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2006 buyers beware

9K views 53 replies 20 participants last post by  jhelmuth 
#1 ·
I picked up my 2006 300C last week. (I originally ordered a 2005 back in September but thats another story) I also read this thread recently so nicely posted by ResumeSpeed, http://www.300cforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4963&highlight=resumespeed, which details the new features on the 2006. I realized that my car's radio did not have the auxillary audio jack (or any other features on that list) and I brought it up to the dealer. He checked the other 2006 300s on the lot, and NONE of them had these features. It turns out, Chrysler is taking the late production 2005s and giving them 2006 VIN numbers. Is this even legal??? I decoded my VIN and yes it is an '06 VIN. The 6 is in the 10th place of the number.

Of course what really sucks here is the fact that I got the 7/70 powertrain warranty yanked (since the 2006s don't come with it) and I've got a 2005!! I told me dealer that since it's a 2005, I want the powertrain warranty. Either that, or I want the features of an '06 (I would love an auxillary audio jack for my mp3 player).
 
#2 · (Edited)
How about some other features supposed to come on the 06 model? Two things that immediately come to mind are the tire pressure monitoring system and "something" to help close the trunk lid.

As far as the tire pressure thingy, don't rely on what the manual says (the 05 manual indicates its presence, as an option; but, it was never available.....I think that, if you do have the system, your tire valves will be different from the ubiquitous black rubber valves.

ON EDIT: I just clicked on the link in your posting and realized you answered my question. This sounds like a real bummer.
 
#4 ·
I was afraid this was gonna happen, I was just talking about this with hubbeee. Man I would be ticked about them undercutting your warranty if I was you, forget about the missing features... they're not even close to equal in value IMO. I've gotta wonder about the legality as well and I'd be making a few phone calls next week if I were you! It's too bad you have this cloud hanging over you when you should be doing nothing more than enjoying your new ride!! :mad: I hope you get some justice.
 
#6 ·
CubeDog said:
... I realized that my car's radio did not have the auxillary audio jack (or any other features on that list) and I brought it up to the dealer...
So your 2006 has absolutely NONE of the new 2006 features, not even the standard Tire Pressure Display (sales code XGM)? 2006 pilot models had the TPM system so it is surprising that productions models are coming without it.
 
#10 ·
CubeDog said:
I picked up my 2006 300C last week. (I originally ordered a 2005 back in September but thats another story) I also read this thread recently so nicely posted by ResumeSpeed, http://www.300cforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4963&highlight=resumespeed, which details the new features on the 2006. I realized that my car's radio did not have the auxillary audio jack (or any other features on that list) and I brought it up to the dealer. He checked the other 2006 300s on the lot, and NONE of them had these features. It turns out, Chrysler is taking the late production 2005s and giving them 2006 VIN numbers. Is this even legal??? I decoded my VIN and yes it is an '06 VIN. The 6 is in the 10th place of the number.

Of course what really sucks here is the fact that I got the 7/70 powertrain warranty yanked (since the 2006s don't come with it) and I've got a 2005!! I told me dealer that since it's a 2005, I want the powertrain warranty. Either that, or I want the features of an '06 (I would love an auxillary audio jack for my mp3 player).

I'm in the same situation you are. I ordered a 2005 and I'm getting a 2006 cool vanilla 300c without any of the new 2006 features. I'm glad I wont have the Daytime running lights, but I'd still like to have that 7/70 warrenty! :mad:
 
#11 ·
I checked and it appears I do have the tire pressure monitoring system!?!? Its orange and looks like an exclamation point in between two parentheses on the instrument panel? Can 2005'ers tell me if they have this light on their instrument panel? How the heck can I have one feature of the 2006 but not others? This is getting crazier by the day.

Thanks.
 
