Purchased a NEW truck, constant breakdowns, advice?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Lioness77, Nov 13, 2018.

  1. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

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    I've purchased around 300 new trucks in the last 25 or so years. Had problems similar, and many fights over it. When you start denying them the ability to fix a problem, you create a larger problem for yourself. Your couple of sensor problems are so minor and they were fixed, albeit it took a little time. Poor product support but it was fixed. Turn down a rental because it isn't spec'd out well enough? Shooting yourself in the foot. Cutting/welding on the frame? That isn't how its fixed, frames are re-aligned all the time. Doesn't affect the structure of the truck.
     
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  3. spindrift

    spindrift Road Train Member

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    I'd imagine frames are fixed in the same way that a car's frame is fixed; by bending it back into alignment?
     
  4. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

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    Doubtful that it's "bent". Likely to just have the huckbolts cut loose , aligned and new ones installed. Pretty easy to "twist" a frame. Can't really see it leaving the factory that way, maybe damaged when decking/un-decking. I understand the thrill of getting your first new truck, but why accept it with anything wrong?
     
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  5. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    I would have a huge issue with any facility that isn't approved by the manufacturer messing with the frame because it can and does in many cases void the warranty.

    This was the cause of a bent front axle for me, I had to fight Mack over it and they finally replaced it. BUT I never heard a frame being bent.

    The one thing I think would benefit the OP is to stop adding things into the thread, get a good lawyer and have them involved to fix the problems, and of course document everything.

    Cars don't have the same frame system, they are unibody, I don't even think there is a car on the market that has a frame.
     
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  6. MartinFromBC

    MartinFromBC Road Train Member

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    Thanks for saying this.
    I know others have as well before you.
    Instead of fighting Mack on this, let them get it checked by professional technicians. Then if it needs repairing, let them repair it.
    A properly repaired frame will likely be stronger where it was repaired, than the original frame was. These professionals do this for a living!
    Maybe ask Mack for an extended warranty on the frame incase of future problems.
    This is not your unemployed uncle just trying to make a few extra dollars in his backyard, doing some fly by night flimsy patch job. I have a truck currently with a frame shop repair done about 11 or 12 years ago. Zero issues with it, and in my humble opinion if the frame does bend or break in the future, it likely will NOT be where they repaired it as the insert there makes it the strongest part of the entire frame.
     
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  7. Lioness77

    Lioness77 Bobtail Member

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    So, if I want to sell the truck in the future, wouldn’t the frame correction devalue the truck to some degree?

    I didn’t buy a truck to have frame issues.

    So you would choose a truck with frame repairs, versus one without? Just asking.

    I know this is message board drama, and it’s real easy to tell someone how they should accept a damaged product when they aren’t the ones that have to pay their bills with a properly functioning truck, and do not understand the entire issue. But come on really, if you bought a brand new car, and it had this kind of issue, would you continue to be OK with making the payment for a new car, when it needed these kinds of repairs?

    We are at this point working to resolve the issue.
     
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  8. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    wichris

    I appreciate your passion and desire to see things right.

    A frame is everything. Thankfully in a BIG truck a frame is relatively easy.

    I am usually careful to have own vehicles that actually have a frame. Where possible.

    Ultimately the Owner of a truck discovered to be bent or unsuitable gets to decide what is possible with it. It is my horror to see so much revenue just flow down the river with each passing day. All the resources of this great USA and all of the heft and might of Mack cannot one bent truck take care of.

    That gets me bent out of shape. They can so easily tow out to the OP one truck exactly like the one gone bad, retrieve the bent truck, get title to it and hand a check to OP for lost revenue and go home. The damaged truck will become a test bed to determine exactly where Mack has gone and failed to show good Quality Product.

    The time of a factory worker making complicated items is a dangerous time towards quitting time. That worker is unable to focus. And so we have a truck with problems.

    With that said, about a year ago there was a Owner with a nice Dump Truck that had some really outrageous cannot stop problems.

    To this day I don't know if there was ever a resolution to that problem by anyone. I suppose that a topic like that cannot be stopped and then solved.
     
