NHTSA Complaint #10217960 — 2006 DODGE MAGNUM

MY DODGE MAGNUM HAS ABOUT 47,000 MILES. I NOTICED IN NOVEMBER THAT I WAS GETTING A FAINT TICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BAY WHILE THE CAR WAS SITTING IDLE. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, IT STARTED GETTING LOUDER AND PROGRESSED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAD NO CLUE. MY CAR ENDED UP BEING AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A WHOLE MONTH. FINALLY, THEY FIGURED OUT THAT IT WAS THE ROCKER ARMS (ALL OF THEM) WHICH HAD BROKEN PINS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE LIFTER. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN A VEHICLE THAT ONLY HAS 47,000 MILES. THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED ME AN ARM AND A LEG WAS THE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT AND CUT ME SOME SLACK. MY ENGINE HAD TO BE BROKEN DOWN AND PUT BACK TOGETHER 3 TIMES BEFORE THEY GOT IT RIGHT. HAVE HEARD SIMILAR ISSUES ABOUT THIS, SO IT NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE THAT THE ROCKER ARMS FAIL ON THESE VEHICLES VERY EARLY AS WELL AS THE LIFTER. IF GONE UNCHECKED, COULD'VE CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. I NEVER MISSED AN OIL CHANGE AND HAVE SINCE SWITCHED TO SYNTHETIC OIL TO BE SAFE. *TR