NHTSA Complaint #10130906 — 2000 DODGE DODGE

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM DAIMLERCHRYSLER FOR THE UPPER BALL JOINTS IN MY 2000 DODGE DURANGO. I CONTACTED THE COMPANY TO FIND OUT HOW TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED AS THERE IS NO DEALERSHIP WHERE I LIVE. I LET THEM KNOW I LIVED IN KETCHIKAN, ALASKA. THE WOMAN I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE JUNEAU DEALERSHIP AS IT WAS THE CLOSEST TO ME. I CONTACTED THE JUNEAU DEALERSHIP WHO TOLD ME THAT HE COULD SEND ME THE PARTS FROM JUNEAU AND I COULD HAVE THE LABOR DONE IN KETCHIKAN, SENDING HIM THE BILL FOR THE LABOR, WHICH I WOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR AN ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF MONEY. I AGREED, BUT HE NEEDED TO FIND OUT IF HE COULD SEND ME BOTH BALL JOINTS, AS I HAD ONE BALL JOINT REPLACED IN AUGUST OF 2004, WITHOUT BEING REIMBURSED BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER. TODAY, AUGUST 1, 2005, THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE JUNEAU DEALERSHIP CALLED TO TELL ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE BOTH BALL JOINTS REPLACED, BUT THAT HE COULD NO LONGER SEND ME THE PARTS BECAUSE DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAD CONTACTED HIM AND NOW PROHIBITED HIM FROM DOING RECALLS IN THIS FASHION AS IT WAS DEEMED FRAUDULENT. I DIRECTLY CONTACTED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPERVISOR "KATHERINE" WHO STATED THAT I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR TO SEATTLE OR JUNEAU TO A DEALERSHIP FOR THE RECALL OR THEY WOULD NOT PAY TO FIX IT. I TOLD HER I LIVED ON AN ISLAND AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY THE FERRY FEE TO DO THAT OR GO WITHOUT ANY TRANSPORTATION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. SHE SAID THEY COULD NOT COMPENSATE ME FOR TRANSPORTATION AS IT WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MY LIVING ON AN ISLAND, BUT THAT I HAD TO HAVE THE RECALL DONE BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. I TOLD HER I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO PAY FOR MY VEHICLE BEING TRANSPORTED, I JUST WANTED THEM TO SEND THE PARTS AS I HAD BEEN TOLD WOULD HAPPEN SO I COULD HAVE IT FIXED. SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD NO AUTHORITY TO OVERRIDE THE DECISION ABOUT THE JUNEAU DEALERSHIP. *NM