I took my car in on Tuesday after my previously ordered top came in and I confirmed they had 2 crossfire certified techs. It was supposed to be in and out in one day. Hadn't heard from them by the end of the day and called them. They told me the top was almost off but they couldn't finish taking it off because it was going to ruin 4 or 5 seals. Said they had to contact their regional rep for authorization and they couldn't do that until Friday because he was in a school. 15 minutes before they closed on Friday they called to tell me their rep couldn't authorize it, and I had to start a case with customer service. Customer service told me she would forward it to a case manager and I would get a call back on Monday. She also mentioned I had owned 8 Chryslers in the past including this one and that would help. She said the dealership was requesting $1485 in seals to be covered.

If they don't cover it, how can they not cover parts that are necessary to be replaced when replacing their warranteed item?

And I doubt it was a Crossfire trained tech that didn't know about the seals until the top was almost off.

How did you make out on yours?

 

Wow, I wonder what these seals are, I looked into replacing my wifes top myself ans it seemed pretty easy compared to others. My dealer replaced ours in about 8-9 hours. Sounds like your dealer has no idea or is trying to stick it to you.

 

My seals were covered, though I had to wait and extra 6 days for them to arrive. I had a loaner car the whole time. Unfortunatly, a regular seam let loose the day I picked it up. They will be putting a new top on as soon as I get the car back to them.

 

That's really good news, although that doesn't guarantee it for me. Did you have to open a case with Chrysler or did the dealer get approval through their regional rep?

 

They just did it as part of the top. I think you should go to a different dealer.

 

I tried to find R&R instructions for the top without success so here is what I think. If the manufactures instructions require replacing the seals in question then Chrysler is responsible for costs. If the top can be replaced without replacing the seals, than the mechanic failed to follow them correctly. Therefor it would be the Stealership that is responsible.

This reminded me of the warranty provided by a knife manufacture. "Return the knife in the original packaging with the original purchase receipt for a full refund less shipping and handling." yeah. right.

 

I bought my own top and installed it because I was tired of waiting on Chrysler since they said my top was not covered. You can go to the srt6 section and download the srt6 service manual and pages 4108 thru 4121 explain how to remove and replace the top. I can't figure out what seals they're talking about other than the weather stripping at the windows and rear bow at the tonneau cover which can be removed easily without damage. The only things you have to replace are pop rivits that hold the stay pads and top teathers to the frame. I felt as though the install was very easy.

 

After two weeks of phone calls back and forth to Chrysler, they authorized the replacement of our roadster top and are covering it at 100% of the cost. The Chrysler Dealer in Marietta GA actually has 3 SRT6 Certified Techs on staff and have experience in changing these tops out in their shop. Dropped car off this morning, top was already there, pick Her up on Friday!

I was actually surprised that I didn't get any crap at all from the Chrysler "Case Worker" . It only took les than two weeks from notification of galss separation until the car was in the shop.

Kudos Chrysler for standing tall for this defective product. I'd blame it on Mercedes if I were Chrysler....

Lars

 

It's not VIN specific exactly, it's state specific , if it was sold in a specific state, the states are noted in one of these threads.... Then it is covered. Of course CA isn't one of the states... I'm NOT done with this yet though.... Chrysler here I come..

 

Here’s my story...
I bought a 2005 SRT6 Roadster in March of 2012, 37,000 miles. Flew from Chicago to Nashville to pick it up. We were happy as the proverbial pigs in ++**. About two months ago I notice while getting gas that the window was starting to separate from the top. Fortunately I had read the posts on here about the top

I called Chrysler, gave them my VIN #, they said that it was covered and opened up a case file on it . Most of the local dealers do not work on Crossfires, let alone have staff that can replace the top.

I finally ended up at a Chrysler dealer about an hour from home. I gave him the info over the phone. He called me back within two days and asked that I bring the car in so he could take a look at it..
I brought the car in; he took a quick look and said he would call me the next day. He called the next day, said he ordered the top, but unfortunately they are on backorder. He said he couldn’t get a commitment from Chrysler on a firm delivery date.

Outside of the local dealerships not having a clue on what to do I have been very happy with the response from Chrysler as well as the dealer who is going to do the work. I just hope I don't have to wait too long for the backordered top.

I am also, very thankful for this site, had I not known about the 'recall' I would have stopped my inquiries at the local dealer level when told "No there's no warranty coverage for that".
Several regional upholstery shops have given me prices for the top...they start @ $2,600 and can go as high as $3,500...depending on "installation circumstances". Which means “hand over your wallet and we’ll let you know when to send more .

 

Outside of the local dealerships not having a clue on what to do I have been very happy with the response from Chrysler as well as the dealer who is going to do the work. I just hope I don't have to wait too long for the backordered top.

