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Crack in roof by sunroof

9K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  ladyluckpink7 
#1 ·
Hello all, been a while since I've posted, just busy with a couple other projects. So, here's the deal:
My wifes' Charger I bought her has a crack in the roof, radiating from near the sunroof opening just near the right rear corner. We found it a couple weeks back while waxing the car. The visible (paint) part of the crack is about 3/8" long, I don't know if underneath the paint it is longer, shorter, etc. We took it to the dealer for inspection, and I of course believe they (Chrysler) should fix it. Body panels don't just "crack" on a two year old car, there had to be a pre-existing structural defect. Their bodyshop looked at it, and they will cover the $1400 cost of the repair, less a $500 deductable they want me to pay. I saw the estimate from the body shop, and noticed "welding" was included in the repair, so I know they have determined the roof metal itself is cracked. Anybody else ever hear of this? Any suggestions as to how to proceed. The $500 bothers me, I don't think this should in any way be (even partly) my responsibility. Thanks everybody, and Merry Christmas!
 
#3 · (Edited)
The $500 deductible would bother me, too.

a) Is this something you are asking the dealer to fix under your 3yr/36,000mile bumper-to-bumper warranty? If so, there should be no deductible. Period.

or

b) Is your factory warranty up and you are asking the dealer to fix it because this is something that should not be happening on a 2 year-old car?

Deductibles are always part of terms and coverages that are agreed upon by both parties in advance (as a legal contract) when either a warranty or insurance is purchased. The dealer can't just say on a whim that they will cover part of a repair cost, but then tell you to pay a "deductible" for the balance, unless you have previously purchased a warranty with those terms explicity described. Given your car is 2 years old, I'm assuming your factory 3/36 warranty is still intact? If so, it seems they should fix this issue at no cost to you no questions asked.

If by chance, your factory warranty is up and you have an extended warranty with a $500 deductible, then you will have a fight on your hands. I agree that this is something that shouldn't be happening on such a new car and Chrysler should fix it, but keep in mind each party is going to try to get through this by shelling out the least.
 
#4 ·
That is weird. Help us out and explain your current warranty situation in more detail. You may want to try elevating the issue a little higher up the totem pole, because it's one thing to have a part go bad and completely different for the body panels of a unibody car to start cracking.
 
#5 ·
What is the mileage on your car? You shouldn't have to pay anything I would contact Chrysler asap. Sounds like the dealer knows its on them and wants you to take some of the hit.
 
#6 · (Edited)
What is the mileage on your car? You shouldn't have to pay anything I would contact Chrysler asap. Sounds like the dealer knows its on them and wants you to take some of the hit.
This is why we need to know the warranty situation. This repair shouldn't be on the dealer either, as an independent business seperate from Chrysler LLC. The repair bill should go to Chrysler.
 
#8 ·
OK, the car was purchased in August of '06, and the current mileage is 42K (we drove it EVERYWHERE the first year), so the factory 3/36,000 warranty is gone. We did purchase an extended warranty, I need to review the details of it further. I'm not sure if it was "bumper to bumper" or just powertrain, but it is an additional 5 years. I seem to recall it being the "bumper to bumper" type, but even those exclude "body panels and paint". My argument would be even if the crack is in a "body panel", which it is, this (the roof) is a stuctural member of a uni-body car and not simply an aesthetic piece of skin covering the understructure. Therefore, this is more than a simple "body panel", such as a front fender would be considered. I will post pics of the crack and full details on the warranty tomorrow. Thanks everybody.
 
#9 ·
I drive 09 Dodge Charger SRT8, and it have 51,000 mile on it. i been hearing loud cracking sound coming from the roof. I saw a 1" inch crack on the roof next to the sunroof. I took the car to a local dealership and even call the SRT support center to show them the crack and I was told that it was nothing they could do because my car was out of warranty. I did some searching on line and came across many customers with similar issues. I didn't know what options to take. My roof is starting to leak due to the crack and I developed another crack on the opposite side. The occurrences of the cracks in my roof are due to extreme flexing in the frame of the vehicle. In my opinion, this is a structural issue and a safety concern. I believe the vehicle is structurally unsound and I would like Dodge to fix it or replace it. Is any body have the same problem? Please let me know?
 
#10 ·
The only one's I have seen that have cracked from the sunroof corners have been on cars with the big sound systems. I am not sure if this is the case here or not.
 
#11 ·
I have a 2007 Charger SXT no sound system extras but I do have a big crack in my roof to the front corner driver side of my sunroof rim , didn't notice until it was out of the plastic rim so it's big now in 2022 and I don't know what to do about the crack since it was around the sunroof and I to blame this is my first Dodge but not my first sunroof I have had Honda Civic as well as other cars and never had a problem until Dodge
 
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