NHTSA Complaint #10864228 — 2012 DODGE DURANGO

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE TAKING KIDS TO SCHOOL WHEN BRAKE LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON AND VEHICLE BRAKES WERE LIKE PUSHING A BRICK. HAD SOMEONE PICK UP THE KIDS AND TOOK TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP I USE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER HAD WENT OUT AND WHEN THEY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR A PART WAS TOLD IT WAS ON BACK ORDER NATIONALLY WITH NO ESTIMATE OF THE TIME TO TAKE TO GET THE PART IN STOCK. BEST GUESS WAS 3-6 MONTHS. NO MENTION THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON THE PART (P41). ITEM REPAIRED WITH A USED OEM PART FROM A LOW-MILEAGE DURANGO SINCE NO OTHER PART WAS AVAILABLE TO USE. I STILL HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH DOCUMENTATION FROM REPAIR SHOP THAT IT WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED. ON INTERSTATE AGAIN TODAY WITH KIDS IN VEHICLE AND SUDDENLY HAD NO ABILITY TO GO ABOVE 20 MPH AND PULLED OVER TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. WAS TAKING IT IN FOR FUEL PUMP RELAY (R09) RECALL THIS MORNING ANYWAY. FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS REPAIRED. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE WHEELS LOCKED UP ON THEM AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER AT A COST OF $800 SINCE IT COULD BE RELATED TO PREVIOUS POWER BRAKE BOOSTER REPAIR DUE TO A USED PART REPLACEMENT. I ASKED IF THE PART WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT WAS DONE BY ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP AND A USED PART THAT THE RECALL DID NOT COVER THE PART AND IT WOULD BE OUT OF POCKET NOR COULD I RECOVER THE COST FROM THE PREVIOUS FIX EVEN THOUGHT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. ASKED FOR CORPORATE CONTACT AND WAS GIVEN (800)992-1997. SPOKE WITH REPRESENTATIVE AND WAS TOLD I WOULD BE CALLED BACK. LATE AFTERNOON I CALLED AGAIN SINCE I WAS STILL WAITING FOR THE CALL BACK. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE COST WOULD BE OUT OF POCKET AND THAT THE RECALL WOULD NOT COVER PART OR REIMBURSEMENT SINCE A NON-CHRYSLER MECHANIC PERFORMED THE WORK AND A USED PART WAS USED.