#13 ·
CubeDog said:
I checked and it appears I do have the tire pressure monitoring system!?!? Its orange and looks like an exclamation point in between two parentheses on the instrument panel? Can 2005'ers tell me if they have this light on their instrument panel? How the heck can I have one feature of the 2006 but not others? This is getting crazier by the day. Thanks.
According to your build sheet you definitely have it, described as "Tire Pressure Monitoring Display". I wonder though if it is the system with a display for each of the 4 road tires or simply a warning light that tells is any tire is low. On Jeep vehicles, for example, the build sheets say "Tire Pressure Monitoring Warning Lamp" for the base sytem with the idiot light and "Tire Pressure Monitoring Display" for the premium system with the LED display for each tire.

Your build sheet has the same sales code as the Jeep premium display system...
 
#14 ·
Yes they are heavy duty metal valve stems and one of the displays I can flip through shows the psi on each tire. So I guess I have it. Why are the other features being left off though? Do you think I have a good case to get the radio upgraded? By the way, Resume, you've been incredibly helpful in this. Thanks again.
 
#17 ·
Whats the deal with them dropping 7/70? Did they do this across all their vehicles or only the 300s? If only the 300, I can just imagine the reasoning being that "oh, its selling like hotcakes, we don't need the 7/70 to get them off the lots, yank that warranty off!" or something to that effect.

And I am still surprised that a "premium" brand that Chrysler is aiming to be doesn't have a 4/50 or 4/60 warranty. That seems to be fairly typical these days for upscale marques.
 
#19 ·
Warranty email to dealers:

Over the past five years, warranty costs have been reduced by over 40%, and we have had 13 straight years of double-digit quality improvements at the Chrysler group.

As the overall quality of our products continues to improve, an extended powertrain warranty has become less important to our customers.
Ownership trading cycles are decreasing - Chrysler Group research reveals that the average length of new car ownership is 3 ½ years.

Despite our heavy promotion of 7/70 since 2002, less than 10% of consumers know that we have an extended powertrain warranty. That is why it has not become the traffic driving tool we had hoped.

Consumers want new products and new features. What they truly value are our nine new products in 2004 and the many new products in 2005-2006. This is where we want to invest our money. We have decided to eliminate the 7/70 powertrain warranty effective on '06 MY vehicles. The 3/36 will remain in place.

Service Contracts has already developed new programs that reflect these changes and continues to offer an array of products that range in age/mileage coverage and deductible amounts; which allows dealers the ability to customize the contract to meet customer's needs. These plans can be found starting on Page 10 in the pricing and eligibility guide under New Vehicle Plans 3/36 Basic Warranty tab.

Our 3/36 warranty coverage is competitive with General Motors, Ford, and Honda.
 
#21 ·
jeepgrady said:
Unfortunately, it's across all DC products. Their reasoning: Supposedly, only a small percentage of buyers realized that there was 7/70 included, (BS).

Also, they state that their quality has gone up so much that they don't need to offer the extensive warranty, (more BS).

When quality goes up, that's exactly the time to leverage longer/better warranty as a marketing ploy to gain market share. When your product suffers from fewer problems, you can better afford to issue and honor a longer and better warranty because the added cost to you is minimal with a much better return via increassed sales and customer loyalty!

This disturbs me as I now sense that Chrysler actually realizes that the quality of their product is no better and that by extending their warranty, it will cost them more than they can gain via better customer retention and market share gains from competition. I really doubt that I will be buying American ib the future as the big 3 just don't compete (too bad)...
 
#22 ·
ResumeSpeed said:
Warranty email to dealers:

Over the past five years, warranty costs have been reduced by over 40%, and we have had 13 straight years of double-digit quality improvements at the Chrysler group.
So what your really saying is that there is really no additional cost to offering the 7/70 warranty because of the vast improvement in quality and reduction in Warranty cost - but you can't compete with Lexus, Nissan, or Toyota (all with superior warranties) :confused:

ResumeSpeed said:
As the overall quality of our products continues to improve, an extended powertrain warranty has become less important to our customers.
Ownership trading cycles are decreasing - Chrysler Group research reveals that the average length of new car ownership is 3 ½ years.
It's pretty damn important to me as I have not hade such stellar results with Chrysler product as you have suggested (and I don't think the customer sat #s bear this out either). :mad:

ResumeSpeed said:
Despite our heavy promotion of 7/70 since 2002, less than 10% of consumers know that we have an extended powertrain warranty. That is why it has not become the traffic driving tool we had hoped.
You have to promote it better (thats why they don't know - you don't make it a competitive point "we offer a better warranty than any other automaker in the world"), and for more than just a few years. If you don't stick with it, you can't make customers sign this song to other brand owners as a reason that thier cars are better. This is why Chrysler is NOT the world class auto-maker it could be - narrow & short minded thinking!

