NHTSA Complaint #10148818 — 2001 DODGE INTREPID

I OWN A 2001 DODGE INTREPID SE WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE AND 88,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT SUDDENLY STARTED SOUNDING LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE. THE SHOP CALLED ME LATER THAT MORNING TO INFORM ME THAT ENGINE HAD SLUDGE IN IT, AND THE SOUND I WAS HEARING WAS DAMAGE TO THE TIMING CHAIN , AND THE ENGINE WILL EVENTUALLY BLOW. THE ONLY THING HE CAN DO IS REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF OVER $6200.00. AT 42,000 MILES I TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE BECAUSE HEATER WAS BLOWING COLD AIR WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT BUT WOULD BLOW HOT AIR WHEN I WAS DRIVING. THEY SAID THAT I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND REPLACED IT BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. NOW THIS HAPPENS. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND STRONGLY VOICED MY DISPLEASURE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT. THEY TOOK MY INFORMATION AND PROVIDED ME WITH A CASE NUMBER AND SAID THAT I CAN BRING IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO INSPECT. IF THEY DETERMINE THAT THIS WAS NOT DUE TO NEGLECT THEN THEY "MIGHT" PARTICIPATE IN THE COST OF REPAIR. I WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ALL OF MY RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES (WHICH I ONLY HAVE THE LAST ONE FROM 3 WEEKS AGO). ALSO, I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THEM TAKING THE ENGINE APART ($700.00). ONLY AFTER THEY TAKE IT APART AND HAVE AN INSPECTOR LOOK AT IT WILL THEY DETERMINE IF THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE COSTS. I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEB SITE FROM SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE IT APPEARS THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. MY QUESTION HAD TO DO IF I HAD ANY RECOURSE IN THIS MATTER? *AK