NHTSA Complaint #10144189 — 2001 DODGE INTREPID

ON 11/29/05 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON I-10 THROUGH THE DESERTED AND HURRICANE KATRINA STORM RAVAGED SECTION OF NEW ORLEANS EAST WHEN MY 2001 INTREPID SEIZED UP AND WOULD NOT RUN. I BARELY MANAGED TO SAFELY GET THE CAR OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AND ONTO THE NOW DESOLATE MORRISON ROAD EXIT. AS A WOMAN ALONE I WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENED TO HAVE MY CAR ABRUPTLY SEIZE UP ON THE INTERSTATE AND WAS TERRIFIED THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO A SAFE PLACE OFF OF THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT GETTING HIT. ONCE I ROLLED TO A STOP, HOWEVER, I DISCOVERED THAT I WAS IN AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE AREA AS THE AREA HAD BEEN FLOODED AND LOOTED AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, THERE WERE NO BUSINESSES OPEN TO HELP ME DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE STORM DAMAGE IN THE AREA, AAA TOLD ME IT COULD BE HOURS BEFORE THEY COULD GET TO ME, AND IT WAS GOING TO BE DARK WITHIN AN HOUR. IT WAS SO DANGEROUS THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD AND THEN THE STATE POLICE WOULD NOT LEAVE UNTIL AAA ARRIVED. ONCE AT THE GARAGE, WE WERE GIVEN THE CHRYSLER SONG AND DANCE THAT THE CAR ENGINE FAILED BECAUSE OF SLUDGE AND THAT IT HAD TO BE OUR FAULT. THEY OFFERED TO HAPPILY REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR A SUM OF $7,000. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT CHRYSLER HAS HAD ON THE 2001 INTREPID ENGINE AND THE NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THIS ENGINE. DUE TO THE EMINENT DANGER THAT CHRYSLER PLACED ME IN - CONTINUING TO ALLOW ME AS A REGISTERED 2001 INTREPID OWNER TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WHICH THEY KNEW WAS GOING TO FAIL OR HAD A HIGH CHANGE OF FAILING - PERHAPS SOME OF THE TOP BRASS AT CHRYSLER SHOULD BE DESERTED IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM RAVAGED AREA WITH ONLY LOOTERS FOR COMPANY SO THAT THEY CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND THE EXTREME DANGER THEY HAVE PLACED CONSUMERS IN SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE DRIVING THEIR VEHICLES! *JB