NHTSA Complaint #10010749 — 2000 DODGE INTREPID

I OWN A 2000 CHRYSLER INTREPID V6-2.7 LITER VEHICLE. AT 57,442 MILES I NOTICED A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE OF THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM DIAGNOSED THE ENGINE NOISE AS A NON-COMPRESSING OR EXTENDING TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. THE TENSIONER WAS REPLACED AND THE COST WAS COVERED UNDER MY 60,000-MILE WARRANTY. LAST WEEK I NOTICED THE SAME TICKING NOISE WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. BEFORE I COULD REACH A SAFE DESTINATION THE CAR ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED RUNNING AT 64,222 MILES. AFTER COMING TO A STOP THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE LOOKED AT AND TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR I HEARD THE SAME TIMING CHAIN NOISE THAT OCCURRED AT 57,442 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO START THE CAR FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND ALSO CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL. THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE AT A PRICE OF APPROXIMATELY $6,700.00?! I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR IF A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AND HE SAID ??NO??. BY LOOKING AT MY OIL LEVEL AND LISTENING TO MY ENGINE NOISES THE SERVICE ADVISOR RECOMMENDED AN ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE. I WAS ACCUSED OF NOT CHANGING MY ENGINE OIL REGULARLY EVEN THOUGH I DO. I ASKED ABOUT REPAIRING NON-WORKING PARTS OF THE ENGINE BUT THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME IT WOULD MOST LIKELY COST MORE THAN A NEW ENGINE CONSIDERING THE LABOR HOURS INVOLVED WITH THIS TYPE OF REPAIR. THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS SO SURE THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AFTER ONLY CHECKING THE OIL AND LISTENING TO THE ENGINE NOISES. I HAVE FOUND WEB SITES WITH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE V6-2.7 LITER DODGE/CHRYSLER ENGINE (ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING, VERY PREMATURELY, AND DEALERSHIPS THEY WENT TO SAID THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THEIR OIL OFTEN ENOUGH). *NLM