NHTSA Complaint #10567349 — 2006 DODGE CHARGER

AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK, WITHIN MINUTES I WAS TURNING LEFT IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND AN ACCIDENT WAS BARELY AVOIDED. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IN FACT I WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY TWO VEHICLES, ONE COMING AT ME AND THE OTHER BEHIND ME. I RESTARTED THE CAR, DROVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS AND THE CAR STOPPED AGAIN, SAME STEERING DIFFICULTIES. STARTED THE CAR A THIRD TIME AND IT MOVED FORWARD WITH NO MORE STOPS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 MORE TIME IN THE PAST 3 YEARS. ADDITIONALLY, WITHIN THE PAST 6 MONTHS, IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT FUEL INTO THE TANK. IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 20 MINUTES BECAUSE THE NOZZLE WOULD SHUT OFF. I COULD ONLY PUT IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS EACH SQUEEZE OF THE HANDLE. I FIND THIS NOT ONLY ANNOYING BUT ALSO QUESTION THE DESIGN OF THE WHOLE FUEL RECEIVING AND STORAGE SYSTEM OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE ASKED MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND WAS ADVISED THAT A NEW GAS TANK WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTALLED FOR APPROXIMATELY $1,200! A NEW GAS TANK? THAT WOULD CONFIRM IN MY MIND THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED ABSOLUTELY BY A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED ASAP BEFORE THERE ARE FATALITIES LINKED TO THIS FLAW.