NHTSA Complaint #10142628 — 2002 DODGE INTREPID

MY WIFE'S 2002 DODGE INTREPID, HAS OPERATED WELL UNTIL A WEEK AGO. AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE TRANSMISSION DROPS HARSHLY INTO SECOND GEAR AND STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUSY, BUSY STREET. A TRIP TO OUR LONG TRUSTED MECHANIC REVEALED A COMMON KNOWN PROBLEM WITHIN THE AUTO REPAIR INDUSTRY THAT THE 2.7L CHRYSLER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION USUALLY NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT ABOUT 50K ON THE 1998-2002 INTREPID MODELS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND CAREFULLY OPERATED SINCE PURCHASING. THE OPENING OF THE TRANSMISSION BY MY MECHANIC REVEALED NO METAL FILINGS WITHIN THE SYSTEM. A CHANGE OF SENSOR, FILTER, AND FLUIDS WERE HOPPED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WARNING BY MY MECHANIC TO START SAVING UP QUICKLY FOR MORE TRANSMISSION WORK SOON FROM HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS MODEL. TWO DAYS LATER THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER ON NOVEMBER 10, 2005, SPOKE TO DAVEY, TO MAKE A CASE FILE CLAIM REPORT. I ASKED WHAT WILL BE DONE IN MY SITUATION. DAVEY TRANSFERRED ME TO ANOTHER PERSON. FORTY MINUTES LATER, TONY PICKED UP THE PHONE. I ASKED WHAT CHRYSLER WILL DO AS THE CAR IS ABOUT A YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'NOTHING'. WHEN I ASKED TO HAVE A CONTACT NUMBER TO SPEAK WITH THE CHRYSLER ZONE MANGER, TONY STATED THAT THERE WAS 'PRIORITY INFORMATION' AND HE WOULD NOT GIVE OUT THAT INFORMATION. TONY ALSO STATED THAT EVEN IF HE DID IT WOULD DO NO GOOD AS THEY WOULD DO NOTHING EITHER. I COMPLETED MY DISCOURAGING CONVERSATION WITH TONY BY ASKING WHY SHOULD MY NEXT AUTOMOBILE BE A CHRYSLER PRODUCT? SINCE MY WIFE IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND CANNOT WAIT INDEFINITELY FOR CHRYSLER'S ASSISTANCE, THE TWO OF US WAITED UNTIL THE TRAFFIC WAS LESS AND CREPT IN FIRST OR SECOND GEAR TO A NEARBY RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR REPAIR TO PAID OUT OF OUR POCKET. *NM