NHTSA Complaint #10054585 — 1999 DODGE DURANGO

PURCHASED DURANGO IN MAY 02,AND PERFORMED REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON IT.ON 11/20/02 MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON OUR WAY TO MICHIGAN AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO 0,THE MOTOR STARTED TO KNOCK.WE WERE ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE,(WITH 5 CHILDREN),AND HAD TO FIND A PLACE TO PULL OVER BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD BLOW.THIS WAS ODD WITH ONLY 46300 MILES ON THE MOTOR.LUCKILY WE WERE NEXT TO AN EXIT,WE PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE CHRYSLER GARAGE,THEY SAID DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY FURTHER YOUR OIL PUMP IS MORE THAN LIKELY BAD.THE GARAGE TOLD US THAT THERE HAD BEEN SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE MOTOR WHICH CLOGGED THE PICKUP TUBE WHICH MADE PUMP FAIL,ALL DO TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE.THE OIL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND GOT THE VEHICLE BACK ON 1/9/03 AT THE PRICE OF $350.90.THE VEHICLE STIL HAD A TAPPING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS THE LIFTERS AND IT WOULD GO AWAY.IN OCTOBER 2003,MY SISTER AND I WERE PACKING THE CAR TO GO TO MY AUNTS FUNERAL 250 MILES FROM HOME,I STARTED THE CAR TO GO, WE HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO 0,SO WE CALLED THE GARAGE AGAIN.THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN THEY WILL REPLACE THE OIL PUMP AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD 55626 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME, AND THEY TOLD US THAT THERE WAS STILL A PROBLEM WITH SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR FROM LACK OF MAINTENANCE.THEY TOLD US THEY FLUSH THE MOTOR WITH CLEAN OIL OVER AND OVER FOR TWO DAYS TO REMOVE ANY SLUDGE,FIXED MY CAR FREE OF CHARGE AND THIS TIME I HAD IT BACK IN A WEEK.JANUARY 18,03 AT 11:00 PM I WAS PICKING UP MY HUSBAND FROM WORK AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS AT ZERO.THE GARAGE SAID TO BRING IT IN AND THEY WOULD ONCE AGAIN CHANGE THE OIL PUMP, FREE OF CHARGE, BUT STILL CONTINUE TO TELL ME THAT THERE IS STILL PROBABLY SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR,DUE TO LACK OF AMINTENANCE AND THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN ALL IT.THE MILEAGE NOW STANDS AT 58300. 300 MILES AWAY FROM THE NEXT OIL CHANGE.*AK