NHTSA Complaint #10083138 — 1997 DODGE INTREPID

THIS CAR BELONGED ORIGINALLY TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AS HIS COMPANY CAR. HE SOLD IT TO HIS MOTHER, WHO, FOR 2 YEARS, DROVE IT ONLY 1000 MILES. SHE HAD TOLD ME SEVERAL TIMES THAT SHE KEPT SMELLING FUEL. AND, HER AIR CONDITIONER LEAKED AND HAD TO BE RECHARGED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THIS PERIOD. UPON HER DEATH IN MARCH, I ACQUIRED THE CAR. ON 7/09/04 I TOOK THE 1997 DODGE INTREPID TO DODGELAND OF COLUMBIA TO CHECK FOR A FUEL LEAK. AT THE TIME OF CHECK-IN FOR THE VEHICLE I SITED THE RECALL 98V-184 AND THE ODI RESUME SUMMARY FOR INVESTIGATION RQ98-018. THIS CAR HAD BEEN REPAIRED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER THE ODI RESUME STATES THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT FOR SUBSEQUENT FAILURES. DODGELAND CHECKED THE CAR AND STATED THAT THE FUEL LEAK WAS NOT DUE TO THE FUEL RAIL OR THE O-RINGS, THEY SAID I HAD A BAD FUEL INJECTOR. I TOLD THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THAT TIME THAT IF THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS BAD, I SHOULD BE HAVING PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS, AND I WAS NOT. HOWEVER, THEY CONTINUED TO DENY THIS FUEL LEAK HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL. THEY QUOTED A $425.00 ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR, AND STATED I SHOULD NOT DRIVE IT ANYWHERE. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THIS SHOP FOUND JUST WHAT I EXPECTED THAT THEY WOULD FIND: THE O-RING WAS LEAKING, THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS NOT FAULTY. I WOULD LIKE THE $40 AMOUNT I PAID DODGE TO DIAGNOSIS THIS PROBLEM REFUNDED, AS WELL AS THE 375.00 REPAIR BILL I PAID TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. *AK