Non-warranty repairs

[Cobra Comander]

In general, is the cost of parts and maintenance on the Viper expensive?

In your experience how much money have you had to spend on a particular repair that was not covered under warranty?

 

[dave6666]

In general, is the cost of parts and maintenance on the Viper expensive?

YES

 

[mike & juli]

No repairs as of yet...cost of parts--depending on what you are looking for...maintenance, yep, a bit more than daily drivers. (More oil capacity/hence higher expense for oil changes) Tires? YEPPER!!! Expensive...they ARE wide tires...haven't had to replace ours yet though, running fine on run-flats. Thinking about getting a Viper? ~juli

 

[dave6666]

A more intelligent reply... Parts can be expensive. You will learn some paths to savings through experience though. Like parts that replicate themselves on other vehicles, at 1/4 the cost. We call that Viper tax. Also, there are many vendors here at this site that sell new parts at a discount, as well as many used part vendors.

For labor, it can be expensive. I needed a clutch slave on my car and the dealer wanted about $700.00 locally. I spent the $700.00 on a pair of ramps and jacks and did the work myself. I use those items now to lift the car all of the time for this and that. Point is, if you are not the mechanic of your car like I am, be prepared to spend a lot on labor.

 

[mike & juli]

A more intelligent reply... Parts can be expensive. You will learn some paths to savings through experience though. Like parts that replicate themselves on other vehicles, at 1/4 the cost. We call that Viper tax. Also, there are many vendors here at this site that sell new parts at a discount, as well as many used part vendors.
For labor, it can be expensive. I needed a clutch slave on my car and the dealer wanted about $700.00 locally. I spent the $700.00 on a pair of ramps and jacks and did the work myself. I use those items now to lift the car all of the time for this and that. Point is, if you are not the mechanic of your car like I am, be prepared to spend a lot on labor.

Than your previous reply of course...not referring to MY reply, I'm QUITE sure!!~~
Vipers being expensive cars to begin with, what would one expect would be the expenses incurred? ~juli

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

While expensive, having a GOOD Viper Tech is PRICELESS when you need one!
PBR

 

[mike & juli]

While expensive, having a GOOD Viper Tech is PRICELESS when you need one!
PBR

VERY good point...we have the best here--Chuck Tator/Viper Wizard his-self!!! ~juli

 

[dave6666]

Yes Jules, more intelligent than MY previous reply. And we have no Tators here. I must be my own Tator.

 

[mike & juli]

Yes Jules, more intelligent than MY previous reply. And we have no Tators here. I must be my own Tator.

Gotcha--and actually Chuck is 3 hours from us, so we are OUR own Tator's as well!!!
re: your question on the tires...maybe jonb from partsrack would have an answer? ~juli

 

[Paul Hawker]

Vipers left in stock condition are relatively inexpensive to maintain compared to other $85K vehicles.

Dodge dealers and independent Viper repair people are usually much much less expensive than other exotic sports car repairs, such as Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Lambo, Maserati, etc.

It is not at all for stock Vipers to give thousands and thousands of trouble free miles with just regular maintenance. (Taking them to the track is a whole other matter )

 

[CarDude]

Rebuilding motor in SRT cost $16K+ without damage to block...so yes...expensive.

 

[TRAMP 13]

had my srt 10 for 4 years only money spent has been on oil changes and just today had to put back tires on.$1100.00 plus 7 oil changes is not bad for 4 years.

 

[JonB]

In general, is the cost of parts and maintenance on the Viper expensive?

In your experience how much money have you had to spend on a particular repair that was not covered under warranty?

Its just a pushrod-motor DODGE

 

[Cobra Comander]

Thanks for the replies.

Another question, are their any common parts or issues with the Viper that tend to break down or require replacing?

 

[jpas]

Rebuilding motor in SRT cost $16K+ without damage to block...so yes...expensive.

$16K!!! Someone ripped you off

 

[mike & juli]

Thanks for the replies.
Another question, are their any common parts or issues with the Viper that tend to break down or require replacing?

Not so far here, nor others we know. These ARE well-built BEASTS!~! ~juli

 

[dave6666]

Thanks for the replies.

Another question, are their any common parts or issues with the Viper that tend to break down or require replacing?

