NHTSA Complaint #11266619 — 2008 DODGE CHARGER

CAR WAS PURCHASED 06/28/2019; ODO 109,640. CAR WAS PURCHASED WITH A GWC WARRANTY SERVICE CONTRACT (90 DAY, 4,500 MILES) AND AT ASKING PRICE FROM A DEALERSHIP. (STATE LICENSE #[XXX]) CAR WAS PURCHASED AS ADVERTISED THAT IT WAS IT WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF SOMETHING WRONG WITH WHEELS AND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL RATTLED AGGRESSIVELY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN ON 07/01/19 (ODO 110,120) TO BIG JOHNS IN SANTA CLARITA; IT WOULD COST $1,624.68 TO REPLACE BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE FOUND TO BE BENT AND TO BIG FOR THE CAR. THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SERVICE CONTRACT BUT WAS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. ON 07/11/19 THE CAR WAS BROUGHT INTO RICKS AUTOMOTIVE IN GRANADA HILLS (ODO 111,493). RICKS WAS A RECOMMENDED REPAIR SHOP FROM THE SERVICE CONTRACT PURCHASED. THERE WERE 11 THINGS REPORTED ON THE REPAIR ORDER 8 OF WHICH WERE SAFETY AND ENGINE CONCERNS. (1.) THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT DIDN'T WORK (2.) THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BREAK WAS NOT HOLDING. (3.) THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH DOES NOT STAY ON. (4.) THE SPEEDOMETER SOMETIMES OPERATES ERRATICALLY. (5.) THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE REVERSING. (6.) THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD AND BANGS HARD. (7.) THERE WAS BLUEISH/WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. (8.) CYLINDER HEAD GASKET MAY BE BLOWN. IT WAS FOUND THE THE HEAD GASKET HAD BENT VALVES AND TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THESE WERE THE ONLY THINGS THAT WERE FIXED. $5,031.35 WAS OWED. WE PAID $1,359.03. GWC PAID REMAINDER. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP ON 08/13/2019 AT 4:30PM (ODOMETER 111,510). AT 7:30PM SAME DAY THE ENGINE WAS REPORTED SIZED (ODO 111,539) AND WAS TOWED BACK TO RICKS AUTOMOTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP FALSELY ADVERTISED THE CAR AS IT WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER WHEN IT WASN'T. IN A MATTER OF 1,852 MILES AND 13 DAYS THE CAR SHOWED A TOTAL OF 10 SIGNS OF SAFETY HAZARD TO NOT JUST ME BUT THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER DRIVERS I CAME ACROSS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT