NHTSA Complaint #10140884 — 2001 DODGE STRATUS

SUBSEQUENT TO HAVING A RECENT OIL CHANGE AND ENGINE FLUSH MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLICKING SOUND, WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. I PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF SO I COULD CHECK UNDER THE HOOD. UPON VISUALLY INSPECTING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THERE WAS NOT OBVIOUS SIGN OF ANYTHING WRONG, NO LEAKS ETC, I THEN CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FULL AND CLEAN. I THEN TRIED RESTARTING MY VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START, JUST CLICK ONCE THEN NOTHING. SUBSEQUENTLY I CALLED A TOWING COMPANY AND HAD MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DODGE DEALERSHIP IN MY TOWN. I WAITED FOUR DAYS TO HEAR FROM THEM AND THEY NEVER CALLED SO FINALLY I HAD MY WIFE CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN BUT BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING I HAD TO AUTHORIZE THEM TO LET SOMEONE FROM CHRYSLER WARRANTY INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND THIS WOULD BE A $400.00 FEE, WHICH I HAD TO PAY. AFTER THE ALLEGED INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN DUE TO SLUDGE AND THAT CHRYSLER WARRANTY WOULD NOT REPAIR MY CAR,EVEN THOUGH I HAD A 7YR-100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME THE ENGINE WAS 50,000 MILES AND ANY AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO GET COPIES OF THE ALLEGED INSPECTION WERE DENIED NOT ONLY FROM THE DEALERSHIP BUT ALSO FROM CHRYSLER WARRANTY. NUMEROUS TIMES I CALLED CHRYSLER WARRANTY IN HOPES OF GETTING SOME RESULTS BUT THE REPS WERE RUDE AND HAD THE ATTITUDE THAT ( OH WELL ) IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. NOW IT HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS MY CAR STILL IS NOT FIXED, I STILL HAVE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON IT IN ADDITION TO EXTENDED MEDICAL BILLS FOR MY WIFE AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE ACTIONS OR LACK THERE OF BY DODGE/CHRYSLER. IN REGARD TO THE MEDICAL MY WIFE WAS DIAGNOSED IN EXTREME DEPRESSION AND ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAK DOWN AND OUR FAMILY"S EMOTIONAL LIFE HAS BEEN IN DISARRAY AND A FINANCIAL STRAIN BY PAYING FOR A VEHICLE THAT CAN'T BE DRIVEN. *NM