Like all cars, there are regular wear parts. Brakes, clutches, tires etc all need maintenance every now and then. All cars eventually need something.

 

[Cobra Comander]

Like all cars, there are regular wear parts. Brakes, clutches, tires etc all need maintenance every now and then. All cars eventually need something.

Yes, eventually, but I'm thinking right off the bat. Like common/known problems that can be found with specific manufacturers or models.

Most cars "usually" have some sort of problem due to engineering that causes something to wrong with certain components of a car.

So is the consensus that the Viper is not known for any real issues that cause the wide majority of owners to have something on the vehicle to be replaced or repaired?

 

[Venomiss]

Have you tried the search button at the top?
Plug in key words just like google-and comes up with all kinds of threads to read.
Might find quite a few answers in there if you didn't know about this already.
Are you looking at a certain Viper year? That would narrow things down quite a bit.
Good luck.

 

[dave6666]

Yes, eventually, but I'm thinking right off the bat. Like common/known problems that can be found with specific manufacturers or models.

Most cars "usually" have some sort of problem due to engineering that causes something to wrong with certain components of a car.

So is the consensus that the Viper is not known for any real issues that cause the wide majority of owners to have something on the vehicle to be replaced or repaired?

I am constantly having to replace the air in my fuel tank with gasoline. Constantly. I wish there was a recall for that, but apparently the burden is on me.

 

[mike & juli]

I am constantly having to replace the air in my fuel tank with gasoline. Constantly. I wish there was a recall for that, but apparently the burden is on me.

That made me laugh out loud!!! Thanx, Dave!~~~~juli

 

[Cobra Comander]

Have you tried the search button at the top?
Plug in key words just like google-and comes up with all kinds of threads to read.
Might find quite a few answers in there if you didn't know about this already.
Are you looking at a certain Viper year? That would narrow things down quite a bit.
Good luck.

It's that easy is it? Did you do a search before you came up with that suggestion there Einstein?

I'm looking for a specific answer that actual owners would know.
As far as what year I'm looking for it's anywhere between 2003-06. I don't believe there is any real significant mechanical or electronic changes between there.

 

[mike & juli]

It's that easy is it? Did you do a search before you came up with that suggestion there Einstein?
I'm looking for a specific answer that actual owners would know.
As far as what year I'm looking for it's anywhere between 2003-06. I don't believe there is any real significant mechanical or electronic changes between there.

Hey, hey there!!! Venomiss has and is only trying to help...she is one of THE best people on this forum to ask questions...she will direct you where to go. I'll leave that sentence stand on its own. As far as '03-'06 there were not any significant changes between those years. What specific question are you asking? We may be able to give a specific answer.
~juli

 

[Y2K5SRT]

It's that easy is it? Did you do a search before you came up with that suggestion there Einstein?

I'm looking for a specific answer that actual owners would know.
As far as what year I'm looking for it's anywhere between 2003-06. I don't believe there is any real significant mechanical or electronic changes between there.

Hmmm, not a good move on your part. You see the search function to which Venomiss referred IS all Viper owners. Type in something like "maintenance cost" using the search button above and voila! It yields results from genuine, bona fide Viper owners.

You might also consider that the vast majority of Vipers in question (SRT10) are still under some form of factory warranty, be it original 3/36 (7/70 powertrain for 2004's) or an extended warranty of some sort. The number of SRT10 owners here that have had to pay for a "routine" repair can probably be counted on one hand. So don't expect a lot of numbers to come flying back at you.

And finally, if you are genuinely thinking about buying a Viper you should consider that most of these people, including Venomiss, are trying to help you. Insulting them isn't going to get you very far. It doesn't exactly take a genius to figure that one out. Oh, and you misspelled "Commander".

 

[Cobra Comander]

Hey, hey there!!! Venomiss has and is only trying to help...she is one of THE best people on this forum to ask questions...she will direct you where to go. I'll leave that sentence stand on its own. As far as '03-'06 there were not any significant changes between those years. What specific question are you asking? We may be able to give a specific answer.
~juli

Have you tried the search button at the top?
In my post I asked if their are any common/known parts or issues with the Viper that tend to break down or require replacing? Warranty or no warranty.

Just because I'm new to Vipers, I'm not new to forums. Venomiss may or may not know this, but their are thousnds of other forums out there that all offer a search. And just like the others, someone has to always give you smart answers like, try the search or google it.

