turns out they can't replace them under warranty if all that's wrong is they are covered in dirt...quoted me ~$200 to replace the bushings....
This manufacturing defect should absolutely be covered under warranty, I have had mine done (the squeak showed up very early in my Pat's life - it was bad enough that pedestrians gave me dirty looks when I went over speed bumps) and they not only replaced those bushings but gave me a loaner vehicle for a few days since it is such a big job. My cost? $0 period, like the other defect I had fixed under warranty (lifting roof seals). Calling it a "manufacturing defect" to the service writer also helps. When warranty work is performed, the technician still gets paid, the parts department still gets paid, the service writer AND service manager still get paid. Granted, it takes more time to get paid, and a few of them get paid a little less when Chrysler pays the bill as opposed to a customer. If they tell you otherwise they are just lazy or greedy or both. Mostly greedy. Speaking to a warranty administrator can help, they can show you in writing exactly why something would not be covered. Swaybar bushings are not wear items, basically they are there because anything else used to mount a swaybar to a vehicle would probably SQUEAK...
My squeak has since returned (only when it is hot outside) and they are going to fix it again at my next service. Just make sure you can reproduce the symptom.
Also, mine was (and always is) covered in mud underneath since I very frequently drive on dirt roads, sometimes in the rain (mud roads?) and they don't care, after all, it IS a Jeep.
My advice is to find a new dealer.
Sounds like your dealer is probably one of the ones in "the Valley" that also charges extra $$ on the addendum sticker for new vehicles, like a "Desert Protection Package" or similar, which is 100% total greed. I like to call these BS Charges. Call them out on it (they will have a canned response) then ask to see this "package" performed on a new vehicle while it is being prepped, and watch them squirm. They know it is just a run through the automatic carwash. Same thing for $7 down the street at the gas station! Any good salesman will remove these charges in order to seal a deal because they are fully aware of what is real $$ and what isn't. Most dealers I went to had about a $400 BS charge, one dealer in the "central" valley had a $1,000 charge on every vehicle on the lot! Are you kidding? Another had a variable "market value" charge for vehicles with "rare" options like SRT Grands or FDII Pats! These little scams combined with the circle of sloppy salesmen talking and smoking that didn't have the "time" to greet me caused me to leave these dealers quickly and tell everyone I know about them. When a customer has a good experience they tell a few people, when they have a bad one they tell EVERYONE...
Anyway I digress...
I go to Airpark Jeep in Scottsdale. I am in no way affiliated with them, just happy with my experiences there. (I had one "issue" a few days after the original deal, but it was solved quickly by the General Manager when they called me - I didn't ask for details but I am glad I didn't get pulled over the first few days in my new Jeep since the plate didn't match the registration - they also gave me a $50 gift card for my "trouble" of stopping by and having the plate changed) Overall I am very satisfied with how they treat me every time I am there. I initially decided to give them my business because they were the ONLY Chrysler/Jeep dealer in the greater Phoenix area (believe me I went to them ALL while shopping new) that had no extroneous BS charges on their new vehicle stickers. There was a small ($99 I think) "paint protection" addendum that my salesman removed from the deal when I questioned it.
P.S. About 11 years ago I bought a new 1998 Dodge Neon R/T. Its head gasket failed at about 40K miles (out of the 36K warranty), like EVERY other 1995-1999 Neon eventually did, and poured engine oil out the back of the engine by the quart. Some dealers were charging crazy fees to repair it, others weren't. It was a well-known manufacturing defect (a new design of the actual gasket was implemented) and Chrysler decided to "good will" my repair with a $100 fee because my 5-Star dealer asked them to. Some other people got screwed by their dealer for $1,000's. It is what separates the good dealers from the bad greedy ones....
