My e-mail:

On March 22 I discovered rust bubbles on my car on both sides in front of the rear wheels by the rocker panels. I purchased the car new in May 2010 and it is my daily driver. I have 143,000 miles on it and keep up with all required maintenance including a car wash once a week. It is kept in the garage while at home. I performed a web search to see if others are having rust problems and I found several owners with the same issue on the same area of the car. I love this car and I'm disappointed a car less than six years old is rusting.Can Mopar/Dodge help me with this problem? I purchased the lifetime warranty which doesn't cover rust. I am considering trading this car in for another Challenger but I'm having second thoughts due to the rust and that the rust will decrease my trade-in value. I look forward to your reply,

Mopar response:

Thank you for contacting the Dodge Customer Assistance Center in regards to the rust bubbles you have discovered on the rocker panels on both the front and rear of your vehicle.

I can certainly understand your frustration with this situation.

I have exhausted every avenue possible to determine what can be done for you today. I have reviewed and found that you do not fall within the manufacturer?s warranty. There are currently no extended warranties or recalls related to this issue.

I have examined your file in full. I do apologise however, we would be unable to provide any type of assistance for your situation at this time as the vehicle has exceeded the time and mileage limitations of the manufacturer's warranty at the time the expense was incurred.. We appreciate the opportunity to review your request.

Dodge is dedicated to producing a quality product and we are saddened to hear of the issues you have had with your vehicle. Products are not put out onto the market with specific faults in mind and we cannot foresee when a vehicle may require specific maintenance outside of the suggested maintenance routines.

We realize that vehicle service expenses cannot always be predicted and as such, they are often disappointing to the vehicle owner. Within warranty parameters, Chrysler Group LLC will not hesitate to assume the repair costs; however, after the warranty terms have been exceeded, charges must be accepted by the vehicle owner.

Please keep all of your receipts for the work completed on your vehicle. If you receive a recall in the future related to a completed repair or an extended warranty related to the concern you can submit the receipts for reimbursement consideration.

We here at Dodge sympathize with your inconvenience and we are sorry that we cannot honor your request and provide you a more favourable answer.

Thank you again for your email. Should you require additional assistance, or have any new information to provide, please reply to this email message or call 1-800-4A-DODGE (1-800-423-6343).

Sincerely,

Samantha

Customer Service Representative Dodge Customer Assistance Center

For any future communications related to this email, please refer to the following information: REFERENCE NUMBER: 28968455 EMAIL CASE NUMBER: 3315420