NHTSA Complaint #10218654 — 2000 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

I PURCHASED A 2000 CHRYSLER CONCORDE LX IN SEPT. 2006. IT HAD 114,305 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE. TEN MONTHS LATER, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO FAIL AFTER NORMAL, REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I FIRST THOUGHT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SINCE THE CAR WOULD DIE OR WAS DIFFICULT TO START, SO I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND ASSOCIATED CABLES. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A LOUD RATTLING NOISE AND SOON COULD NOT BE STARTED AT ALL. TWO MECHANIC SHOPS STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUINED BECAUSE OF A BUILD UP OF SLUDGE IN THE CRANK CASE, PREVENTING OIL FROM CIRCULATING PROPERLY. I WAS TOLD THAT SEVERAL ROCKER ARMS HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND THAT SEVERAL CYLINDERS WERE WARPED. I SPENT $2,200 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REBUILT (I.E., ENTIRE CRANK CASE, TIMING BELT TENSIONER, OIL PUMP, CYLINDERS, RODS, ETC.) IN FEB. 2008, AFTER SEVEN MONTHS OF THE CAR BEING INOPERABLE. BOTH MECHANIC SHOPS STATED THAT THE SLUDGE/OIL CIRCULATION PROBLEM WAS ENDEMIC TO THE 2.7 LITER CHRYSLER ENGINE DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW INVOLVING OVERLY NARROW, 90-DEGREE OIL PASSAGEWAYS IN THE CRANK CASE THAT MAKE OIL FLOW EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD REIMBURSE ME IN FULL FOR THE COST OF REBUILDING THE ENGINE SINCE PROPER OIL-FLOW IS A BASIC ENGINEERING AND/OR MANUFACTURING REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A RELIABLE AND SAFE ENGINE. *TR