NHTSA Complaint #10237424 — 2001 DODGE STRATUS

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE STRATUS WITH 80,000 MILES. ON JULY 26 I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT I USUALLY TAKE MY CAR IN TO CHANGE THE OIL AND SUCH. HE INSPECTED THE REAR AXLE OF MY DODGE STRATUS AND SAID THE UPPER STRUT JOINT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR VEHICLE. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN DO TO THE METAL PART OF THE UPPER STRUT JOINT BROKEN AND IT WOULD BE HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I ASKED HIM WHEN AND HOW MUCH THE REPAIRS WOULD BE? HE MADE A FEW CALLS TO AUTODEALERS, AUTO PARTS STORES AND APPARENTLY THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO A BACK ORDER OF UPPER STRUT JOINTS. WE TOOK MATTERS INTO OUR HANDS AND CALLED A NUMBER OF DEALERS THINKING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE AN INVENTORY OF THE PRODUCT. ALL THE CAR DEALERSHIPS SAID THAT THEY WERE IN BACK ORDER AND THAT THEY ALSO NEEDED THEM FOR CUSTOMERS AND LOANER CARS THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR INVENTORY THAT THEY CANNOT USE DUE TO THE PART NOT BEING AVAILABLE. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN THREE TO FOUR WEEKS FOR THE PART AND THAT WAS NOT A GUARANTEE. SOME OF THE CAR DEALERSHIPS AND REPAIR SHOPS SAID THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND CAN CAUSE THE REAREND OF THE VEHICLE TO BE ATTACHED ONLY BY A PART OF THE VEHICLE WHICH IS DANGEROUS. THESE PARTS ARE IN BACK ORDER WHICH MEANS THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE DEFECTIVE PART AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO YOU. I COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE PART SO I HAD SOMEONE MAKE A TEMPORARY PART FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE THAT HAS INVESTED ON A VEHICLE AND WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS THERE ARE NO PARTS TO BE FOUND. THEIR IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MATTER AND IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME ANYTIME REGARDING THIS MATTER. *TR