NHTSA Complaint #10141556 — 2001 DODGE DODGE TRUCK

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2001 DODGE DURANGO SPORT AND OUR CHECK GAUGES LIGHT CAME ON AND OUR OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO. IT DID THIS 3 TIMES OVER A 2 MINUTE PERIOD. WE PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL, AS WE HAD JUST HAD IT CHANGED A WEEK AGO. WE HAD OIL AND IT THERE WERE NO SHAVINGS IN IT. WE SAT THERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN RESTARTED THE DURANGO THINKING IT WAS A BAD SENSOR. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, WE STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE AND A FOUL SMELL. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND HAD THE DURANGO TOWED BACK TO OUR HOUSE. WHEN WE GOT HOME WE CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER JUST TO BE SURE IT WASN'T A BAD FILTER. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND SLUDGE IN OUR OIL. WE GOT ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT SEVERAL DURANGO OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THAT DODGE HAS NOT HAD ANY RECALLS FOR THIS. THE DURANGO IS OUR MAIN FAMILY VEHICLE FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 WHICH INCLUDES 2 INFANTS. THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR WE HAVE OWNED THE DURANGO AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEST 2 TIMES EVERY YEAR. WE ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO EITHER REPLACE THE OIL PUMP OR THE ENGINE IF NEEDED. *NM