NHTSA Complaint #10251060 — 2003 DODGE INTREPID

2003 DODGE INTREPID WITH 2.7 L ENGINE- EXPERIENCE SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VERY DANGEROUS THAT THESE ENGINES EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF SUDDEN LOSS, AND IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. PUBLIC WEB SITES STATE THIS ENGINE IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM FOR DODGE. HERE'S THE REAL KICKER- I CALLED DODGE AND THE ZONE OFFICE SAID THEY WOULD DO A 50-50 SPLIT ON THE BILL. $8000.00 SPLIT IN HALF WOULD STILL BE $4000 TO FIX A CAR ONLY WORTH $6000 IN RESALE VALUE. A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR QUOTED ME $3900 FOR THE SAME REPAIR. SO DODGE UPS THE COST TO REPAIR, THEN DISCOUNTS IT BY HALF, AND IT'S STILL THE SAME COST TO REPAIR IT ELSEWHERE. SOUNDS LIKE A REAL RACKET TO ME. AND HERE'S ANOTHER STICKY POINT- I WASN'T SURE OF THE MILEAGE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS AT THE SHOP, SO I GUESSED 65000 MILES. THE GUY AT DODGE WAS ALL SET TO CALL THE DEALER AND MAKE THEM FIX IT FOR NO CHARGE, BUT WHEN HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THE MILEAGE WAS 7000 MILES MORE, OR 72000, IT WAS NOW "PAST WARRANTY" AND THEY COULD ONLY DO THE 50-50 SPLIT. SO HOW DOES 7000 MILES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE? THE WARRANTY WAS 6 YEARS, 60,000 MILES, IT WAS ALREADY PAST THE 60,000 LIMIT WHEN I CALLED DODGE THE FIRST TIME, NOW THAT IT'S ONLY 7,000 MILES MORE THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND. *TR