If RacerTracer is correct about either one of those points being the substance of your lawsuit (i.e. Chrysler-Jeep is not maintaining a 10 year supply of parts or servicing an active fleet of their product...)

I think you will simply be shoving money down a lawyer's wallet for nothing in return. The case will never see the inside of a courtroom, as a judge in NY gave them a golden ticket already. From what I remember, this is the judge's order: Daimler Chrysler remains responsible for any legal claims based on its products. Chrysler-Fiat is a separate corporation purchasing only the assets of Daimler Chrysler, and is not responsible for any current or future claims against the products of Daimler-Chrysler.

Where I *do* think you have cause, (sadly not much) is in the actions of the dealer network in providing bad advice (hopefully in writing, but unlikely) and the other dealer in attempting to start your vehicle, then claiming "prior damage." Unfortunately, this seems to be a situation like mine with them - I had a warranty on paper, they decided I suddenly didn't. No amount of pushing from an individual is going to get them to change their opinion, especially when backed up by that dang judge's bankruptcy order. We are on our own, completely.

Also, suing them and demanding that they negotiate to bring ANOTHER fleet of vehicles to the USA, or even a single unit? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! That seriously is the funniest thing I have read all week. You would be asking Chrysler to get a non-approved vehicle through the EPA just for you? Probably one that they had no intention of bringing to the USA in the first place, certainly not for at least the perennial "2-3 years from now" marketing speak of "we won't do it, but we don't want to say NO directly" that they would tell you.

The EPA is the bigger obstacle in getting any new vehicles here, but that is a whole different thread of pain. Your situation is that IF you were able to convince a judge to overlook that Golden Ticket, they would ONLY be replacing your vehicle with either the pro-rated value of its current worth (So the insurance value) in cash... OR providing a replacement vehicle from their current fleet - So a GAS KJ version, most likely, with only the pro-rated value of your KJ knocked off the price. The possibility of them just giving you a whole car? Slim to none.

The problem is that America is now the country of The Corporation, and we are merely its servants. If you bring this to a court, you are the one with the burden of proof, and the corporation will be given every concession possible. Life is just so hard for these tiny corporations trying to make their way in this rough world, they really must be protected from the big bad personal lawyer and the tort system. It almost brings a tear to my eye when I see how many corporations have proudly clawed their way past these hurtful lawsuits to reach the sunlight of billion dollar profits.

There is pure capitalism, which by its nature is self destructive, and there is Capitalism with checks and balances such as laws against price gouging during national disasters. The ideal is somewhere in between and open to interpretation, which with enough push can be adjusted to create reasonable expectations. If you feel that paying over $350 for a piston or $7000.00+ for a replacement engine (if you can even locate one) for a fairly standard line of automobile that doesn't have a prancing horse emblem, then so be it.

There is pure capitalism, which by its nature is self destructive, and there is Capitalism with checks and balances such as laws against price gouging during national disasters. The ideal is somewhere in between and open to interpretation, which with enough push can be adjusted to create reasonable expectations. If you feel that paying over $350 for a piston or $7000.00+ for a replacement engine (if you can even locate one) for a fairly standard line of automobile that doesn't have a prancing horse emblem, then so be it.

Hey, I didn't say I agreed with those prices either. I think those prices for pistons or entire engines (I ended up spending 8k on my own total replacement) is insane to say the least. But at the same time, we don't have the economy of scale much better than that "Prancing Horse" that you mention. 20k vehicles out of 300 million people? Ferrari probably has more penetration than that, possibly in California alone! Yea, Ferrari's numbers would include all their various models where our 20k is only one design... But the logic is still the same. 20k vehicles out of 300 million people, with an average total purchasing of 15-18 million vehicles PER YEAR. How many of those 20k vehicles will need new engines? Of the membership here, I can count 5 people so far. Like it or not, unless there is a BIG 900 lb gorilla to push Jeep / Chrysler / VM to start making parts for us based on the possibilities of the future... They aren't gonna do it. Companies don't make money by tying up their existing cash in product that will sit and gather dust for who-knows-how-long.

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That's more of a "small picture" view which keeps referring to US sales volume of CRD.

The same R428 engine was also manufactured for use in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia. In simple terms, that's a lot of 2.8 diesels out there which need replacement parts. So my question is how much effort would it take the US arm of VM Motori to facilitate the availability of affordable replacement parts for the folks in the States who want to keep their CRD on the road?

All we want (and should expect) is to be allowed the same opportunity for access to affordable replacement parts like the rest of the world.

No he is in Germany. As a side job he builds Brembo big brake kits for cars.

So what does that have to do with you? As you are no longer in Germany.

He can ship me a motor if I need it.

Shipping will be worth more then the engine

US engines have low-lubricity coating on fuel system parts, European engines don't.

I'd recommend to sticking with a US engine...