lady was perfectly sturdy, even in extremes. The Rubi has barely seen rain.

I wholeheartedly agree I shouldn't have been charged a dime and I really had to fight to get that cost down to 100.00. I also agree that these places try to take advantage of me perhaps because I am female, and it had been suggested to me (not on any forum) that it may even be possible because of my zip code (I live in an upscale beach town--but I can assure you it's not because I have any money--I don't--I just landed here due to other circumstances--otherwise I wouldn't be complaining about the quotes. Just wanted to clarify that. ) Your theory about them trying to get money out of me for the e-brake is possible, however I did tell them it was a bit looser than I liked. I had them tighten it in the past without any issue. It was only this time that they said it was a 'handle base failure' (and I had noticed my brake lights had stayed lit when the key was not even in the ignition on one occasion, a week prior to my taking it in; I had read on another Jeep site that this could have something to do with an e-brake malfunction). I don't think they would have gone through all that trouble of taking the thing apart and replacing it (and presumably the seat belt) for 100 lousy bucks. And I know they did indeed replace the e-brake part because they took my CDs and stuff out of my console to get to the brake (you know they never put your stuff back in where it belongs) and I could smell the chemicals from the new part(s). I could be wrong, though. Knowing dealerships, the e-brake may have really only needed to be tightened, for all I know. Then again, I have not experienced any more weirdness with the brake lights remaining lit without the key in the ignition.

With all due respect, I don't think my use of the word 'disgusted' is overboard. The very premature failing of the seat belt, the loose and presumably broken e-brake, and stubborn seat (which I admit I have yet to check) are safety issues which cannot be overlooked. Particularly the most important problem, the seat belt, as my Jeep is a soft top. And as you are well aware, serious injuries or death could occur all too easily if our vehicles flip. Remember, this is the second time I have to apparently get the stupid belt replaced/repaired. And we agree that it's too early for the timing chain to fail. It's not like I came on here to be a general PITA or troll and to bash Jeeps just because. I had mentioned I adore the Wrangler model, that I had owned one previously for almost 10 years and it didn't give me any trouble like this one does, and this one was more costly. There is no excuse for the shoddy craftsmanship, for this or any other vehicle when it comes to everyone's safety.

I am most definitely looking into CA's Lemon Law. I was hoping someone here perhaps had an address or phone number of some higher-ups at Chrysler or GM or wherever where I could send a letter of my grievances before I would have to resort to going the alternative route as I know it would be time-consuming and complicated. (To cover all bases, I am going to be looking further into the dealership itself, too, for that matter.)

But I do appreciate your input, and again, I think your idea about making a little mark on the seat belt is a very good one. Thanks!

captjay

see i live on the beach, only about 200 ft from the ocean, so the salt air reeks havok on things here. ok i see on the mileage. i have had same problems with seat belts and seats and just sprayed them and was fine, thats why i suggested the corrosion. i guess i just tolorate some things little more than others. something i forgot, it could be possible you just need some new brake pads. as far as phone numbers, you could probably do a search on BBB or directly from Jeep website.

im probably looking at a new transmision under warranty. but im just the type person, yea it sucks, it shouldnt have happen, but what can ya do, as long as they take care of it.

goodluck to ya, hope it works in your favor.