I bought a 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 series from a Dealership in Michigan. The truck was a government forestry truck from Idaho. It has a little over 111,000 miles on it. It is an automatic. My check engine light came on on my way home (700 miles from the dealership) I stopped by O'reilly and I am getting a scan code of P0521. I called the dealer about it and he said that it might be a sensor and that I could just reset it and I would be fine. It has a knocking coming from the engine area..... Any thoughts? TIA
Is there any legal recourse that I can take against this Dealership, for their shady deal/scam?
The trouble is that it was very likely an "as-is" sale. (Check your paperwork.) I believe that you would need to prove fraudulent misrepresentation to overcome that.
Basically you would need to consult a lawyer - most likely one in the state where the truck was sold and preferably one who specializes in that area of practice.
Of course legal fees could well wind up costing more than the truck is worth. If it is confirmed that the engine is shot (we don't really know yet, you need to have it evaluated by a mechanic) the most practical way forward may be to have a good used low-mileage engine installed and call it a learning experience. It's very important when buying a used vehicle to have a good mechanic check it out thoroughly before purchase.
A quick internet search found some guidelines and a listing of lawyers in Michigan that take dealer fraud cases:
https://www.findlaw.com/consumer/lemon-law/how-to-sue-a-car-dealer-for-misrepresentation-.html
https://www.lawinfo.com/dealer-fraud/michigan/
It has a knocking coming from the engine area..... Any thoughts?
Could be anything from a problem with a belt-driven accessory to a rod knock in the engine.
I am getting a scan code of P0521. I called the dealer about it and he said that it might be a sensor and that I could just reset it and I would be fine.
The dealer is lying. Clearing the code does not fix the underlying problem. Since that code indicates possible low oil pressure that would go along with the engine having a rod knock. Oil pressure should be verified using a mechanical gauge.
https://www.carparts.com/blog/p0521-code-engine-oil-pressure-sensor-switch-range-performance/
It really needs to be checked out by a mechanic. (Of course that should have been done before purchase.)
@Chuck Tobias , When I test drove it, there wasn't any problems with the check engine light coming on & the truck was not knocking. But I asked them to check out the breaks real good before I made a almost 700 mile trip home and they said they had changed the breaks and changed the oil. But I done purchased the truck while the breaks and oil was being changed . I thought the truck was fine other than the breaks were squalling ( that's why I asked them to check the breaks)
They may have put heavier oil in the engine to temporarily mask the problem. As I said the oil pressure should be tested with a mechanical gauge to verify whether it's OK or not.
Does that mean, the seller had filled in a heavier oil to mask problems previous to the moment of 'inspecting before buying', but returned to thinner oil at the moment of inspection/correction of the brakes?
More likely it always had heavier oil in it which only masked the problem temporarily. The seller may have hoped the trick would last longer. This is all conjecture of course until condition of the engine is verified but it's a common and old trick used by unscrupulous sellers.
@ChuckTobias Is there any legal recourse that I can take against this Dealership, for their shady deal/scam? That you know of. I am located in TN and I bought the truck up in Michigan.
@chucktobias , (I had to make another account, I lost my password to the other one and could not get the reset link to be sent to my email, it never showed up)... anyway...
My check engine light is no longer coming up. I don't know if it is burned out or if it is because I reset the code so many times to get home that it will not come back on. But I still have the knocking. I talked to a Ram dealer and he said they couldn't do anything without the light being on..... ???? Thoughts....
I talked to a Ram dealer and he said they couldn't do anything without the light being on.....
That dealer just doesn't want to bother with you. There can be codes and bad data without the light being on that will show up on scan tool. The knocking is also an indication that something is very wrong inside that engine.
(I had to make another account, I lost my password to the other one and could not get the reset link to be sent to my email, it never showed up)
No problem.
How much can I expect a dealership to charge me to rebuild my engine, AND How much could I expect if I just buy a new engine? Do they typically give any kind of warranty? I don't know if it makes a difference or not, But I am located in Upper West TN.
How much can I expect a dealership to charge me to rebuild my engine, AND How much could I expect if I just buy a new engine? Do they typically give any kind of warranty?
Rebuilt engines cost many thousands of dollars and thousands more in labor, you'd have to check specific prices for yours. A dealer of course would be most expensive. An independent rebuilder like Jasper would be a bit less. A used engine would be least expensive but would still cost thousands in labor to install. A rebuilt engine would of course have some kind of warranty but you'd need to read the fine print to see what the terms and conditions are.
Maybe you can get the truck to Scotty to take a look at it when he's back in Clarksville to see what he thinks. (Instructions for making an appointment are in the FAQ.) If the engine is knocking though it should probably be towed.
Are you talking about range of $4000-$7000 type deal for parts/labor? or way more than that? I live several hours away from Clarksville. 🙁
That sound about right, but you'd have to check specific pricing for your vehicle. Then of course who knows what else might be uncovered that's wrong when doing the job that will cost even more $$$$.