NHTSA Complaint #10713532 — 2012 DODGE DURANGO

OCTOBER 15, 2014 I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 DODGE DURANGO CREW TO WORK. WHILE DRIVING MY ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING ME TO DRIFT INTO A CONCRETE RETAINING WALL. MY CAR IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE BODY SHOP AND WAS INSPECTED BY MY GEICO INSURANCE. THE DAMAGE TOTALED $5500, $500 OF WHICH WAS MY DEDUCTIBLE. UNFORTUNATELY, A PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE BODY WAS UNAVAILABLE, SO I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR AN ESTIMATED 3 MONTHS UNTIL THE PART WAS AVAILABLE FROM DODGE. I WAS CLEARLY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR BECAUSE I KNEW IT MALFUNCTIONED. I TOOK THE CAR DIRECTLY FROM THE BODY SHOP TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE NOTE ***GEICO INSURANCE DEEMED THE CAR "SAFE TO DRIVE" AND REFUSED TO GIVE ME A RENTAL. I TOOK THE DURANGO TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY KEPT IT FOR 24 HOURS AND DISMISSED ME TELLING ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. NEITHER MY HUSBAND NOR I WERE SATISFIED BECAUSE IN MY 17 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND KNEW SOMETHING WAS DEFECTIVE. SINCE THEN, I HAVE STARTED THE CAR A HANDFUL OF TIMES, AND IT WILL IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. I JUST RECEIVED THE SAFETY RECALL NUMBER R09/NHTSA 14V-115. THIS SAFETY RECALL RELATES EXACTLY TO WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DURANGO. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN THAT I DRIVE WITH IN THIS CAR, REFUSE TO GET ON ANY HIGHWAY WITH IT FOR FEAR OF IT SHUTTING DOWN AT 70 MPH, AND CHRYSLER REFUSES TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. I HAVE PROOF OF THE $5500 IN REPAIRS, I HAVE PROOF OF THE $500 I SPENT ON MY DEDUCTIBLE, I HAVE PROOF THAT I TOOK IT TOOK A DODGE DEALERSHIP, AND I HAVE PROOF THAT MY CAR INSURANCE RATE HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED BECAUSE OF THIS CLAIM. I'M STUCK WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE, NO ONE ACCEPTING BLAME, INCREASED INSURANCE RATE, $500 LESS IN MY BANK ACCOUNT, AND A CAR THAT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE I CAN'T RE-SELL. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY DIRECTION TO GET THIS INJUSTICE FINALLY SOLVED. SINCERE THANKS. *TR