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  9. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    If it were me, I would want to take the truck to the place of my choosing that they could tell me what is exactly wrong with that frame and then you have a record of it. They could tell you anything they want to tell you and they could fix it anyway they want to and you'll never know the difference. Understand exactly what the problem is and the correct procedure to fix it and the best that you can understand how that could have happened.

    Every town or every area has at least one large dealership or a place that specializes in doing big truck frame work. It doesn't have to be a Mack Dealership or the same brand, but it has to be a place that specializes in that.

    I would also have them check the rears the alignment all of the torque arms and that type of thing to make sure none of that was damaged, because if it is then you're going to have alignment issues tire wear vibration U joint problems Etc. If any of that is bent or damaged, they will have to fix that along with the frames. Also make certain that if they do replace the frames, that they give you a three axle alignment and everything along that frame the Driveline the carrier bearing the springs all of the wheels and tires make sure all of that is aligned and checked for damage.

    If they can fix whatever the d e f problems are and your truck is perfect in every way except for the frame, I would say if you can know yourself what is wrong with it and have it fixed the way it should be it will be okay.

    My guess is that maybe it was not secured correctly or loaded correctly initially when it was transported, and the transporter maybe went off the road hit a giant colossal pothole maybe the trucks flipped a little bit who knows?

    I know that near me there's a giant Kenworth dealership and they specialize in truck collision framework painting all that type of thing extending frames and all that. They told me up there they routinely replace frames on warranty work for some reason. So I would take it to someone and have it checked.

    Again, if it were me and the frame itself actually is Twisted on a brand new truck they should replace your entire frame rails in my opinion. If they tell you that they can put it on a machine and straighten them out, ask them what is the difference between doing that and replacing the entire frame rails as far as strength durability and longevity. There is a machine that will straighten the frame rails themselves, but I would imagine it probably is not as good as replacing the entire rails, although it's the less costly alternative. But like I said the dealership near me says that they routinely change them on warranty issues, so I don't see why they wouldn't put new frame rails under your truck if that's what's needed.

    If the other problems can be fixed and the truck is the way that it should be in every other way, I would let them fix the frame rails, again knowing what the right repair was and that it's going to be fixed correctly. Unless you can find a lawyer that can guarantee you some kind of real Swift action, that maybe your best course of action. Otherwise you may be involved in a very lengthy dispute and lose more and more money as you go.

    If they do replace the frame rails your truck has been made the way that it would be from the factory. That would make you whole as long as the other issues could be taken care of. I would not be concerned about resale value if they replace the frame rails, because those guys are experts. Your truck will be exactly the way it should have come from the factory if they replace the frame rails.

    I wish you the best of luck and hopefully something will happen quickly for you.
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2018
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  10. Accidental Trucker

    Accidental Trucker Road Train Member

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    While I understand the frustration of the OP, all we have so far is a couple of minor glitches on a new truck that were fixed, and an undiagnosed alignment problem.

    Trucks comes with warranties, and those warranties are contractual. They spell out what the contractual obligation of the manufacturer is. The old "replace or repair, at out discretion" clause. The manufacturer is under no contractual or other legal obligation to compensate for lost profit (let alone revenue), provide rental trucks or replace a truck with defects. Repair or replace, at their discretion.

    Letters from lawyers are a dime a dozen. Legally, at this point in time, I simply see no case.

    A trial in the court of public opinion is much quicker, cheaper and probably more effective, ESPECIALLY at this point in time.
     
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  11. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    I think this is what we are doing right here. Trial by Opinion.

    I am a little exhausted following carefully everyone here. I can tell I am a little bit of a light weight here.

    I would still like to think if the factory effed royally a brand new truck product that bad, the least Mack can do is fix it. I am somewhat familiar with Mack, I used to haul their fiberglass Cab Bodies by van down Fancy Gap to assembly in NC among other activites. I caution people to understand I like Mack because these trucks take me places off road I would NEVER dare take a ordinary tractor with or without sleeper with one exception, The Freightliner SD122 and only with Crossrib drive tires.
     
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