NHTSA Complaint #10170261 — 2001 DODGE STRATUS

DROVE THE VEHICLE THE NIGHT BEFORE THERE WERE NO SIGNS, WARNINGS OF ANYTHING WRONG. WENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE NEXT AFTERNOON AND UPON START UP VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RATTLING, CLICKING NOISE, TURNED IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. HAD CAR TOWED, WAS TOLD OIL WAS SLUDGY , ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACE, AT A COST OF MINIMUM END OF $5700. MECHANIC STATED HE HAD TWO MORE VEHICLES OF EXACT YEAR, MAKE, MODEL AND 2.7L ENGINE ON HIS LOT WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. HE STATED FURTHER, HE WAS SORRY, BUT WOULD HAVE TO DECLINE HIS SERVICE TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE ENGINE AS HE WAS ALREADY FED UP WITH DEALING WITH MANUFACTURER WITH THE OTHER TWO VEHICLES. HE WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS CLAIMING OWNER FAULT, OF NOT MAINTAINING 3000 MILE OIL CHANGES, EVEN THOUGH ONE OF THE OWNERS HAD EVERY RECEIPT PROVING OTHERWISE. HERE I SIT WITHOUT A VEHICLE NOW, HAVE NO FINANCIAL MEANS TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THIS VEHICLE AS I BECAME DISABLED IN APRIL OF 2005 AND HAVE A VERY LIMITED BUDGET. I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW VEHICLE SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY MAJOR EXPENSE OR PROBLEMS AND IT WOULD LAST ME 15-20 YRS, NOT 5. I ALSO DIDN'T EXPECT TO PAY OVER $20,000 FOR A VEHICLE THAT WOULD ONLY LAST 70,000 MILES. THIS WASN'T THE ONLY ITEMS I HAD TO HAVE FIXED, IN 2003 I HAD TO HAVE THE FAN FIXED FOR THE AC/HEATING AS IT ONLY WORKED ON ONE SPEED, THANK GOODNESS IT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. WHICH I NEVER DID RECEIVE ANY RECALL LETTER OR ANY NOTIFICATION OF THIS PROBLEM. IN 2005 THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WENT OUT AND HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE GET WATER IN WHEN IT RAINS, HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO DEALER, THEY HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT AND WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THIS IS THE FIRST BRAND NEW VEHICLE I HAVE EVER PURCHASED AND WAS SO PROUD OF IT, TOOK METICULOUS CARE OF IT AND NOW I FEEL AND LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE FOOL, AS THE MANUFACTURER IS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK, PLUS HAS A VEHICLE THAT RUNS! THEIR OLD SLOGAN DODGE TUFF, THE NEW IS YOUR DODGE DOESN'T RUN, THAT'S TOUGH. *JB