NHTSA Complaint #10246893 — 2006 DODGE DURANGO

HI, MY NAME IS [XXX] , AND I NEED SOME HELP. JANUARY 9TH 2007 I PURCHASED A 2006 DODGE DURANGO FROM BUDDY JONES FORD IN GREENWOOD MISSISSIPPI. ON MAY 31ST 2008, THE TRUCK BURN TO THE GROUND. THIS OCCURRED WHILE MY GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING IT; SHE BARELY MADE IT OUT OF THE TRUCK IN TIME. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS AT A LOST OF UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPEN. SO I IMMEDIATELY STARTED SURF THE INTERNET TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BRAND OF VEHICLE. I DISCOVERED THAT THIS PARTICULAR SUV HAD AN INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER THAT WOULD OVERHEAT AND SOMETIMES IGNITE INTO FLAMES. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHER CONSUMERS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED THEY'RE DODGE DURANGO'S BURNING TO GROUND, WHILE JUST SITTING IN THE GARAGE. SO I THEN CONTACTED CHRYSLER TO PLEAD MY CASE. AT THIS TIME THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL, AND THAT MY VEHICLE WAS ONE OF THE VEHICLES IN QUESTION. THEN THEY AGREED TO SEND A LOCAL CONTRACTED INSPECTOR TO CHECK OUT MY VEHICLE. THE CONCLUSION OF HIS INSPECTION WAS THAT THE TRUCK BURNED THROUGH NO FAULT OF CHRYSLER'S DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PROVE THEM WRONG, OR HAVE IT INSPECTED MYSELF. MY INSURANCE HAD LAPSED AT THAT TIME, AND I KNOW THAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. BUT NOW I AM STUCK WITH A TRUCK THAT IS NOT USABLE, AND THE COMPANY THAT FINANCED IT IS LOOKING FOR THEY'RE MONTHLY PAYMENT. WITH I CAN NOT AFFORD BECAUSE I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO GET BACK AND FORWARD TO WORK. SO I HAVE DONE A VOLUNTEER REPOSSESSION AND THEY WILL PICK THE TRUCK UP SOON. ONCE THEY GET IT I STILL WILL BE FORCED TO PAY FOR IT THROUGH GARNISHMENT, WHICH I CAN'T AFFORD. IN THE OTHER CASES IN WHICH THIS SAME TRUCK BURNED TO THE GROUND, CHRYSLER DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT THEY'RE FAULT EVEN WITH SUCH A RECALL ON THEM. VEHICLES DO NOT JUST BURN UP FOR NO REASON, SO PLEASE HELP DEAL WITH CHRYSLER. ALSO, I DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE UNTIL JUNE 16, 2008. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR