NHTSA Complaint #10060754 — 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

II BOUGHT A 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE IN LATE OCTOBER OF 2003. IT HAD LOW MILES (35,000) AND THE DEALERSHIP (A CHEVY DEALERSHIP) GAVE ME A 90 DAY OR 3,000 MILE WARRANTY. I AM FAITHFUL ABOUT TAKING CARE OF MY CARE SO IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AS I WAS DRIVING IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, IT DIED. I HAD IT TOWED THERE AND THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD GONE OUT AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO HAVE IT REPLACED. I GAVE THEM THE GO-AHEAD. BUT WITHIN HOURS, THEY CALLED ME BACK AND ASKED IF I HAD EVER CHANGED THE OIL IN MY CAR? I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD WITHIN THE LAST 1,000 MILES. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR, AND IT HAD COME WITH A 120 POINT INSPECTION (INCLUDING AN OIL CHANGE). THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE WORST CASE OF SLUDGE HE HAD EVER SEEN IN HIS 17 YEARS OF WORKING AS A MECHANIC! I WAS STUNNED. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR! HE TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE IT RETURNED TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND DEMAND THAT THEY REPAIR IT. WELL TWO DAYS LATER, I HAVE MY CAR TOWED DOWN THE ROAD TO THE CHEVY DEALER AND I CALL THEM TO TELL THEM THE BAD NEWS. THEY INFORM ME THAT THEY CAN FIX IT AT THE COST OF $7300 FOR A NEW ENGINE, $6300 FOR A REBUILT ONE OR $5700 FOR A USED ONE OF 30,000 MILES! I FINANCED THE CAR AT A 9% INTEREST RATE ON $7,000. IF I PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE, I WOULD BE PAYING FOR THIS CAR 2 1/2 TIMES OVER! I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THEY THEN TOLD ME THE NAME OF THE LOCAL CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE HERE IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA. I HAVE A PHONE CALL IN TO MR. GREG PRITZ BUT I HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK FROM HIM. DO YOU OFFER ADVICE OR SUGGESTIONS. DURELL - BUTCH - HAMM. *AK