 

[mike & juli]

Have you tried the search button at the top?
In my post I asked if their are any common/known parts or issues with the Viper that tend to break down or require replacing? Warranty or no warranty.
Just because I'm new to Vipers, I'm not new to forums. Venomiss may or may not know this, but their are thousnds of other forums out there that all offer a search. And just like the others, someone has to always give you smart answers like, try the search or google it.

Again, Venomiss was not giving you a 'smart answer'. She always tries to help. As our moderator said, insulting people will not get you far. Professionalism gets you everywhere. 'Nuff said. ~juli

 

[Cobra Comander]

Hmmm, not a good move on your part. You see the search function to which Venomiss referred IS all Viper owners. Type in something like "maintenance cost" using the search button above and voila! It yields results from genuine, bona fide Viper owners.

My last question wasn't about maintenance costs. So when I used the search function and type in something like common problems, voila!! Pages upon pages that don't answer my question.

You might also consider that the vast majority of Vipers in question (SRT10) are still under some form of factory warranty, be it original 3/36 (7/70 powertrain for 2004's) or an extended warranty of some sort. The number of SRT10 owners here that have had to pay for a "routine" repair can probably be counted on one hand. So don't expect a lot of numbers to come flying back at you.

Again, my question wasn't maintenance costs, it was a general question, does the Viper have any particular issues that stand out.

And finally, if you are genuinely thinking about buying a Viper you should consider that most of these people, including Venomiss, are trying to help you. Insulting them isn't going to get you very far. It doesn't exactly take a genius to figure that one out. Oh, and you misspelled "Commander".

And help is what I'm looking for, not text book responses like use the search or google. My apologies for my "crude" insult, it really was a life altering one, but to me that was just another smart remark from someone on a forum, so I returned with one. And unfortunately I couldn't correct my user name once it was created and never bothered to change it. So you can go ahead and give yourself that bump on the chin that your so wanting to give yourself for pointing that out.

 

[Cobra Comander]

So back on topic here, are there any common/known issues with the Viper that tend to break down or require replacing? Warranty or no warranty?

 

[Y2K5SRT]

And help is what I'm looking for, not text book responses like use the search or google. My apologies for my "crude" insult, it really was a life altering one, but to me that was just another smart remark from someone on a forum, so I returned with one. And unfortunately I couldn't correct my user name once it was created and never bothered to change it. So you can go ahead and give yourself that bump on the chin that your so wanting to give yourself for pointing that out.

Ah, well you see your first post didn't include your dossier with your history on other forums, so some people assumed that you were coming in as pure "newbie" and trying to help. However you chose to use your extensive forum experience to insult somebody trying to help after having just arrived. Rest assured she wasn't trying to give you a "smart remark", just trying to help.

And no worries about that "bump on the chin" (I googled that and still can't find what it implies) - I only wanted to point out that this "*** calling the kettle black" thing was pretty silly, especially when the "kettle" didn't do anything but sincerely try to help you. Had you published your forum resume early on I doubt she would have bothered.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

And while your thread topic specifically asks for non-warranty repairs, allow me to help you get this back on track:

Oil changes: $60 - $120 each based on 10 quarts of Mobil 1 (dealerships will be on the high end)

Tire change at roughly 15-20,000 miles: $1200 - $1400 for Pilot Sport runflats, other brands can vary up or down

Brake pads should last longer unless you track the car, otherwise $300 or so including labor.

Alignments are not unheard of, but you need to find a good alignment shop to dial these in well. Figure $300 or so for a complete alignment from a dealership.

If you replace a tire due to a flat or similar, you will want to find a shop with a Hunter 9700 machine or better. Many tires shops, including some Dodge dealers, cannot dismount these tires from the larger wheel sizes. Figure $20-30 for labor per wheel.

Otherwise I can't think of anything that really goes wrong with these cars and we are on our third. As stated before, most are under warranty and as such the final invoices will show "$0.00" for the cost.

I would suggest calling some of the larger Viper dealers directly (Woodhouse, Roanoke, Buhler, etc.) and speaking with their service department and ask them what they are seeing as the most common issues and what they charge to fix them. I hope this helps you in your quest.