NHTSA Complaint #10188648 — 2004 DODGE INTREPID

RE: 2004 DODGE INTREPID WITH MITSUBISHI 2.7L ENGINE ON JANUARY 28, 2007 MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING REFERENCED CAR WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING ENGINE FAILED CAUSING STEERING TO FAIL, AND MY DAUGHTER WAS FORCED TO ALLOW THE CAR TO COAST INTO A SAFETY ZONE. ALTHOUGH AUTOMOBILE HAD RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED AND HAD THE BUSHINGS REPLACED, THERE WAS NO INDICATION EITHER TO ME OR THE MECHANIC THAT THE ENGINE WAS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER OF FAILURE. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 45,000 MILES ON IT. I SEE FROM SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT THE ENGINE IN MY INTREPID IS DEFECTIVE AND MANY, MANY ENGINES BOTH IN THE U.S. AND CANADA HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I AN TOLD NOW THAT REGARDLESS OF MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE, ANY WARRANTIES, THE EARLY FAILURE OF THE ENGINE, I HAVE NO RECOURSE BUT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF AROUND $3500. BUT, THERE IS A PROBLEM. SO MANY OF THESE ENGINES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED THAT I CANNOT GET AN ENGINE, EVEN IF I COULD PAY FOR IT. SO, I CONTINUE TO MAKE CAR PAYMENTS FOR A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE THAT I CANNOT DRIVE AND CANNOT REPAIR BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ENGINES. HELP, PLEASE HELP.*JB