NHTSA Complaint #10628849 — 1999 DODGE STRATUS

MY GIRL FRIEND CAME HOME AND SAID THE CAR WAS SMOKING SO I WENT TO LOOK AT IT AND YES SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FIREWALL SIDE OF THE MOTOR RIGHT ABOVE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD .I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND A RECALL ON THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP SO I CALLED THE NUMBER GIVEN AND CHRYSLER SET ME UP WITH HADDAD DODGE IN BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA WE SET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE REPAIRS TO BE DONE , I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM AND THEY KEPT IT FOR 4 DAYS I CALLED THEM ABOUT THE CAR AND THEY SAID IT WAS READY I PICKED IT UP LATER THAT AFTERNOON DROVE APPROX 6 MILES HOME IT WAS SMOKING SLIGHTLY BUT NO WHERE NEAR AS BAD AS BEFORE SO I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT , MAYBE JUST RESIDUAL FROM BEFORE THE REPAIR.THE FOLLOWING MORNING I DROVE FROM REAL RD TO FAIR VIEW AVE AND THE CAR WAS SMOKING HEAVILY I STOPPED IN FRONT OF A FRIENDS HOUSE OPENED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A FIRE BURNING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE ENGINE LUCKILY THERE WAS A GARDEN HOSE HOOKED UP OUT SIDE THE HOUSE , I GRABBED THAT AND PUT THE FIRE OUT . COULD SMELL FUEL HEAVILY PARKED THE CAR AND HAVE NOT MOVED IT SINCE JUST A WEEK AGO ABOUT A MONTH AFTER ALL THIS HADDAD DODGE LEFT ME A MESSAGE SAYING THAT MY PARTS HAD COME IN AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO SET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE . ACCORDING TO THEM THEY HAD ALREADY DONE THE WORK NO BODY TOLD ME THAT THE WORK WAS NOT COMPLETE QUITE THE CON-TRARY I WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED AND READY TO GO THE SERVICE ATTENDANT WAS SO BUSY ON HIS PHONE AND CELL PHONE HE HARDLY SPOKE A WORD TO ME I HAD TO FIND THE CAR IN THERE LOT SO I COULD GO HOME , WHY WOULD ANYBODY IN THERE RIGHT MIND LET SOMEONE DRIVE A CAR THAT COULD CATCH FIRE. *TR