NHTSA Complaint #10870700 — 2011 DODGE AVENGER

THERE WAS AN EXHAUST LEAK UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT WHICH CAUSED ME (ONLY DRIVER) TO BECOME VERY VERY SLEEPY. I WAS IN THE CAR FOR 5-10 MINUTES WHEN I FELT THE SLEEPINESS. I HAD TO OPEN WINDOWS FOR FRESH AIR IN ORDER TO MAKE IT TO WORK (20 MIN. DRIVE) WITHOUT HAVING TO PULL OVER. THE SLEEPINESS STARTED ABOUT 3 WEEKS BEFORE IT BECAME REALLY BAD. I WAS ON A 4 HOUR TRIP & AFTER AN HOUR I HAD TO REPEATELY PULL OVER, ONE TO SLEEP FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. AT THE TIME I DID NOT MAKE A CONNECTION WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I ATTRIBUTED THE SLEEPINESS TO BEING TIRED BUT AFTER THE THIRD DAY OF SERIOUS SLEEPINESS, I THOUGHT THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING WITH THE CAR BECAUSE IT ONLY HAPPENED IN THE CAR ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SEVERAL DAYS THAT I WAS ABNORMALLY SLEEPY AT WORK IN THE MORNING HOURS. I BELIEVE THAT WAS A CARRY OVER FROM THE TRIP TO WORK EACH MORNING.THERE IS A VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE I WORK SO I TOOK IT TO THE TEACHER OF THE MECHANIC'S CLASS. THEY HAVE A MACHINE THAT SHOOTS SMOKE THROUGH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM & THERE WAS SMOKE COMING THROUGH A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST PIPE LOCATED DIRECTLY BENEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I WENT TO THE DOCTOR FOR A BLOOD TEST TO MAKE SURE I DID NOT HAVE ANY CARBON MONOXIDE IN MY SYSTEM. THE RESULTS SHOWED ME AT A LEVEL 1, THE RANGE IS FROM 0-2. THE MECHANICS REPAIRED THE LEAK WITH A SPECIAL PUDDY. THE DRIVE TO WORK EVERYDAY IS A TWENTY MINUTE DRIVE EACH WAY ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS APRIL 23, 2016. THE OTHER INCIDENTS WERE THE WEEK OF MAY 16TH. I WAS EXPOSED TO THE FUMES FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE IT BECAME REALLY BAD.