NHTSA Complaint #10360194 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 8/27/2010. ON 9/4/2010 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH, THE CAR MADE A JERKING MOVEMENT THEN STALLED. I LOOKED OUT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR, AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP DUE TO THE POWER BRAKES GOING OUT AND ROLLED INTO A DITCH. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CAR DEALERSHIP. THE CAR DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO HAVE IT TOWED THERE AND THEY WOULD DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. TWO WEEKS LATER THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATED AND STALLED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AFTER ONE WEEK OF PURCHASE THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATED. THE CAR DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS STATING THAT IT WAS DUE TO MY NEGLECT. THE CAR DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE ENGINE THROUGH THEIR OWN MECHANICS AND I WAS FORCED TO PAY $4200 FOR A USED ENGINE. I EXPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHILE DOING SOME RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE 5.7: HEMI ENGINE AND THAT MANY FORMAL COMPLAINTS WERE MADE. ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS UNDER A 30 DAY WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. *TR