NHTSA Complaint #10852367 — 2007 DODGE NITRO

TRUCK HESITATING TO START ON & OFF - CONSULTED WITH CHRYSLER JEEP MECHANIC WHO I SHOWED HIM A VIDEO OF WHAT I CAPTURED WHEN MY TRUCK WOULDN'T START RIGHT AWAY, ADVISED ME THAT IT DIDN'T SOUND OR LOOK LIKE THE IGNITION, THAT IT POSSIBLY WAS THE "EXTERNAL FUEL PUMP RELAY AND HARNESS". TRUCK WAS LEFT AT DEALER FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO ALLOW THEM TIME TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN GOING ON. BECAUSE OF THE QUOTED PRICE [$435], I SUGGESTED TO HER THAT I WOULD HAVE MY PERSONAL MECHANIC REPAIR IT AND WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THE ACTUAL HARNESS KIT WHICH ONLY COST $32.92. PART COULD NOT BE PURCHASED BECAUSE IT WAS FLAGGED AS AN "RECALL". NATASHA CHECKED W/MIKE TO CONFIRM THIS INFO, DROP OFF DATE WAS SET - ASKED HER - THERE WILL BE NO CHARGE, CORRECT, SINCE THIS IS AN RECALL PART? SHE SAID NO, THERE WOULDN'T, THAT'S CORRECT. SERVICE TECH KENNEY HANDED ME A INVOICE FOR $415 STATING THERE WAS A CHARGE - WHICH I TOTALLY DISAGREED. ONCE NATASHA ARRIVED, WE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER IN TOTAL DISAGREEMENT SINCE I WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THIS WAS A "RECALL" PART AND WASN'T EXPECTING TO PAY AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED. LATER THAT DAY BEFORE RETURNING TO PICK MY TRUCK UP, I CONTACTED THE DODGE HEADQUARTERS & SPOKE WITH CAITLIN. SHE STATED BECAUSE MY TRUCK DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECALLS ON IT, THIS PART DID NOT QUALIFY & IF IT DID, I WOULD'VE BEEN CONTACTED. I TOLD HER I TOTALLY DISAGREED SINCE I ONLY FOUND OUT DURING OUR DISCUSSION THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY TRUCK FOR THE GAS TANK - AND I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACT BY MAIL OR PHONE FOR THAT ISSUE. CHRYSLER DEALER SERVICES DODGE & JEEP VEHICLES & THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE I CAN GET THIS PART WHICH HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A FAULTY/DEFECTIVE RECALL PART AND BECAUSE I DON'T OWN A CHRYSLER, MY TRUCK DOESN'T QUALIFY, BUT I'M FORCED TO PAY FOR A RECALLED PART?