NHTSA Complaint #10238821 — 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

MY WIFE'S 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE (2.7 MOTOR) SHUT DOWN UP AT WAL MART. I GOT A CALL FROM MY BUDDY WHO SAID HE THINKS SHE NEEDS A BATTERY. I GO UP THERE, BUY A BATTERY, PUT IT IN, START THE CAR AND IT IS KNOCKING TO HIGH HEAVENS. I PULL THE DIPSTICK AND THERE IS A GREASE LIKE SUBSTANCE ON IT. I IMMEDIATELY GO INTO WAL MART AND BUY OIL. I FILL THE CRANK CASE UP AND HAVE HER START IT UP AGAIN. I KNOCKS FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN SECONDS THEN SOUNDS SOMEWHAT NORMAL. I INSTRUCT HER TO DRIVE HOME AND I WILL FOLLOW HER. IT IS ABOUT FOUR MILES TO HOME. SHE MAKES IT THREE MILES AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF AND SHE STRUGGLES AND GETS IT OFF THE ROAD. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT TWO HUNDRED YARDS FROM AN EXIT AND A RED LIGHT. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK IN AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND WE WENT UP TO SEE THEM. THEY NEVER ONCE MENTIONED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE. THEY SIMPLY SUGGESTED WE EITHER REPLACE THE ENGINE WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE OR BUY A NEW CAR FROM THEM. WE BOUGHT A CAR BECAUSE SHE AND I WORK AND BOTH OF US WORK THIRTY PLUS MILES FROM HOME. TO BOOT, THEY SOLD US ANOTHER CONCORDE!!! UNBELIEVABLY I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES TODAY, 8-18-08 AT A DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE OFFERING US VERY LITTLE FOR A FOUR YEAR OLD CONCORDE AND STATED THAT ENGINE AS THE REASONING. I WAS FURIOUS. WE TRADED IT OFF, LOST OUR TAILS-AGAIN- AND MOVED ONTO A MORE RELIABLE FOREIGN NAMED VEHICLE. I STARTED SURFING AROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS FOREIGN DEALERSHIP WAS NOT LYING ABOUT THE ENGINE AND FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS. I FIGURED I SHOULD DO MY PART AGAINST THESE ROBBER BARONS AND ENTER THE ARENA AS WELL. THE WORST PART OF THIS WHOLE THING IS WE REFINANCE OUR HOUSE YEARS AGO AND PAID OFF THAT 99 CONCORDE TO GET AHEAD. IT BLOWS UP MONTHS LATER AND WE ARE BACK TO SQUARE ONE AND ACTUALLY WORSE OFF BECAUSE THE 04 WASN'T WORTH ANYTHING EITHER. *TR