NHTSA Complaint #10108333 — 1996 DODGE STRATUS

ON 12/18/1997 I PURCHASED A 1996 DODGE STRATUS AT A BUY HERE PAY HERE LOT THAT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE I WAS BACKING OUT OF A SLOPED DRIVEWAY. I FELT A BUMP AND KEPT DRIVING. BEFORE I COULD REACH THE END OF THE STREET MY OIL LAMP CAME ON. I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION CHECK THE OIL AND DISCOVERED I NEEDED OIL. I PUT OIL IN THE CAR AND GOT ON THE INTERSTATE. MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN STOPPED PULLING. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE OIL PAN HAD A HOLE IN IT AND MOST LIKELY GOT IT DURING THE BUMP. I HAD TO GET A NEW MOTOR FOR THE CAR WHICH A $500 DEDUCTIBLE HAD TO BE PAID BY ME AND THE OTHER $3600 WAS PAID BY ALLSTATE(MY INSURANCE COMPANY). LAST YEAR IN LATE APRIL THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AND THE CAR HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED SINCE OR OF COURSE DRIVEN. THE SECOND TIME THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND SOMEONE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME.*AK