NHTSA Complaint #10456733 — 2007 DODGE NITRO

WHILE STOPPED AT A CROSSWALK. I PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOPPED POSITION.. WHILE ACCELERATING MY ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT SPUN APART AND FELL TO THE GROUND IN TWO PIECES. I HAD MY NITRO TOWED TO MY LOCAL CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP DEALERSHIP WHO WAS CLOSE FOR THE WEEKEND. I DID AN AFTER-HOURS DROP AND EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT AND TOLD THEM THAT THIS OBVIOUSLY HAD TO BE A VEHICLE DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS THE VEHICLE HAS A LIFE TIME POWER TRAIN WARRANTY ALONG WITH AND EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED AS ORIGINALLY OWNER WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WAS FOR ME TO HAVE DAMAGED THE VEHICLE OR BOTTOMED OUT TO SOMETHING. I TOLD THEM ABSOLUTELY NOT. THAT WASN'T THE CASE AT ALL. THEY REFUSED TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY AND SUGGESTED I MAKE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE. THEY ALSO SAID IF I WANTED TO HAVE CHRYSLER CORP SEE IF THEY COULD STILL COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY I WOULD HAVE TO CALL THEM AND MAKE A CLAIM TO PUSH IT FARTHER. I DID SO AND WAS TOLD BY WARRANTY DEPARTMENT WITH CHRYSLER THAT THEY WOULDN'T EVEN MATE A DETERMINATION TILL MY INSURANCE MADE A DETERMINATION IF THEY WOULD COVER A CLAIM OR NOT. I TOLD CHRYSLER WARRANTY DEPARTMENT THAT IT SHOULD MAKE NO DIFFERENCE WEATHER THEY WILL OR WON'T COVER IT. THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD COVER THIS DEFECTIVE DRIVE SHAFT UNDER MY EXISTING WARRANTY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY DIDN'T. MY ISSUE IS THAT AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND GOOGLEING, 2007 DODGE NITRO DRIVE SHARE I CAME ACROSS AND BLOG THAT LISTED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM I HAD HAPPEN TO MY DRIVE SHAFT HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I EVEN EXPLAINED THAT TO CHRYSLER WARRANTY DEPARTMENT AND MY LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T GO BY A BLOG TO DETERMINE A WARRANTY REPAIR AND INSISTED I HAD TO HAVE DAMAGED THE DRIVE SHAFT TO MAKE IT FALL APART .HEATSHIELDIS CAUSING. *TR