NHTSA Complaint #10153953 — 2005 DODGE NEON

2005 DODGE NEON [XXX]. 4 CYL, 2.0 LTR ENGINE, 12,326 MILES, I WAS DRIVING IN ANCHORAGE ALASKA, ON 03/06/06, MY ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, AND I WAS GOING FASTER, BEFORE I KNEW WHAT TO DO I SLAMMED INTO AN ABANDONED VEHICLE, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30/40 MPH, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. AT IMPACT I HIT MY HEAD GOT A CONCUSSION. AFTER IMPACT CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, REALIZED THE ACCELERATORS STUCK, NOW SMOKE WAS FILLING THE CAR, AND I GOT MY PHONE AND RAN THINKING IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE, I CALLED 911, THEY ASKED IF THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AND I SAID YES, THEY THEN TOLD ME TO BACK AWAY FROM THE CAR, AND WAIT FOR THE FIRE DEPT. 3 WITNESSES SAW THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING WITH ME OUT OF THE CAR. ANCHORAGE FIRE/PARAMEDIC CAME. THE FIRE DEPT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND OPENED THE TRUNK; SMOKE WAS STILL COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE/TRUNK. ANCHORAGE POLICE CAME AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED, I TOLD HIM. I GOT A CASE NUMBER CASE #, AND THEY TOWED MY CAR TO A BODY SHOP. BODY SHOP FOUND THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN MY PLENUM/ INTAKE MANIFOLD, CAUSED BY THE COLLISION. THAT'S WHY THE CAR WAS STILL REVVING. I ASKED HOW DID THE ACCELERATOR GET STUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE, WAS TOLD HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THAT. I CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER, TO FILE A CLAIM WITH THEM. THEY SENT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK AT THE CAR. I GOT A LETTER FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE DENYING MY CLAIM. I CALLED TO FIND OUT WHY, AND WAS TOLD DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CLAIM, A DECISION WAS MADE AND THAT'S FINAL, I CAN SEEK LEGAL ACTION IF I FEEL LIKE IT. I ASKED WHY DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CLAIM, SHE TOLD ME A DECISION WAS MADE AND THAT WAS FINAL I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND ENDED THE CALL. MY INSURANCE IS GOING TO FIX THE CAR, BUT I HAVE TO DRIVE THIS CAR KNOWING THAT THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED, AND THAT EVERY TIME I PUT MY WIFE AND MY 7 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR. *JB UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS