NHTSA Complaint #10314835 — 2006 DODGE DAKOTA

5/06/09, I WENT TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT KEPT COMING ON & OFF. THIS WAS AN ONGOING INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON OTHER OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT MY OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE, BUT WHENEVER TAKEN TO ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP, THE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON, & THE DEALERSHIP WOULD STATE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING & SUGGESTED I BRING THE VEHICLE BACK WHENEVER IT CAME BACK ON. ON THIS LATEST INCIDENT, LIGHT REMAINED ON & DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WOULD "NEED TO REMOVE TRANSMISSION AND BREAK DOWN TO FIND INTERNAL FAILURE OR REPLACE TRANSMISSION." THE CODES THAT SHOWED UP WERE "P1775, SOLENOID SWITCH VALVE LATCHED IN TTC POSITION" AND "P0218, TRANS-HIGH TEMP ACTIVATED." THEY WERE SIDING ON REPLACING TRANSMISSION STATING THAT I HAD 72,570 MILES ON VEHICLE. I INQUIRED IF UNDER WARRANTY, & THEY STATED THAT I HAD EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE & MY VEHICLE HAD JUST PASSED THE 3 YEAR MARK THE DAY PRIOR. I THEN FILED A CLAIM W/DODGE HEADQUARTERS ON 5/7/2009 TO INQUIRE ABOUT ANY RECALLS OR ASSISTANCE W/A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAD INQUIRED ABOUT RECALLS BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT UP W/MY ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW & HAD JUST MADE 3 YEARS & THE MILES WERE MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES. AFTER SEVERAL FOLLOWUP CALLS ON 5/8/2009, 5/14/2009 & 5/19/2009, DODGE CORPORATE OFFICE INFORMED ME THAT THEY SPOKE TO THE DEALERSHIP, & THOUGH REBUILDING OR REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION WAS IDEAL, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME W/DOING SUCH BECAUSE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. ADDITIONALLY, ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP I HAD PURCHASED MY VEHICLE FROM HAD WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, & DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY RECORD OF ME BRINGING VEHICLE IN FOR SAME PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING THEY OFFERED WAS REIMBURSING THE $213.98 I PAID TO HAVE THE TRUCK DIAGNOSED, BUT AFTER SUBMITTING MY RECEIPT TO THEM. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REVERSE THE TRANSACTION TO REIMBURSE. SINCE THEN, I'VE HAD OTHER PLACES LOOK AT VEHICLE WHO TELL ME THEY'VE SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS W/OTHER DODGE TRANS OF THAT YEAR. TRANS NOW SLIPPING. *TR