NHTSA Complaint #10047093 — 1999 DODGE DURANGO

MY 99 DURANGO HAS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE! MY OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY SO I PULLED OFF AND LET THE MOTOR COOL DOWN AND CHECKED THE OIL. AFTER LETTING THE ENGINE COOL OFF FOR A WHILE I PRECEDED HOME. AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES BACK ON THE ROAD THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON, THE OIL PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO ZERO AGAIN, AND I COULD FEEL THE TRUCK SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT LETTING OFF THE GAS. I PULLED OFF THE NEXT EXIT AND THE MOTOR KNOCKING LIKE SOMEONE WAS SLAMMING A HAMMER ON THE HEADS. THE DEALER SAID TO HAVE IT TOWED IN SO THEY COULD LOOK AT IT. AFTER 2 DAYS THE DEALER CALLED ME BACK AND SAID I NEEDED A NEW LONG BLOCK. I AND ASKED HOW A MOTOR WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT COULD NEED A NEW BLOCK. THE DEALER'S RESPONSE WAS THE ENGINE HAD SOME SLUDGE IN THE OIL AND IN HIS OPINION THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD TO KEEP FROM GOING OFF ON THIS GUY FOR ACCUSING ME OF NOT MAINTAINING MY $30,000 TRUCK! I DO THE OIL CHANGES, AIR FILTER, AND FLUID LEVEL MAINTENANCE MYSELF BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST SOME OF THESE GUYS THAT WORK AT THESE DEALERS. IT'S MY $30,000 THAT'S WHY I DO MY OWN MAINTENANCE! I CALLED CHRYSLER'S 800 HELP LINE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GUY WHO TOOK MY CALL. HE LISTENED, BUT SOUNDED VERY UN-INTERESTED AS HE ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS, PUT ME ON HOLD AS HE CALLED THE DEALER WHERE MY VEHICLE WAS. AFTER 15-20 MINUTES HE CAME BACK ON THE LINE AND SAID HE WAS SORRY, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING HE, NOR CHRYSLER COULD DO TO HELP ME BECAUSE THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. MY WIFE CALLED CHRYSLER LATER AND SHE EXPLAINED THE STORY TO THE LADY THAT TOOK HER CALL. HER RESPONSE TO MY WIFE WAS THIS: "IF YOU CAN PRODUCE RECEIPTS FOR ALL THE MAINTENANCE MAYBE WE WILL CHANGE OUR MINDS." MY WIFE TOLD THE LADY I DO ALL THE MAINTENANCE, NO OTHER SERVICE SHOP, AND SHE TOLD MY WIFE THAT OWNERS THAT DO THEIR OWN OIL CHANGES ARE NOT DODGE CERTIFIED MECHANICS. *LA