NHTSA Complaint #10156358 — 2003 DODGE INTREPID

BELOW, PLEASE FIND A PARTIAL COPY OF AN EMAIL COMPLAINT SENT TO DODGE ON 4/27/06 COMPLAINT! PLEASE BE ADVISE THAT ON THE EVENING OF TUESDAY 4/25/06, MY 2003 INTREPID OVERHEATED SEVERELY (WITHOUT WARNING) AFTER A TEN MINUTE RIDE. SADLY, THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THUS I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE (WHICH WAS RECENTLY MAINTENANCE BY THE DEALER) WAS IN SUCH DISTRESS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED ON 4/26 AND I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER DURING THE MID-AFTERNOON OF 4/27 STATING THAT TWO COOLING FANS HAD FAILED (DUE TO ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONING) AND A GASKET PERTAINING TO THE THERMOSTAT HAD BROKEN, ALL OF WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERHEATING OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THERMOSTAT BE REPLACED AS A ??PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE??. IT WAS ALSO STATED THAT THE SITUATION WAS "UNCOMMON". WHEN QUESTIONED, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE DISTRESS INDICATORS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED OFF BY THIS EVENT. MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE: WHY NOT? IS THAT NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE OR THERMOSTAT INDICATOR? I DIRECTED THE DEALER TO REVIEW THE FUSES, SWITCHES AND ANYTHING PERTAINING TO THE ELECTRONICS OF THESE INDICATORS AND WAS GROSSLY INFORMED THAT THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY CAR WERE NO MORE "PREDICTABLE OR PREVENTABLE" THAN "KNOWING WHEN A LIGHT BULB IN YOUR HOME WILL BLOW". THIS COMMENTARY WAS BOTH APPALLING AND UNPROFESSIONAL. FURTHERMORE, MY VEHICLE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO ME UNTIL 5/1/06 (6 DAYS SINCE THE TOWING), I WAS INFORMED THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY AN ESTIMATED COST OF $500 FOR REPAIRS, ESTIMATED $300 IN RENTAL CAR FEES, NOT TO MENTION THE 26K+ THAT WAS PAID TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE 2 1/2 YEARS AGO.........