NHTSA Complaint #10075093 — 1998 PLYMOUTH BREEZE

ABOUT A MONTH AGO WE BOUGHT A USED PLYMOUTH BREEZE. WE NOTICED A SMALL OIL LEAK AND HAD IT CHECKED. THE MECHANIC TOLD US IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. *AK WE DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT CHRYSLER WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET IN THIS MODEL BEFORE THE CARS EVEN CAME OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE! INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM, THEY PRODUCED AND SOLD THE CARS THAT WAY, AND LATER REDESIGNED THE HEAD GASKET AND PAID FOR SOME CUSTOMERS TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. WE TOOK OUR CAR TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THEY TOLD US THAT CHRYSLER HAD BEEN PAYING TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED. WE WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT CHRYSLER ABOUT OUR CAR. WE CALLED THE NUMBER, AND AFTER BEING GIVEN SEVERAL OTHER NUMBERS AND SENT IN CIRCLES FINALLY REACHED CHRYSLER'S "CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE" CENTER. NOT ONLY WERE WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF ANY SUCH PROBLEM AND COULDN'T HELP US, BUT THE PERSON WE SPOKE WITH WAS EXTREMELY RUDE. MY HUSBAND ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR, AND WAS TOLD THAT "SUPERVISORS DON'T COME TO THE PHONE". WHEN HE ASKED HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT, HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO METHOD TO FILE A COMPLAINT. HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IT, SO HE HUNG UP AND CALLED BACK. HE SPOKE TO A DIFFERENT PERSON WHO TOLD HIM THE SAME THING. CHRYSLER DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A METHOD FOR CUSTOMERS TO FILE COMPLAINTS! WE SEARCHED ONLINE FOR OTHER NUMBERS TO CALL CHRYSLER, BUT THEY ALL GO TO THE SAME "CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE" CENTER.