NHTSA Complaint #10144149 — 2000 DODGE DAKOTA

THE 2000 4 WD DODGE DAKOTA WITH THE 4.7 ENGINE THAT WE OWN AND BOUGHT NEW (LAST TIME...) HAD AN OIL PUMP FAILURE AT 60K MILES. THE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM CITING SLUDGE BUILD UP AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE AS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE AND THE REASON FOR THE LONGER THAN QUOTED REPAIR TIME. ORIGINALLY THE QUOTE WAS FOR 6-8 HOURS PLUS THE COST OF THE PUMP WHICH ALSO CAME IN HIGHER THAN QUOTED, WE ENDED UP PAYING MORE THAN TWICE THE QUOTED HOURS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PUMP. THE "SLUDGE" BUILD UP PROBLEM BOTHERS ME BECAUSE IT IS REPORTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM IN THE 4.7 MAGNUM ENGINE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE PICK UP TUBE OF THE PUMP WAS BLOCKED WITH SLUDGE, HENCE THE OIL PUMP FAILURE. WELL THAT IN IT SELF IS ALL UNDERSTANDABLE HOWEVER, WHY DOES IT MAKE SLUDGE...? THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE WHILE CHANGING THE OIL I HAPPENED TO HAVE DISCOVERED A SLIMY SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE OIL FILL SPOUT ON THE ENGINE, ASKED THE SERVICE FOLKS AT THE DEALER ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND THE REPLY WAS YES, THIS IS A KNOWN CONDITION, COME IN FOR THE RETROFIT TO CURE THIS "MOISTURE" PROBLEM IN THE 4.7 ENGINE. THE SERVICE DEPT DID INDEED INSTALL THIS BAFFLE AND CAP AND I ASKED THEN IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONDITION. NO WAS THE REPLY. SO, MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED OIL SPOUT SLUDGE PROBLEM WENT HAND IN HAND WITH THE SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. I FEEL THAT THE OIL PUMP FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE GIVEN TO MILES ON THIS, A WELL MAINTAINED ENGINE AND I WOULD LIKE FOR CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR FULLY AND TO INVESTIGATE THE RELIABILITY AND FAILURE TREND IN THIS ENGINE AND SLUDGE MAKING TENDENCIES LEADING TO THESE FAILURE. RAD. *NM