I am also, very thankful for this site, had I not known about the 'recall' I would have stopped my inquiries at the local dealer level when told "No there's no warranty coverage for that".
Several regional upholstery shops have given me prices for the top...they start @ $2,600 and can go as high as $3,500...depending on "installation circumstances". Which means “hand over your wallet and we’ll let you know when to send more .[/QUOTE]

Well. It took over a month of phone calls to the corporate customer service but they finally approved the replacement top. My Xfire DID NOT originate from the "approved" states. We did however have to pay $300. If figured $300 was better than $2,600 so I agreed. Four days later a new top was installed. Ecstatic!!!
I have to thank this forum as well. Without it, I would not have known to press the issue until they cave!

Ray

 

Hi,

I’ve been a lurker for quite some time. First I want to thank this group for providing the solution when my trunk would not open. Thanks!

I’m one of the 2005 Roadster owners whose rear window’s adhesive failed (on the bottom and both sides). I again turned to this group for help and, once again, you all gave me great information. My problem began 5 days ago when the bottom and both sides of my Roadster’s rear suddenly popped free.

Following the advice offered here, I called Chrysler and was given a case number. My case manager called and told me that because my car was originally purchased in Michigan, it was not covered by the X31 extended warranty. I bought the car in 2006 in Georgia and it has remained here since then. Chrysler still insisted my car was not covered. I then filed a complaint with the NHTSA. And I followed that with a phone call to them. The NHTSA rep read me the entire TSB. It does not include any limits on location. The man at the NHTSA was very familiar with the issue – as soon as I gave him the official TSB number (SB-23035-11REVA, dated 10/29/11) he knew what my issue was. His advice was as follows: there are currently 91 complaints filed about this problem with the NHTSA. After conferring with his supervisor, he suggested that if there were between 200-300 complaints, the NHTSA would take a much more pro-active stance. On the basis of our conversation, he has already tagged the issue for further investigation since by the NHTSA’s guidelines this constitutes a major safety issue. He suggested that everyone whose has had a problem with the rear window of the 2005 Crossfire Roadster file a complaint. He also said it was important to do this even if Chrysler had fixed the problem or if anyone had done a successful DIY repair because if the number of complaints reaches a critical mass, a mandatory recall would be issued. Finally he added that if Chrysler continues to repair some but not every rear window adhesive problem, this could be a matter for the Federal Trade Commission. I’d add that a phone call to the NHTSA after filing your complaint will get you a NHTSA reference number. Having that number seems to make Chrysler suddenly pay very close attention to you.

Please help all of us by filing a complaint at the NHTSA website (https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/). It takes about five minutes. If a mandatory recall is issued all 2005 Roadster’s tops, including those which had undergone DIY repairs would be replaced at no charge. In filing a complaint all you have to do is explain the conditions under which the rear window’s adhesive failed – you don’t have to provide information about how the problem was resolved. It helps if you add that you feel this is a major safety issue which merits a recall.

After my conversation with the NHTSA, I called my Chrysler case manager again and, magically, her firm response that my Roadster was not covered became this: “Even if your car is not covered under the X31 warranty, you have misunderstood me, and Chrysler stands ready to assist you.” Tomorrow I have to take my car to the dealer for inspection and photographs. I will keep you updated, but it seems that the old adage of carrying a heavy stick certainly applies here. Since the problem occurred on the weekend, I couldn’t do much till Monday.

Again, thank you all for pointing me in the right direction to getting this problem resolved.

Pearl

--------------------------
Who says a Crossfire Roadster isn't the perfect retirement car for old ladies?

 

You maybe a Pearl but you are a gem in my eyes. Good for you.

 

The top order for mine finally arrived and I dropped it off yesterday for the replacement @ Huffines Chrysler in Plano. Hopefully they have had plenty of practice by now and will get it right the first time. It supposed to be ready tomorrow evening so I'll report back with how they did.

 

Thanks so much for posting this...I will be giving the NHTSA a call in the very near future...

 

Got mine back today. Huffines did an excellent job...except they left it outside in the rain and now it's filthy.

 

I just emailed them about my 05 rag top. Let's see what happens.

 

Why not call Chrysler. Faster, better IMHO

 

Unbelieveable!

I emailed Chrysler around 11:00 pm last night, regarding the rag top rear window issue. They emaied me back in less than an hour! Who is working at midnight?


Recall Information - Chrysler Brand Site
Brief Description:
2005 Chrysler Crossfire convertible top replacement
Comments:
I understand the 2005 models have a problem with the rear window falling
out. Mine looks original. Can you tell me if mine has been replaced?
Thanx.



In regards to your email, there is an extended warranty for the back
glass Adhesion. The extended warranty is X31. This extended warranty
will expire on August 29, 2016 or at 100,000 miles whichever comes
first.

From what I can see with your vehicle, this top has not been replaced.
If you are having issues please contact your local factory authorized
dealer for more information. I have looked in our systems and have
found that this dealer is the closest to your zip code.

Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Lebanon, 145 Route 120, Lebanon, NH,
03766-1491, 603-448-7002.

Thanks again for your email.

Sincerely,

Colleen

Customer Service Representative
Chrysler Customer Assistance Center

 

To ALAXFIRE -

My dealer has three certified Crossfire technicians, but they sent my Crossfire out to an independent upholstery shop to install the new top. Cost me a couple of hundred dollars because it was repaired before the TSB was revised to include all states.