NHTSA Complaint #10583848 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I WAS PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY MADE SOME LOUD NOISES SOUNDING LIKE GRINDING AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER, STEERING AND BRAKES. I HAD TO NAVIGATE OVER RAILROAD TRACKS WITH A TRAIN COMING AND ONTO A SIDE STREET AND A DITCH. I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE TRUCK AT THE TIME AND WAS NOT HURT AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. IF IT HAD BEEN ONE OF MY KIDS OR WIFE DRIVING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC DUE TO NO POWER AND TRYING TO STEER A 5000LB TRUCK ACROSS TRAFFIC AND RAILROAD TRACKS WITH A TRAIN COMING. THIS VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAD AN OIL CHANGE TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. WITHIN THE PAST YEAR THIS I HAD THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY GONE THRU BY DEALER MCINERNEY IN MI AND THEY GOT IT READY FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE THE NEXT 100,000 MILES. AFTER I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME DUE TO THE ESTIMATED $7000 REPAIR BILL, I CALLED SEVERAL CHRYSLER MECHANICS WHO TOLD ME THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THAT MODEL AND ENGINE YEAR DUE TO BOTH WATER LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (TSB ISSUED) AND A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE CRANK MAIN BEARING. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE (JOKE) AND BOTH THE PEOPLE I TALKED TOO "LITERALLY" ASKED WHY I WAS CALLING SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND IT WAS NO LONGER CHRYSLER'S PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM BECAUSE WARRANTY HAS NO BEARING ON A KNOWN DEFECT. THE SECOND PERSON I TALKED TO LITERALLY LAUGHED AT ME ON THE PHONE AND REFUSED TO LET ME TALK TO SOMEONE HIGHER THAN HIM STATING "I AM AS HIGH AS IT GETS" AND TOLD ME "CHRYSLER IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU". I ASKED HIS IF THIS IS THE NEW CHRYSLER AFTER "I" HELPED BAIL THEM OUT, HE SAID THEY BAILED THEMSELVES OUT. THIS IS THE SAME CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT TOLD ME THERE WERE NO ELECTRICAL ISSUES, THEN 6 MONTHS LATER RECALLED MY TRUCK DUE TO ELECTRIC FIRES. IF THIS DOES NOT GET RESOLVED BY CHRYSLER, I NOR WILL A ANYONE IN MY FAMILY EVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT. *TR