NHTSA Complaint #10152727 — 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE IN MY 99 CONCORDE, SLUDGING, EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, COOLANT LOSS AND PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. DESPITE REGULAR OIL CHANGES THE ENGINE WOULD SLUDGE UP AND CAUSE TAPPING NOISES. HAD THE PROBLEM DEALT WITH ONCE IN 2003 AT AREA DEALERSHIP UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AT THAT TIME THE DEALER TRIED TO CHARGE ME FOR THE REPAIRS STATING IT WAS LACK OF MAINTENANCE THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY THEY ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. SINCE THEN I HAVE CHANGED OIL REGULARLY AS I HAD BEFORE AND THE PROBLEM OF OIL CONSUMPTION PERSISTED. I JUST ADDED OIL AND COOLANT AS NEEDED BETWEEN REGULAR CHANGES AT THE RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 2 QUARTS OIL PER MONTH AND 1 GALLON OF COOLANT PER MONTH. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THE ENGINE VERY ABRUPTLY STARTED TO CLACK SO I PULLED OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY REGULAR REPAIR FACILITY, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER USABLE DUE TO OIL SLUDGING AND LACK OF OIL CIRCULATION. CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER THAT ORIGINALLY REPAIRED IT AND THEY WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION AFTER THE DEALER INSPECTED IT . THIS IS THE SAME DEALER THAT TRIED TO BLAME ME FOR THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE DISCOVERED THIS TO BE A RAMPANT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND THAT CHRYSLER DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY. THERE ARE NUMEROUS WEB SITES DETAILING THE PROBLEMS CONSUMERS ARE HAVING WITH THIS ENGINE AND THEIR STYMIED EFFORTS TO HAVE CHRYSLER DEAL WITH THEM FAIRLY. WHEN I CALLED NHTSA THEY STATED THEY HAD NO COMPLAINTS, I HOPE THIS ONE WILL PROMPT A FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *NM