NHTSA Complaint #10216954 — 2001 DODGE DURANGO

WHEN I BOUGHT THE TRUCK I PUT ON A NEW SET OF TIRES AND HAD THE ALIGNMENT DONE AT A FIRE STONE ON 8/16-21/2008. THE FIRE STONE TOLD ME MY BALL JOINTS WERE GOING OUT. AND THEY SAID THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THEY ARE UNDER RECALL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY LOOKED UP THE VIN. # AND CHARGED ME LITTLE OVER $60.00. IN THE END THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SERVICE WAS DONE ALREADY AND TOLD ME THE MILES THAT IT WAS DONE AT. AT THAT TIME I STILL HAD 20,000 MILES TO GO BEFORE I HIT THAT AMOUNT. THE SHOP MANAGER TOLD ME THAT "SOMEONE MUST HAVE PUT THE WRONG MILES IN BECAUSE WE CHECK IT AND THERE DONE THAT IS WHY WE ARE CHARGING YOU A FEE. SO I WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER AND ASKED THEM. THEY LOOKED UP THE VIN.# AND SAID "THIS SERVICE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND IF THEY TAKE IT IN IT WILL JUST COST ME ANOTHER $60.00." I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM MY STORY AND ASKED THEM ABOUT ALL THE WEAR AND TEAR THAT THESE BAD BALL JOINTS ARE CAUSING. THEY SAID THAT THE SERVICE WAS DONE AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. 1YEAR LATER AND 1 SET OF TIRES, ON 5/20/07 I LOOKED MYSELF UNDER THE TRUCK AND LOOKED FOR WHAT THE FIRE STONE MANAGER TOLD ME TO LOOK AT. JUST TO FIND THAT THE SERVICE HAD NEVER BEEN DONE. THE REASON I DID THIS, BECAUSE FIRE STONE WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRES DUE TOO POOR UPKEEP. I HAD MOVED TO PINEVILLE LA WHEN ALL THIS TOOK PLACE. I WENT IN TO A DEALER THERE AND TOLD THEM MY STORY AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE PICTURES THAT I TOOK. THEY SAID YES AND THEY SAID THE SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN DONE ,SO THE CHECK INTO IT AND THE DEALER (WEST SIDE IN ILLINOIS HAD IT IN THE COMPUTER AS DONE ON THERE SITE.) THEY PUT IN THE WRONG VIN# . THE DEALER IN LA DID THE RECALL, BUT I AM OUT $60.00 , 1 SET OF TIRES, COST AND WORK OF THE LOWER BALL JOINTS (DUE TO UPPER BALL JOINTS GOING OUT) AND ALL THAT TIME RUNNING AROUND. WHAT SHOULD I DO ? A LAWYER COST TOO MUCH! AND NOW I HAVE THE RECALL ON THE STEERING COLUMN GEAR SHIFT BLOCKER. *TR