NHTSA Complaint #10223494 — 2005 DODGE STRATUS

SOMETIME AROUND THE MIDDLE OF MARCH 2008, AFTER STARTING MY CAR I EXITED TO RETRIEVE SOMETHING FROM THE TRUNK WHEN I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION I WAS UNABLE TO DETECT WHERE THE SOUND WAS COMING FROM. I EVENTUALLY TOOK IT TO PEP BOYS AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT APPEARED TO BE THE FLYWHEEL. AND WITH ONLY 33,355 MILE I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THAT PROBLEM. DAYS LATER I TOOK MY '05 DODGE STRATUS TO AAMCO AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE FLEX PLATE (FLYWHEEL). I FINALLY DROVE TO THE DEALER TO COMPLAIN. THE MECHANICS THERE ALSO CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE MILEAGE MAY READ THEIR COMPUTER SHOWS MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER 2007. THIS PROBLEM MAY HAVE STARTED LONG BEFORE I NOTICED IT BUT SINCE I DRIVE WITH MY WINDOWS UP AND MY RADIO ON ALL THE TIME, I HEARD NOTHING. I WAS INFORMED BY ONE OF THE TECHNICIANS, THAT I NEED TO GET IT REPAIRED SOON BECAUSE THE FLEX PLATE COULD EVENTUALLY DAMAGE THE STARTER. I'M HAVING THIS REPAIRED TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008. I'M ALSO KEEPING ALL PARTS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR