NHTSA Complaint #10139561 — 2002 DODGE INTREPID

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 DODGE INTREPID. LET ME FIRST START BY SAYING THAT BECAUSE I AM A FEMALE THAT IS ON THE ROAD ALONE FREQUENTLY, I AM VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT ENSURING THAT MY VEHICLE IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED, AND I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGED BETWEEN 3000-4500 MILES. LAST WEEK WHILE TRAVELING FOR WORK, MY VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A VERY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. I WAS VERY NEAR AN EXIT WITH A SERVICE STATION, SO I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THERE AND CHECK MY OIL. I WAS NOT LOW ON OIL. BACK ON THE INTERSTATE ONCE AGAIN, I CONTINUED TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. WITHOUT WARNING, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR WOULD NOT RUN. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, SURROUNDED BY MANY INTERSTATE TRUCKS ON I-77, I ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO GET TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD, NARROWLY BEING MISSED BY FAST MOVING TRAFFIC SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER GETTING MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT MY ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD BE POSSIBLE AS I HAVE BEEN SO EXTRAORDINARILY CAREFUL IN MAKING SURE MY VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED SO THAT IT WOULD LAST AND I WOULD HAVE MINIMAL PROBLEMS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT INJURED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. THE WORSE THAT HAPPENED IS THAT NOW I HAVE A $4000-$5000 REPAIR BILL ON A VEHICLE THAT I STILL OWE $9000 ON. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN FIND A USED ENGINE FOR MY CAR, AS ALL OF THE ENGINES GO BAD ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. SINCE RESEARCHING MY VEHICLE AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR SITUATIONS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IF THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE, I AM HOPING THAT THE MANUFACTURER TAKES ACTION AND CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. I ONLY WISH I WOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THIS PROBLEM OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE HIGHWAY. *NM