NHTSA Complaint #10231711 — 2006 DODGE SPRINTER 3500

REPEATED FAILURE OF TURBO RESONATOR ON DODGE SPRINTER 3500 / WINNABAGO VIEW RESULTING IN SUDDEN LOSS OF 90% OF POWER. PART CRACKS OPEN CAUSING LOSS OF TURBO PRESSURE. ENGINE SENSOR THINKS TURBO HAS FAILED SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE INTO LIMP MODE RESULTING IN 90% LOSS OF POWER. SAME PART HAS FAILED TWICE IN 2,500 MILES. BOTH TIMES HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATES HIGHWAYS IN TRAFFIC AND NEARLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT ON I 75 SOUTH OF ATLANTA LAST YEAR AND ON I 20 WEST OF ATLANTA LAST WEEKEND. IN BOTH CASES HIGH SPEED VEHICLES PASSING ON BOTH SIDES CREATED AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. USER GROUPS REPORT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. DEALER HAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSES TO ALLOW KNOWN 3RD PART SOLUTION (DESCRIBED BELOW) THAT PERMANENTLY SOLVES THE PROBLEM TO BE USED AND THREATENS CANCELLATION OF ENTIRE VEHICLE WARRANTY IF PART IS INSTALLED. INSTEAD DEALER INSTALLS SAME PART THAT HAS A HISTORY OF REPEATED FAILURE AND SAYS "GOOD LUCK". THE PROBLEM IS WELL-KNOWN TO SPRINTER OWNERS. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON USER BLOGS SUCH AS: HTTP://SPRINTER-SOURCE.COM/FORUM/FORUMDISPLAY.PHP?F=108, HTTP://AUTOS.GROUPS.YAHOO.COM/GROUP/SPRINTER/MESSAGE/94 HTTP://AUTOS.GROUPS.YAHOO.COM/GROUP/SPRINTER/MESSAGE/95 IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ACCORDING TO THE JAMES F. RIORDAN COMPANY, INC, A LOCAL DODGE DEALER INITIATED AN EFFORT TO CREATE A "PERMANENT SOLUTION" TO THE PROBLEM, THE RESONATOR ELIMINATOR: HTTP://WWW.RIORDANCO.COM/OUR_PRODUCTS_CATALOG.HTM#SPRINTERTURBORESONATOR. *TR