NHTSA Complaint #10398520 — 2006 DODGE CHARGER

I OWN A 2006 CHARGER 3.5L. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR'S SYSTEM ISSUES BEGAN AROUND 31K MILES WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS CONTINUED UNTIL EVEN RECENTLY. THE CONSENSUS AMONG REPAIR FACILITIES IS THAT IT COULD LIKELY BE THE COMPUTER UNIT WITH THE SECONDARY CONCERN BEING THE POOR WIRING HARNESSES THAT DODGE IS KNOWN FOR. THE ISSUES ARE AS FOLLOWS: - ALL DASH LIGHTS COME ON WITHOUT WARNING AND FLASH CONTINUOUSLY FOR 10-15 SECONDS OR SO AND THEN GO OUT AGAIN- VARIOUS SPEEDS - ALL INSTRUMENT NEEDLES BEGIN TO SWEEP BACK AND FORTH LIKE WINDSHIELD WIPERS - SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL ACT LIKE ITS STALLING BUT SPUTTERS ALONG NEVERTHELESS UNTIL I TURN IT OFF. WHEN I TURN IT RIGHT BACK ON IT DOESN'T DO IT- THIS HAPPENS SOMETIMES WHEN I PULL INTO THE GARAGE AND IT SITS IN IDLE. - SOMETIMES ALL DASH LIGHTS JUST GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING- VARIOUS SPEEDS - RECENTLY (4-20-11) ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, KEY CHIME KEPT CHIMING AND ENGINE BEGAN TO FALTER AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ACCELERATION...AT ALL. I HAVE TAKEN THE CHARGER AND MY CONCERNS TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE FIRST 3 YEARS (OUT OF BUSINESS NOW, IN THE CHRYSLER REORGANIZATION) AND WAS TOLD EACH TIME: "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG; WE CAN'T DUPLICATE WHAT YOU ARE TELLING US. AND I WASN'T TO WORRY ABOUT IT. I HAVE STRONGLY VOICED MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE TELLING DODGE THAT A COMPUTER FAILURE OUT OF WARRANTY IS VERY COSTLY, BUT THEY REFERRED ME TO CHRYSLER CORPORATE, WHO ESSENTIALLY IN SO MANY WORDS JUST BLEW ME OFF. THIS KIND OF DISRESPECT FOR A CUSTOMER WITH, AT THAT TIME, AN ENFORCEABLE WARRANTY IS DISGRACEFUL, AND I HOPE YOU WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A RATHER COMMON OCCURRENCE AMONG CHARGER OWNERS. I FOUND THIS WEBSITE BY ACCIDENT OTHERWISE I WOULD BE PART OF THE GREATER MASSES OF CHARGER OWNERS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN WHAT SHOULD BECOME A RECALL (AND FINANCIAL RESTITUTION IF I HAVE TO GET IT FIXED ON MY OWN BEFORE THE RECALL) ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT. *TR