ResumeSpeed said:
Consumers want new products and new features. What they truly value are our nine new products in 2004 and the many new products in 2005-2006. This is where we want to invest our money. We have decided to eliminate the 7/70 powertrain warranty effective on '06 MY vehicles. The 3/36 will remain in place.
So are you now saying that the 7/70 warranty DOES cost you money (in spite of the claims made to the contrary)? :confused:

ResumeSpeed said:
Service Contracts has already developed new programs that reflect these changes and continues to offer an array of products that range in age/mileage coverage and deductible amounts; which allows dealers the ability to customize the contract to meet customer's needs. These plans can be found starting on Page 10 in the pricing and eligibility guide under New Vehicle Plans 3/36 Basic Warranty tab.
Agreed - but you are now charging for them and eliminate the competitive edge. OK, I'll buy it because I feel that it is necessary given the quality of Chrysler products. You oughtta sell the crap out of them! :rolleyes:

ResumeSpeed said:
Our 3/36 warranty coverage is competitive with General Motors, Ford, and Honda.
WOW - it ain't hard to compete with GM and Ford (they suck and are the bottom of the barrel in the world market). Honda is the outlier here, and your quality record doesn't hold a candle to them (which is probably a better indicator as to why you can't afford to provide a better warranty).

To me, this sounded like a lame-#$$ excuse to mask poor to avg. product quality. Sorry to hear that Chrysler is no better than GM and Ford...
 
#23 ·
I'll be very upset that I have waited this long being bumped from the '05 I ordered to get shafted twice with no audio outputs and a shorter warranty.
 
#25 · (Edited)
So if this allows for better use of the money elsewhere, where is that showing up on the 06 models? But you are right. In general, high quality allows for either lower costs for the same warranty or the ability to offer a longer warranty for the same price. You'd think they'd keep it since it costs less or they'd cut it, but give us a 4/50 or something in its place? But of course the biggest money to be saved is to cut the warranty cost AND cut the warranty, and it seems that is the route they chose. Can't blame em. If they think they have more to gain than lose by doing so, that is most certainly their choice.

And sometimes the ignorance (about Toyota and Nissan having better warranties) drives me nuts. Unfounded claims to bash American cars are all over the place (and I've driven nothing but foreign). Make sure your claims are correct before you assume the Big 3 always suck and imports always don't.

Toyota and Nissan both have 3yr/36k warranties.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Jerome81 said:
So if this allows for better use of the money ...

And sometimes the ignorance (about Toyota and Nissan having better warranties) drives me nuts. Unfounded claims to bash American cars are all over the place (and I've driven nothing but foreign). Make sure your claims are correct before you assume the Big 3 always suck and imports always don't.

Toyota and Nissan both have 3yr/36k warranties.
I'm sorry Jerome... but you are wrong. Here is their warranty (directly from their web sites):

"Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty includes 36 month/36,000 mile coverage, and 5 year/60,000 mile limited powertrain coverage."

(Toyota)"Basic: 36 months/36,000 miles (all components other than normal wear and maintenance items).
Powertrain: 60 months/60,000 miles (engine, transmission/transaxle, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, seatbelts and air bags).
"


Unless I am under a misunderstanding, CHrysler drops the limited power train part and only now offers a 3/36 basic. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance, but that is what has been reported.

PS - I've driven nothing BUT American (1 Ford in late 70's, Chevys in ... 80's and early 90's, Chryslers ever since)
 
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