NHTSA Complaint #10121815 — 2003 DODGE NEON

MY 2003 DODGE NEON, PURCHASED FROM CARMAX NEAR LAX IN INGLEWOOD, CA. IT NOW HAS UNDER 24000 MILES, AND HAS STALLED IN TRAFFIC 7 TIMES IN THE PAST 1500 MILES, TWICE FAILING TO RE-START IN TRAFFIC, AND ONCE AGAIN IN A PARKING GARAGE. THE 1ST TIME WAS ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO IN WEST LOS ANGELES. THE VEHICLE RE-STARTED ONLY AFTER A JUMP FROM AAA, AND STALLED 2 MORE TIMES AS I DROVE TO THE CARMAX LOCATION FOR SERVICE. CARMAX FAILED TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG TO EXPLAIN THE STALL, & FOUND ONLY A LOOSE BATTERY TERMINAL BOLT, WHICH THEY SAID CAUSED THE STALLING. THEY TIGHTENED THE BOLT AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. LESS THAN 5 WEEKS LATER, THE CAR STALLED 3 TIMES AGAIN AROUND TOWN, RESTARTED AFTER 20 MINUTES, AND FINALLY STALLED IN SANTA MONICA, WHEN THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIED, NO BRAKE LIGHTS OR SAFETY HAZARD LIGHTS AT ALL, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD CHRYSLER TOWING TAKE THE CAR TO BUERGE CHRYSLER IN WEST LA, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, & DECLARED THAT THE BATTERY WAS FINE. THEY SAID A SERVICE BULLETIN SUGGESTED "FLASHING THE POWER CONTROL MODULE", WHICH THEY DID. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. LESS THAN 6 WEEKS LATER, THE CAR STALLED ON THE ROAD TWICE AGAIN, AND ONCE MORE IN AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, WHERE IT WOULD NOT RESTART: AGAIN, NO POWER AT ALL, NO BRAKE LIGHTS OR HAZARD LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED TO BUERGE, AND 2 DAYS LATER THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE FOUND A DEFECTIVE CONNECTOR ON THE BATTERY GROUNDING CABLE, WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. WHEN A CAR IS BARELY 2 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 24000 MILES ON IT, AND STALLS 7 TIMES, 3 TIMES STRANDING THE DRIVER, IN THE MIDST OF TRAFFIC, THIS MUST BE CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. I STILL OWE THE BANK $$ FOR THIS LEMON, AND AM AFRAID TO VENTURE TOO FAR FOR FEAR THAT THE ALLEGED FIXES OF TIGHTEEDG BOLTS, FLASHED PCMS, AND REPLACED CONNECTORS MAY NOT BE CERTAIN FIXES. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS INEXCUSABLE PROBLEM.