NHTSA Complaint #10064057 — 1998 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

PURCHASED CAR IN MARCH OF 2001 AND HAD CAR MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO SUGGESTED REPAIR SCHEDULE. IN JULY 2001 ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND. RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER LATER THAT MONTH DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER REPAIR PERSON THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. I ASKED THE DEALER WHAT HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I WAS MAINTAINING THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE CAME OUT OF 'TIME' AND THE ENGINE MAY HAVE SLIPPED. REPAIRMAN COULD NOT GIVE ME A SUGGESTION ON HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IT COST ME OVER $3,000 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED WITH A USED ENGINE. THE REPAIRMAN AT THE TIME ALLOWED ME TO KEEP MY VEHICLE IN 'STORAGE' UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PAY THE REPAIR BILL. A YEAR LATER I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET MY CAR BACK. I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP (IN DEC 2003). I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I ASKED THE DEALER REPAIRMAN (NEW PERSON, OTHER REPAIRMAN LEFT COMPANY) WHY THAT WAS. REPAIRMAN CLAIMED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BECAUSE THE CAR SAT FOR SO LONG. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP. ABOUT THE ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WORK IT OUT WITH THE DEALER. I AM STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR I.E. ACCELERATION PROBLEMS (SLOW/ OR SOMETIMES RAPID), LEAKING FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE ENGINE (I AM TAKING THE CAR TO A AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP (NOT THE DEALER - MICHAEL CHRYSLER, I DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM), THE ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON. I DON'T NOT DRIVE MY CAR AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS NOR DO I DO EXTENSIVE DRIVING, JUST LOCAL DRIVING. I THINK THIS CAR IS POORLY PUT TOGETHER. I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN CHRYSLER AND ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ENGINE PROBLEMS. CHRYSLER SHOULD INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS. I DO NOT HAVE MONEY TO KEEP PAYING FOR REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE AND ALSO THE FINANCING. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE FINANCING COMPANY (AMERICREDIT) ABOUT THE SITUATION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO GET THIS CAR IN AT LEAST DRIVABLE CONDITION. *JB