NHTSA Complaint #10200058 — 2000 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF CHRYSLER CONCORDE 2000, WITH A 2.7 ENGINE. I HAVE ONLY USED THE DEALER FOR ALL MAINTENANCE WORK AND THE CAR IN NO LONGER UNDER THE 7 YEARS, 70,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE FOLLOWED ALL MAINTENANCE FOR THE CAR. ON AUGUST 14, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME AND THE ENGINE PERFORMED ERRATICALLY AND I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY CHRYSLER DEALER. THEY CALLED, WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY PINPOINTING THE PROBLEM, AND INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LOSS OF PRESSURE IN ONE OF THE VALVES AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ALMOST $8,000. IT COST $250 FOR THAT ESTIMATE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A SECOND AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THE ENGINE HAD MAJOR PISTON DAMAGE IN THE VALVE AND A REBUILD ENGINE WAS THE ONLY OPTION. THEY ALSO INDICATED THIS ENGINE HAD LONG TERM AND WELL KNOWN PROBLEMS OF FAILURE DUE TO ENGINE SLUDGE. A REVIEW OF NUMEROUS WEB SITES INDICATES HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF SUCH COMPLAINTS AND CHRYSLER POINTING THE CAR OWNERS AS RESPONSIBLE INSTEAD OF BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THE WEB SITES INDICATED THE ENGINE WAS DISCONTINUED BY CHRYSLER WITHIN 2 YEARS BUT NO NOTIFICATION WAS EVER MADE TO CURRENT OWNERS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE PROBLEM OCCURRING. I AM EXTREMELY FORTUNATE, THAT THE ENGINE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING ON MY NORMAL COMMUTE IN A CAR POOL ON THE INTERSTATE. ANY ASSISTANCE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE TO HOLD CHRYSLER ACCOUNTABLE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED *JB