NHTSA Complaint #10340393 — 2008 DODGE AVENGER

MY WIFE, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND I ALL DROVE MY CAR ON FRIDAY WITH NO ISSUES. THE NEXT TIME I TRIED TO DRIVE MY CAR ON SATURDAY, I COULD NOT SHIFT MY CAR OUT OF PARK. MY CAR IS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES, MAKING SURE THE STEERING WHEEL WASN'T LOCKED, THE BRAKES WERE PRESSED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MOVE OUT OF PARK, CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CHECKED ANYTHING ELSE WE THOUGHT MIGHT CAUSE THE ISSUE. AFTER ALL THAT FAILED, I RESEARCHED A LITTLE ONLINE AND FOUND A FORUM ON CUSTOMERCOMPLAINT.COM WHERE SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE TYPE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A VERY SMALL, PINK PLASTIC HOOK IN THE SHIFTING ASSEMBLY THAT ALLOWS THE SHIFTER TO MOVE OUT OF PARK. NOT SURPRISINGLY CONSIDERING HOW SMALL IT IS, THIS HOOK BREAKS, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM SHIFTING. ON THE FORUM, MULTIPLE PEOPLE COMPLAINED THAT THE DEALERSHIPS WERE TELLING THEM THIS WASN'T COVERED ON WARRANTY. MY WARRANTY WAS UP, SO I USED A SUGGESTION FROM THE FORUM TO USE A COMPRESSION SPRING TO HOLD THE PINK ASSEMBLY IN PLACE ONCE THE HOOK BREAKS. NOT AN IDEAL FIX, BUT IT WORKS AND ONLY COST ME A COUPLE OF DOLLARS FOR THE SPRING INSTEAD OF THE 100-300 DOLLARS INVOLVED IN TOWING AND HAVING THE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT THAT OTHERS ON THAT FORUM WENT THROUGH. *TR