NHTSA Complaint #10910354 — 2012 DODGE DURANGO

MY 2012 DODGE DURANGO PURCHASED BRAND NEW HAS BEEN HAVING MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE THE MOTOR WAS POWER WASHED AT COVERT DODGE DEALERSHIP IN NORTH AUSTIN. THEY HAD AN INEXPERIENCED CAR WASHER CLEAN UP THE OIL THAT WAS ON THE MOTOR FROM A HOSE CHANGE. HE USED A VERY HIGH PRESSURE, PRESSURE WASHER AND IT SHORTED THE ELECTRONICS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY WITH NO WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR AT 3 DIFFERENT DODGE DEALERS TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. ON 9/22/2016 THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON WHILE GOING 75 ON THE HIGHWAY. I SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF ELECTRICAL BURNING AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD CAME ON, THE BLIND SPOT ALERT SYSTEM WAS STATING IT WAS INOPERABLE, THE AC STOPPED WORKING, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT AND BUZZER STATED TO GO OFF EVEN THOUGH MY BELT WAS FASTENED AND THEN THE DURANGO JUST SHUT OFF, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOLL ROAD HIGHWAY STRANDING ME IN THE MIDDLE LANE. THE HAZARD LIGHTS DID NOT EVEN WORK. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO TRY TO RESTART IT BUT IT WAS TOTALLY DEAD, NOTHING WORKED AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK! I COULD NOT PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE HIGHWAY, SEVERAL CARS DID NOT REALIZE I WAS STOPPED AND LOCKED UP THEIR BRAKES NEARLY MISSING ME. I WAS SO AFRAID SOMEONE WAS GOING TO RUN RIGHT INTO THE BACK OF ME AND THE CAR. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I CALLED THE MOPAR WARRANTY ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND 1 HOURS LATER I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE 102 DEGREE HIGHWAY. AS A RESULT OF ALL OF THESE ISSUES, WHICH SEEM TO HAVE STARTED WHEN COVERT DODGE POWER WASHED THE ENGINE BAY, I AM NO LONGER CONFIDENT THE VEHICLE CAN BE TRUSTED AND BE RELIABLE NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY FACTOR. AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE VEHICLE HISTORY, I FEEL I HAVE BEEN PATIENT AND COOPERATIVE IN ALLOWING CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIPS TO FIND A RESOLUTION. UPDATED 08/07/2017*JS