NHTSA Complaint #10702863 — 2005 DODGE DURANGO

WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I SMELT SOMETHING BURNING IN THE DASH BOARD AND ALL INSTRUMENT LIGHTS STARTED TO GET DIM AND DIMMER AND THEN I NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD AND ALL MOST IMMEDIATELY THE DOOR LOCKS AND WINDOWS STOP WORKING, THE CAR WOULD LOCK ITSELF AND THE WINDOWS STOP WORKING AT ALL AND AT THIS POINT THE REAR DOOR DO NOT OPEN AT ALL. I ASK THE DEALER AT THE LOT THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN A ACCIDENT OR WAS THERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AND HE SAID NO AND THAT I BOUGHT THE VAN AS IS AND TO THIS DAY I CANT GET THIS DEALER TO SEE THAT THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE AND THAT I AM NOT GOING TO RISK MINE NOR MY KIDS LIFE TO DRIVE IT AND HE WILL NOT EVEN TRADE ME OUT OF THIS CAR FOR SOMETHING BETTER. THE OTHER DAY I WAS FUELING THE VAN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN GASOLINE SHOT BACK OUT THE TANK AND SPILLED GAS ALL OVER ME, SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. NOT ONLY THAT, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN MY STATE AND OUT OF NO WHERE MY SEAT ON ITS OWN TERMS BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD ALL THE WAY TO THE STEERING WHEELING PRESSING ME TO THE WHEEL AND I AM 6FT 3IN TALL AND WEIGH 230LBS I AGAIN CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO COMPLAIN AND GOT THE SAME STORY THAT I AGREED TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE AS IS, I AGREED THAT I DID BUT I TOLD HIM THAT I DO NOT THINK THAT HE TOLD ME EVERYTHING THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES. AND AGAIN I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN AGE 6 MONTHS TO FOUR YEARS OLD WHOM I LOVE VERY DEARLY. *TR