NHTSA Complaint #10170123 — 2000 DODGE INTREPID

MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID JUST BLEW TWO ROD BEARINGS AND THE CHAIN IN THE FRONT CRANK CASE CUT ALL THE THROUGH THE METAL AFTER 81,000 MILES AND 6 YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM ALL STARTED WHEN I HAD TO HAVE MY SEAT REPLACED VIA THE SEAT RECALL DODGE ISSUED (WHICH THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT NOTIFY ME ABOUT, I HAD TO FIND THIS OUT MYSELF VIA THE INTERNET). SO, I TOOK MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID INTO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, TO HAVE THE SEAT REPLACED AND WHILE THEY WERE AT IT, I AUTHORIZED SOME OTHER REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO MY INTREPID (ALL OUT OF WARRANTY). I GET THE CAR BACK A DAY OR TWO LATER, DRIVE IT OFF THE LOT AND START TO HEAR A ''KNOCKING'' SOUND WHEN THE RPM''S WOULD HIT AROUND 4000 '' 5000 RPM''S. THE ''KNOCKING'' WENT ON FOR ANOTHER DAY OR TWO WITHOUT CLEARING UP, SO I TOOK MY 200 DODGE INTREPID BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT THE DEAL WAS, SINCE THEY JUST SERVICED MY VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THEM ANOTHER $380.00 TO HAVE MY ENGINE PULLED APART TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I WAS VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS, BUT GAVE THEM PERMISSION TO DO PULL THE ENGINE APART TO FIX THE PROBLEM, FIGURING THIS WOULD ALL BE COVERED BY THEIR 12 MONTH OR 12,000 MILE WARRANTY THEY PROVIDE ON THEIR WORK/REPAIRS THEY DO. I GET A CALL 2 '' 3 HOURS LATER STATING THAT THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD AND THAT MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID HAD TWO BLOWN ROD BEARINGS, AS WELL AS THE CHAIN HAD CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CRANK CASE. THE DEALERSHIP BLAMED THIS ON BEING POORLY MAINTAINED, THEN WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT WAS NOT ACCURATE, AS I WAS VERY RELIGIOUS ON CHANGING MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES, THEY TRIED TO BLAME THE PROBLEM ON OIL SLUDGE CAUSED BY THE OIL I WAS USING (PENNZOIL). I ASKED DODGE HOW PENNZOIL WOULD FEEL IF I TOLD THEM THAT DODGE WAS TELLING THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT PENNZOIL OIL CAUSED OIL SLUDGE AND THE DEALERSHIP HAD NO COMMENT. THEY ALSO DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMMENT ON WHY OTHER ENGINES RUN & LAST USING PENNZOIL OIL AND THEIR ENGINES DO NOT, STILL NO GOOD ANSWER FROM THEM. *JB