NHTSA Complaint #10504789 — 2011 DODGE DAKOTA

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING TO DINNER. WEATHER WAS COLD IT WAS DARK OUTSIDE BUT NO OTHER ISSUES. FUEL GAUGE WAS READING BETWEEN EMPTY AND 1/4 TANK. WE WERE DRIVING ON A BUSY STRETCH OF HIGHWAY ROUTE 1 NORTH OF DOVER DELAWARE HEADING SOUTH. TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE AT THE TIME. WE WERE OPERATING AT A SPEED OF 55MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED OPERATING. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WITH NO LUCK. I CALLED AAA WHO BROUGHT SOME GAS WITH THEM. THEY PUT 1 GALLON OF GAS IN AND THE VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP. AN ISSUE WITH THE FUEL GAUGE WAS REPORTED TO THE SELLING DEALER SHORTLY AFTER WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK (THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW). THE FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE WOULD FALL TO THE "E" POSITION AND THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE (EVEN WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS). THE NEEDLE WOULD THEN SLOWLY RECOVER TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE SO THEY DID NOT REPAIR THE FAULTY GAUGE. SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELY ON THE INSTRUMENTS/GAUGES TO PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION SO THAT I CAN OPERATE MY VEHICLE IN THE SAFEST MANNER POSSIBLE. THIS FUEL GAUGE ISSUE IS A SAFETY HAZARD. LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO ERRONEOUS FUEL GAUGE READINGS RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED BRAKES AND STEERING WHICH MADE CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE MORE DIFFICULT. *TR