NHTSA Complaint #10120962 — 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

MY 2005 DODGE CARAVAN IS 9 MONTHS OLD AND ONE DAY I'M DRIVING AND MY ENGINE STARTS MAKING A TAPPING NOISEAND THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON. THE NEXT DAY (MONDAY) I TAKE IT TO STAFFORD DODGE DEALER (ROBERT STOCKING). THEY TELL ME I HAVE LESS THAN 1 QT OF OIL IN MY CAR SO I NEED TO HAVE MY ENGINE BLOCK REPLACED. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I HAD MY OIL CHANGED 1 MONTH AGO BY JIFFY LUBE, AND ALSO HAD CHECKED MY OIL 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCEDENT AND MY OIL WAS AT THE MAX LINE. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER (STEVE SHOOF) AND INFORMED THEM ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND CHYRSLER DENIED THE CLAIM, THEREFORE, I WAS STUCK PAYING $5,070 PLUS $500 FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR TWO WEEKS WHILE MY CAR WAS BEING REPAIRED. ACTUALLY I DID FIND OUT WHEN I WENT TO PAY FOR MY CAR A NOTE WAS ON ONE OF THE MECHANICS RECEIPTS SAYING THAT THE CAR HAD THE WRONG DIPSTICK INSTALLED IN MY CAR; WHICH PROBABLY LEAD TO THE OIL AERATION. I WENT BACK TO LOOK AT MY JIFFY LUBE RECEIPTS AND ONE OF THE NOTES IN 10 NOV 04 STATED THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS HIGH WHEN THEY TRIED TO CHANGE MY OIL FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THOUGHT POSSIBLY THAT I MAY HAVE THE WRONG DIPSTICK. THE PERSONNEL AT JIFFY LUBE NEVER TOLD ME DIRECTLY THAT I MAY HAVE HAD THE WRONG DIPSTICK THEY ONLY NOTED IT ON THE RECEIPT. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD I WOULD HAVE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE DODGE DEALER. I'M ASSUMING WITH ALL THE TROUBLE JIFFY LUBE HAD TRYING TO READ MY DIPSTICK WHEN IN ALL ACTUALITY THE DIPSTICK WAS 6 INCHES TOO LONG (PER THE DODGE MAINTENANCE MANAGER) THEREFORE IT LEAD TO OIL AERATION AND LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. THE MAINTENACE MANAGER(JOHN VERNE) AT THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME THE DIPSTICK THAT WAS REMOVED FROM MY CAR. MAYBE YOU CAN ASSIST ME IN GETTING THIS MATTER RESOLVED. I HAVE 4 CHILDREN TO SUPPORT AND I HAD TO TAKE THE $5,070 OUT OF MY CHECKING ACCOUNT SO I COULD HAVE A CAR TO DRIVE TO GET TO WORK.