NHTSA Complaint #10197620 — 2001 DODGE VAN

ON OR ABOUT APRIL 5, 2007, I BROUGHT MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR OF THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY CAR WHICH STOPPED FUNCTIONING & STOPPED MEASURING THE SPEED OF MY VEHICLE. THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ONE DAY AND CLAIMED THAT THEY RECALIBRATED THE SPEEDOMETER AND "ALL IS WELL." APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SPEEDOMETER CEASED WORKING AGAIN. SO, ON OR ABOUT JULY 19,2007, I CALLED MERRICK DODGE & REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. ON JULY 23, 2007, I CALLED AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BUT WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL 8/8. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS CONDITION AS WELL AS VIOLATION OF NY STATE VEHICLE & TRAFFIC LAW SEC. 375 IF I DROVE A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. THEREAFTER, I WAS GIVEN AN APPOINTMENT ON 7/26/07. ON 7/26, I ARRIVED AT THE NEW ADDRESS OF THE DEALER AT OR ABOUT 8 AM AND WAS ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED THE SAME DAY. I DID NOT RECEIVE A PHONE CALL BY 1 PM SO I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NOT REACHED THE CAR AS OF THAT TIME. THEREAFTER, I CALLED THE DEALER AT ABOUT 4:45 TO INQUIRE AS TO THE STATUS OF MY CAR AND WAS ADVISED THAT A RECALIBRATING OF THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED SO A NEW "CLUSTER FOR THE SPEEDOMETER" WOULD HAVE TO BE ORDERED. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT UNDER MY 7 YEAR 60K MILE SERVICE CONTRACT, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $100 DEDUCTIBLE EVENTHOUGH THIS WAS A RECURRING CONDITION THAT WAS ADDRESSED A MERE THREE MONTHS AGO. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES ON IT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE WHEN THERE CLEARLY IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I ADVISED CHRYSLER THAT I WOULD NOT PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR A RECURRING CONDITION THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED A "LEMON" UNDER NEW YORK STATE'S LEMON LAW. I WOULD APPRECIATE WHATEVER ASSISTANCE YOUR AGENCY CAN GIVE ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR