Quote:
Originally Posted by MJReynolds
I've been watching this thread and find some of the issues quite interesting. I agree that Dodge should not be expected to pay for damage from bad fuel in general. But, if there is a warning device on the vehicle that the owner is told (it's in the manual) will indicate when there is water in the fuel it's reasonable for the owner to expect it to work and give enough warning to avoid major damage. The failure of the FIW indicator to work IS Dodges problem and any damage that results from a lack of warning to the owner should then be Dodges responsibility.
I work with aircraft and they have all kinds of warning systems. If Boeing sells a plane to United that has a stall warning system then the pilots expect it to work. If a United pilot is flying the plane and goes too slow and stalls/crashes the plane and he never got the stall warning he was expecting you can bet that Boeing and not the owner (United) is going to be held primarily responsible. The pilot shouldn't have stalled the plane of course but he should have got the warning he was expecting AND that the manufacturer told him he would get if he flew too slow. There are lots of other examples but idea is the same, if Dodge is going to have a FIW indicator to warn/prevent the owner from driving with something that will cause major damage then it better work and work well. If the FIW are unreliable then Dodge is better off not having it at all and just telling the owners that they are on their own and good luck.
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The comparison of a Dodge pickup to a Boeing aircraft is a poor and meaningless comparison, in part for the reasons you mentioned. A commercial airliner carries and places at potential risk a very large number of passengers, will crash not simply pull over to the shoulder of the highway if failure occurs, costs hundreds of millions of dollars per copy, and is not mass-produced for consumers.
Of course Dodge could install a fail proof (idiot proof) filter system but the cost would be significant. I see little reason for one but prefer to make that decision myself. I can buy one if I feel I need one.
For those of you who feel Dodge should be responsible and should provide a bullet proof fuel filter system and claim you are willing to pay the additional cost, now's your opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. Contact your friendly local Dodge dealer and order one or drive into your friendly local Dodge dealer and have one installed. Dodge now offers a complete system engineered to manufacturer's standards to be compatible with our trucks. What a deal!
Individual choice is always best IMO.