NHTSA Complaint #10070998 — 1999 DODGE INTREPID

IN THE FALL OF 2001, WE BOUGHT A CERTIFIED USED CAR FROM CONTINENTAL AUTO MALL. IT IS A 1999 DODGE INTREPID. A SERVICE AGREEMENT ON THE CAR WAS ALSO PURCHASED. THE FOLLOWING HAS THEREAFTER TAKEN PLACE: THE TIMING CHAIN IDLER BROKE IN MARCH OF 2002. CONTINENTAL FIXED THE CAR UNDER SERVICE AGREEMENT. 67 MILES LATER, THE CAR DIED WITH MY DAUGHTER AND WIFE 7 MILES FROM HOME. IT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO CONTINENTAL AUTO MALL. WE ASKED WHAT HAPPENED AND WERE TOLD THAT THE OIL PUMP SCREEN WAS PLUGGED UP. WE ASKED FROM WHAT AND THEY SAID FROM THE FIBERS FROM THE TIMING CHAIN IDLER. FROM MY FATHER'S LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN MECHANIC WORK, THE OIL PUMP SCREEN BEING CLOGGED FROM FIBERS FROM THE CHAIN IDLER MEANT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT FLUSHED. SO FOR 67 MILES AFTER THE TIMING CHAIN WAS REPAIRED, THESE FIBERS WERE GOING THROUGH THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY CLOGGING THE OIL PUMP SCREEN. THE OIL PRESSURE MUST HAVE BECOME SO LOW THAT A SAFETY SWITCH SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SAFETY SWITCH SHUT THE ENGINE OFF SO THAT THE LOW PRESSURE WOULDN?T FURTHER DAMAGE THE ENGINE. REPAIRS WERE AGAIN MADE BY CONTINENTALS SHOP. UNTIL THESE TWO INCIDENTS, WE WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THE CAR. AFTER WE GOT THE CAR BACK AFTER THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, THIS IS WHAT WE NOTICED: 1. THE ENGINE DIDN?T SEEM AS QUIET WHEN RUNNING. 2. IT NEEDED A QUART OF OIL THE FIRST WEEK. 3. BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, WE HAD TO ADD OIL 2-3 TIMES. BEFORE IT HAD NEVER USED ANY OIL. OTHER THAN ADDING OIL, WE DIDN?T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE POWER STEERING BELT IDLER BROKE THE 2ND WEEK IN AUGUST OF 2003. OUR MECHANIC, JOHN RICKMAN OF JOHN?S AUTO IN GIRARD, SHOWED US THE BRACKET FROM THE IDLER. THE BRACKET IS A FIVE-BOLT BRACKET, WHICH HAD ONLY TWO BOLTS IN IT, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THOSE TWO BOLTS HAVE BEEN WORKING. ON AUGUST 20, 2003, I PARKED THE CAR AT A FLOWER SHOP IN GIRARD. I CAME BACK TO THE CAR TO GO HOME AND THE CAR WOULDN?T START.