NHTSA Complaint #10086795 — 2000 DODGE DURANGO

I WAS DRVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY WIFE, 2 CHILDREN, A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, AND MY FAMILY DOG, WHEN THE OIL GAUGE NEEDLE DROPPED TO ZERO, AND THE WARNING SOUND BEGAN TO GO OFF. ACCORDING TO THE GAGES, I WAS LOOSING OIL PRESSURE. AFTER A SECOND, THE GAUGES WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL. IT WAS INTERMITENT. AFTER 2 MINUTES OF THIS, I DECIDED TO PULL OF THE ROAD AND CHECK THE OIL LEVEL, IT WAS FULL... I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, THE WARNING SIGNAL WAS GONE, AND THE NEEDLE INDICATED THAT I HAD OIL PRESSURE. I WENT ANOTHER 4 MILES DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN I ENTERED A SINGLE LANE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. THIS TIME THE NEEDLE WENT TO ZERO, INDICATING NO OIL PRESSURE. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TURN ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS, AND DRIVE 2 MORE MILES @35MPH TO THE NEXT EXIT. ONCE ON THE RAMP, THE CAR MADE A TICKING NOISE, AND EVENTUALLY STALLED. DUE TO THE LOSE OF POWER STEARING, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEAR. IT WAS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO STOP THE CAR (LOSE OF BRAKING) MY DODGE DURANGO HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. NOW I AM TOLD THAT IT WILL COST ME IN EXCESS OF $4,000 TO FIX IT. I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT DODGE HAD TO DESIGN THIS ENGINE WITH EXTREMELY TIGH TOLERANCES IN ORDER TO MEET THE HP REQUIREMENTS. IN DOING SO, IT SOUONDS LIKE THEY NEGLECTED TO PERFORM THE PROPER ANALYSIS REQUIRED TO DETERMING THE AFFECT ON PROPER OIL CIRCUALTION. I CHANGED MY OIL EVERY 3-4,000 MI. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURANCE AMONGST DURANGO OWNERS. I READ ONE COMPLAINT AFTER ANOTHER. I SOME CASES, CHRYSLER WOULD NOT COVER THE FAILURE EVEN IF THE OWNER HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY DEALERSHIP WON'T RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR IS A HISTORICAL PROBLEM. THEY LOST MY BUSINESS. EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, ONE WOULD EXPECT IT TO LAST 90,000 MI. WITHOUT A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS MAGNITUDE. THIS POBLEM SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY CHRYSLER....THESE MOTORS SHOULD BE RECALLED....SOUNDS LIKE A CLASS ACTION SUITE IS IN ORDER. *AK