NHTSA Complaint #10147494 — 2000 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

COMPLETE 2.7L ENGINE FAILURE AT 87,000 MILES. OIL CHANGES OCCURRED EVERY 3,000 MILES (MORE THAN THE RECOMMENDATION BY THE MANUFACTURER). SCHEDULE A IN THE OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGES EVERY 7500 MILES UNDER "NORMAL" OPERATING CONDITIONS. SCHEDULE B RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES IF YOU OPERATE YOUR VEHICLE UNDER ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: 1. DAY AND NIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING OR 2. FREQUENT STOP AND GO DRIVING OR 3. FREQUENT LONG PERIODS OF ENGINE IDLING OR 4. FREQUENT SHORT TRIPS OF LESS THAN 5 MILES OR 5. FREQUENT OPERATION AT SUSTAINED HIGH SPEEDS DURING HOT WEATHER, ABOVE 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR 6. FREQUENT TRAILER TOWING OR &. TAXI, POLICE OR DELIVERY SERVICE, NON OF WHICH APPLY TO OUR SITUATION AND WE STILL CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 70 MPH PLACING US IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TRYING TO COAST TO A SAFE PLACE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A CLOSED CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP ON A SATURDAY EVENING AND WE WERE STRANDED TRYING TO FIND A RENTAL CAR. THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP STATED THE NEXT MONDAY THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $7400. CONSIDERING THAT THE BALANCE OF THE CAR LOAN IS $6000, IT IS NOT FEASIBLE TO REPAIR THE CAR AT THAT COST. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS CAR THAT WE CANNOT DRIVE AND WE ARE ALSO PAYING A STORAGE FEE SINCE WE ARE UNABLE TO KEEP A BROKEN DOWN CAR AT OUR RESIDENCE. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR A RENTAL CAR UNTIL WE FIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPT. 1/11/06 AND SPOKE WITH A SCREENER WHO GAVE ME A REFERENCE NUMBER AND PASSED ME ON TO CHRYSLER REP. #177 ONLY TO BE TOLD BY CHRYSLER REP. ID#177 THAT IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM, IT'S OUR PROBLEM. *JB