What good are "Care Numbers?"

[tpedwards]

I have a 2009 Aspen Hybrid. Ok, stop the laughing. It has been a great vehicle and if I keep the low-rolling resistance tires, I routinely get greater than 21mpg and sometimes over 24mpg. It had 50,000 miles on it when I bought it in May 2010, but with it, a 3.5 year unlimited mileage extended warranty. That said, the check engine light went on and I took into the local dealer (which had not worked on a hybrid before). They reset the light, couldn't find anything wrong. Two days later, it goes on again. They keep it longer. Then again, etc. Two months total in a rental (yes, the extended warranty covered a low-budget rental) and they had replaced the transmission AND the battery pack. About $24,000 as I was told. Oh no, this was the first transmission they have ever replaced! Yeah right. I was given a case number, er, "Care Number" by the dealer. I don't really know why. Perhaps my extended warranty shielded me from whatever the Care Number was supposed to protect me from. It was in the dealer's best interest to carry this through. I was out my $100 deductible, but that was it. I wrote a letter to Chrysler Care over a month ago asking for some sort of compensation (map update, iPod cable, etc.) for being without my Aspen Limited for two months, but I have yet to hear from them. If I don't hear back, I seriously doubt I will ever buy another Chrysler product no matter how much I like the new Durangos.

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[15951a\]

They didn't make many of these vehicles, and not many guys out there even know how to work on them. I would dump this truck before your warranty runs out.

[Djinn-n-Tonic]

I would dump this truck before your warranty runs out.

I'll second that........

As for The number you recieved.....It is a CAIR number.....Customer assistance internal requisite. Simply put....I would look into your extended coverage.....As far as I know, those #s are issued when Chrysler "Good Wills" a repair outside of Warranty coverage....

You spent a Ton of money on an extension, and Therefore your warranty should be picking up the Tab......

The drawback to this, is if you ever need something later down the road, And this # pops up, Technically speaking, you have already gotten your fair share of Goodwill, and the claim will likely be Bounced.

As for Service on Hybrids......Dont fault the dealership for this one....There are alot of dealer techs who havent worked on Hybrids.....And unless they are certified by Chrysler to SELL them, they arent Certified to Service them.....I'm Thinking Thats why you got a CAIR #...They shouldnt have been working on it to begin with.

Now Not to add salt to a wound.......But....The Hemi MDS gets equivalent or Better Mileage than A hybrid, And at the expense of the Hybrid option, which was almost 10k above a Standard package......It was not by far worth it... Couple that with the fact that only select dealers are authorized and competent to service them....(The Ones who Paid the 1/4 million dollar Buy -In) and this becomes a prospect to ...RUN AWAY FROM....