I hate to be the person who only joins a forum to complain, but I thought I ought to warn others of my experience trying to get the Z11 recall addressed. I’ll be as brief as possible, but this has been (and continues to be) a saga. TL;DR – Our van has been at the dealership for 6 weeks now with no compensation and timeline for the issues to be resolved.
Like others, I held off for some time in booking an appointment to have the Z11 “fixed” so the dealerships would have time to get some experience in the procedure.
After receiving countless letters from Chrysler warning me to get the recall addressed (and random emails from Chrysler Customer Cares saying they couldn’t get in contact with me – even though no one ever left me a voicemail, email, or letter, other then the generic recall letters), I started calling local dealerships to schedule an appointment. The first dealership in Castle Rock, CO wouldn’t call me back. Other local ones are AutoNation dealerships. They just said they didn’t have the “parts” to do the recall, even though this is really just a procedure – which I pointed out - but they clearly just didn’t want to deal with the recall.
I then called Chrysler Cares, who would only put me on hold while they tried to call Castle Rock dealership.
I finally got someone at Castle Rock to pick up the phone and schedule an appointment. This was in March; they said they couldn’t make an appointment until May. I pointed out that I should be given a loaner vehicle. They said they would “make a note of it”. I re-iterated I needed a replacement vehicle. They said they’d add that to the notes.
Week of the appointment came, I called to confirm the appointment and the loaner vehicle. Castle Rock then told me that they don’t provide loaner vehicles and that I wouldn’t need one anyway because the recall would only take “a few hours” to address. I pointed out the procedure would take days to do properly, but they insisted it shouldn’t take that long. When I dropped the van off on May 5th, they then told me it would take a few days. (Guess they finally read the procedure.) They said I would need to contact Customer Care to arrange for a rental vehicle. Ridiculous.
Having assumed they would not have a vehicle, I had but my bike in the van and used that to get home.
Middle of the next week, having received no feedback the dealership, I started texting the service manager to get an update. No reply. Tried calling. No one would answer. Finally got a call back and was told they were having an issue “communicating with the HV battery” and that were awaiting a call back from Chrysler Gold Star engineers or some such to get direction the next steps.
Another couple of days went by, no one calls me, of course, so I call and text until someone replies. Talked to the service manager this time and was then told that they followed the steps provided from the engineers it “took out the battery”. So – not clear if it was bad, or they wrecked in trying to execute the repair. I was told a new battery had been ordered and they would let me know when that would arrive. I pointed out I was still without a vehicle. Now, they suddenly did have the ability to provide a loaner vehicle and I was given the name of the person to contact. (Great – more leg work for me!). When I talked with that person they said they had a Jeep Renegade, and at least was sympathetic to the notion that this was not at all a replacement for minivan. She said they might have something bigger the following week. I said I’d wait, since I’d already been using my spare vehicle for the past couple of weeks. She (Katie) did contact me the next week – the only person from Castle Rock to do so – but I decided to keep driving my own vehicle (assuming Chrysler will compensate me for this) rather than deal with the hassle of coordinating another driver and the pick up of another vehicle.
Weeks go by. No call from the dealership. No updates. I call Customer Care. They helpfully tell me that I should have the Z11 recall fixed. I point out that is exactly what I am trying to do and go through my story. I am given a case number, but otherwise no support on updates or offers of compensation for having no vehicle. Days go by. When I call again, I again get told that I really should have the Z11 recall fixed. I go through the story AGAIN. Customer Care then ask me, seriously, for the dealership’s phone number – something you think they might have that themselves – and put me on hold while they try to call the dealership. They then come back and tell me no one will answer. I point out this is indeed the problem. They tell me there’s nothing else they can do, I may just need to go by the dealership to talk with them. I point out the dealership is quite far away, I shouldn’t have to spend my time driving there to get a response, and, as i had previously told them, I had not been given a loaner car to make the trek. I am told there is nothing Customer Care can do.
I finally got someone (Cheyenne) on the phone at the dealership on June 2, get put on hold, then told the battery will be arriving on Monday the 12th and that the van will be ready by the 14th. I ask if this is realistic. I am told it is. I clearly state, and have the person repeat back to me, that I will be contacted if anything changes. It is now the 16th. I have heard nothing. And, of course, they will not answer the phone or return a voice mail.
I called Customer Care again this morning. Again, I am put on hold a couple of times while they “look into it” and try to contact the dealer. After 28 minutes I am told the person managing my case (I have no idea who that is) isn’t in the office today, but they’ll be sure to call me first thing Monday. But then I am told that the dealership “doesn’t have the patch” so can’t perform the recall. I tell them that is not the case, that a new battery is supposed be getting installed. Crickets, and then they hung up. But at least I got to take the satisfaction survey.
It is inexplicable and inexcusable how poorly this gone, every step of way and at every contact point with Chrysler. I can’t even begin to add up how much of my personal time (and personal vehicle usage) I have wasted on this.