I wouldn't pay anything at this point. Go ahead and get an initial consultation from a lawyer (usually free) and see what they have to say. Even if you don't go to court it might be worth it to pay a few hundred to a lawyer to let these guys know that you are not going to let them try to blame you. It is their fault and they know it and you know it. Make them make it right.

Smoke

 

I would do what your lawyer friend told you. If you turn this into a big pissing match, you could be without your truck for months. This way, you get your truck back, there is a new 6.0 in it and you still have the opportunity to get your money back from there. Worst case scenerio is that it cost you $2,000 for a brand new 6.0 not a bad deal either way if you ask me...

 

Voiding the warranty is fine, I'm sure you knew that going in. BUT, once they accepted the vehicle into the shop it they are responsible for it, period. If they had called you and said we won't touch it due to the turbo and parked it, they have a case. Once the tech took it for a "test drive" after the work, the dealership owned it. They obviously knew the vehicle was not running right BEFORE you re-took posession, how do they explain that?
You are gonna have to weight your options. How long can you wrangle with the dealer and not have your vehicle? They will play the waiting game for as long as it takes to protect their interests ( ie wallet ). You will win in the end, problem is when will that end be? Also, you will not get a check for the total amount. The dealer will show list price for everything but that's not what it will cost them in the end. You would have to sue for the list price and take it elsewhere before you would see a check.
Good luck, we're pulling for you and a 6.0L replacement.

 

it's their fault, now they are trying to side step you in to paying for it too.
besides a lawyer their is another option to take.
locally is a news channel that fights for the consumer, if they hear your story that you took your truck to be repaired and they blew the motor, now asking you to pay to fix it, she would be on them with a news camera asking why.
any one can say I'm getting a lawyer, take it up with them, this will be fought in the courts privately where no one will hear about it.
or you can take it to the public eyes and ears and hurt their wallet, cost them sales, and have their service crew sitting on their *** doing nothing to earn a pay check.
in the courts they may be out 3000.00, take to the public and they are out 30,000.00 to 50,000.00 on each sale of a car or truck and 300.00 to 3000.00 on service jobs.

I would settle for no less then a new 6.0 to be installed free of charge and the termination of whom ever drove the truck and blew the motor.

 

you prob. should tell them to do it and your will not pay anything since you are not at fault. they should not have went out and drove it like that. im sorry but if you drive a vehicle normal its not going to just blow up. theres no way. i would talk to the manager of the dealer or even the owner. they should straighten things out for you pretty quick

 

also, did they REALLY do a compression test to verify 3 cylinders had 0 compression? AND, if they DID do a compression test, ask them WHY didn't they tell you before you left with the truck? sounds like a shady bunch of bitches to me. I HATE DEALERS they're all alike.

 

Well I just went in and talked to the dealer again. I told them if they take 1000 now and the rest in payments for a 6.0 I would do it. That would be worth it to me. Then he said that might not me OBDII legal and they have to comply with emissions in California. He said he would call me back in a couple of hours. I then told him I had already consulted a Navy attorney and I really didn't want to take this to court, but I have other vehicles to drive and it would not bother that much to be without my truck for an extended period of time. He then re-iterated he would call me back in a couple of hours.
As far as the tv thing goes thats a good idea. Thanks.
I will keep you all posted. One things for sure I am going to watch those monkeys install it and double check everything before it even fires up for the first time.
Just to double check, everything on my 5.3 will bolt onto the 6.0 correct?
I don't want to spend any extra money.

 

The external dimensions of the 5.3 and 6.0 are identical, so everything will bolt right up. I just read this whole thread today, that really sucks! Sorry bro....I hope they get it all taken care of for you.

 

They won't do it for legality reasons. No 6.0 for me.
So they agreed to put in a brand new 5.3. I am paying them $1500 under protest. I will take them to small claims court once I get the truck back. The way I look at it is if I win I get my money back and if I loose I am only out $1500, not multiple thousands.

 

You should not be out any money what so ever. You took the truck there under its own power with good compression in all cylinders and picked it up with multiple cylinder codes and no compression on several cylinders.

Agreeing to pay means you had part in the engine malfunction. I would not agree to pay one penny.

Just my $.02