NHTSA Complaint #10522112 — 2010 DODGE CHALLENGER

I WAS COMMUTING TO WORK ON THE WESTPARK TOLLWAY IN HOUSTON IN TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00AM WHEN MULTIPLE ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE, AVOIDING A COLLISION BARELY AS ALL SYSTEMS WERE DEAD. AFTER 4 DAYS IN THE SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WHICH IN TURN CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, BENT VALVES, DAMAGED PISTONS ETC. UPON SEARCHING THE WEB I FOUND 39 INSTANCES OF THIS FAILURE ON ONE FORUM. PARTICULARLY MODEL YEARS 2009 TO 2011 AND CARS WITH 35 TO 40,000 MILES AND MDS. MINE HAS 44,000 AND ALL FACTORY MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME AS SHOULD THIS EVENT HAPPEN IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC OR PASSING SITUATION THERE COULD BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS ONE HAS NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE NUMBER OF INSTANCES AND WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE WHICH I FIND TROUBLING. THERE ARE ALOT OF CARS THAT ARE JUST NOW COMING INTO THE SUSPECT MILEAGE RANGE FOR THIS EVENT AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A PERSON OR PERSONS ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BY THIS. *TR