NHTSA Complaint #10424496 — 2007 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

ON AUG. 29, 2011, AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE OF MY 2007 CHRYSLER PACIFICA MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND, THE ENGINE FAILED AND WHITE SMOKE IMMEDIATELY CAME BILLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE ENGINE SAID IT "THREW A ROD" AND THE ENGINE WAS CRACKED IN 3 PLACES, RENDERING IT IRREPARABLE. LATER I LEARNED THAT CHRYSLER NO LONGER MAKES A LONG-BLOCK ENGINE FOR THE PACIFICA, AND THEREFORE THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR IT WOULD BE TO START WITH THE SHORT BLOCK AND ADD ON FROM THERE. THE REPAIRS WOULD BE AT LEAST $8,000. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 66,426 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I HAVE ALWAYS ADHERED TO THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE HAD PLENTY OF OIL IN IT AND WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, I HAD THE RADIATOR AS WELL AS THE ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED AS THEY WERE WORN AND BROKEN. THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT, THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT THAT CONTROLS THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL, WAS REPAIRED BY A CHRYSLER DEALER AS WELL. THESE REPAIRS COST ME A TOTAL OF $2400. CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THE LOSS IN VALUE I HAVE HAD TO INCUR WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE WITH A WORKING ENGINE WAS APPROX. $12,000. NOW THE CAR IS WORTH LESS THAN $2000. *TR