NHTSA Complaint #10138192 — 2003 DODGE INTREPID

PURCHASED 2003 DODGE INTREPID 6/3/05, AS USED. WHILE DRIVING A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHILE STILL UNDER DEALERSHIP 30 DAY WARRANTY. INFORMED CAR HAD FAULTY O2 SENSOR AND SENSOR WAS REPLACED. AUGUST 9TH, DRIVING WITH YOUNG DAUGHTER AT NIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, CAR MADE 'POP' SOUND, ENGINE AND OIL LIGHT BOTH ILLUMINATED, CAR ENGINE DIED, BUT WAS ABLE TO VEER ONTO SHOULDER OF ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT BY OTHER CARS. CALLED DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK. CAR WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAULTY CAM SENSOR. CAM SENSOR WAS REPLACED-AT MY EXPENSE. ALMOST OUT OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE 26TH, ONCE AGAIN WITH MY YOUNG DAUGHTER WHEN ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAR FELT AS THOUGH DOWN SHIFTED HARD THROUGH ALL GEARS, THEN TRANSMISSION ACTING AS IF NOT PROPER SHIFTING. CLOSE TO LOCAL AUTO ZONE WHICH I HAD THEM RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON. FOUND "TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FAILURE." THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR WAS RESET AT AUTO ZONE. CALLED LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT MORNING. WAS INFORMED THAT BECAUSE THE COMPUTER HAD BEEN RESET THEY COULD NOT REPEAT, NOR FIND THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS "MORE THAN LIKELY 2 SENSORS," AND TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS CAR UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN, THEN NOTIFY THE DEALERSHIP. SO, NOW I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF DRIVING A CAR THAT I KNOW IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF "SENSOR" FAILURE, IF NOT OUTRIGHT MAJOR TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. DID I MENTION I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR SINCE JUNE? I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS NOTIFIED OF SERVICE BULLETINS. I WOULD THINK THAT AS MUCH AS I OWE ON THE CAR (OVER $10,000.00), THE YEAR (2003), THE MILEAGE (43,000 MILES) WOULD AT THE VERY LEAST GUARANTEE ME A ROAD WORTHY, SAFE VEHICLE. MY SON OWNS A '99 DODGE NEON CLUNKER THAT I JUST BOUGHT FOR $1000.00 THAT IS BECOMING APPARENTLY MORE RELIABLE THAN MY PRICEY LUXURY RIDE. *JB