NHTSA Complaint #10225250 — 2005 DODGE MAGNUM

VEHICLE: 2005 DODGE MAGNUM R/T WITH HEMI ENGINE WITH APPROX. 76,000 MILES (CAR PUT INTO SERVICE IN LATE SPRING '04). I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED WHINING -- LIKE IT WAS IN THE WRONG GEAR. I PULLED OVER, COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD -- EVERYTHING SOUND OKAY. THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 1 MILE, THE SAME THING OCCURRED -- I WAS GOING ABOUT 55-60 MILES PER HOUR. AFTER I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND BACK INTO DRIVE, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OKAY. THE NEXT DAY, THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE CAR AGAIN SOUNDED FUNNY, BUT NOW IF I SLOWED DOWN OR STOPPED THE VEHICLE (LIKE FOR A STOP LIGHT), THE CAR SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS STILL IN FOURTH OR FIFTH GEAR WHEN I PUT ON THE GAS. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE TRANSMISSION WIRING HARNESS WAS SO BURNED UP THAT TECHNICIANS COULD NOT GET A READ OUT FROM ANY OF THE ASSOCIATED COMPUTERS TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ERROR CODES WERE RELATING TO MY TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHAT CAUSED THE HARNESS TO MELT THE WIRING. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO EXPLORE CAUSE OR TO PAY FOR REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER AND I JUST GOT LUCKY BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR