NHTSA Complaint #11339501 — 2013 DODGE JOURNEY

WHILE DRIVING 75MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, LOSING ALL GAS PEDAL FUNCTION. I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE AND WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE! AFTER GETTING PULLED OVER, ONCE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF IT WOULD NO LONGER RESTART. THE CAR WOULD NOT EVEN GO INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT USING THE BYPASS SWITCH, WHICH IS HOW WE GOT IT ON THE TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIP DUG INTO THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE FLEX PLATE BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY BROKE, SOMETHING THEY FLAT OUT SAID SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I FOUND THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG SEVERAL MODELS OF CHRYSLER (MINIVAN) AND DODGE (RAM AND JOURNEY), BUT IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MANY YEARS IN THEIR V6 VEHICLES (BACK TO 2006). THE FLEX PLATE ITSELF HAS BEEN MANUFACTURED TOO THIN AND IS NOT MADE SAFELY, AS THE FIX ENTAILS INSTALLING AN AFTERMARKET, MUCH THICHER, FLEX PLATE. THIS PROVES THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE ORIGINAL PRODUCT. EVEN WORSE, THIS FAILURE CAN CAUSE MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. NOT ONLY IS DODGE RISKING MY FAMILY'S SAFETY, BUT THEY RISK THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS TRAVELING NEAR ANY OF THEIR THOUSANDS OF FAULTY VEHICLES, AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVERS WHO HAVE TO TOW THE BROKEN DOWN VEHICLES. I'VE SPOKEN TO DODGE MULTIPLE TIMES AND ALL THE WANT TO TELL ME IS THAT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AT 100,000. DODGE BUILDS CARS TO BREAK DOWN AFTER 100,000; AT 110, 000 TO BE EXACT AND I AM NOT ALONE ON THIS ISSUE. DODGE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR PRODUCING SAFER VEHICLES AND NOT KNOWINGLY PUSHING CHEAP PARTS THROUGH MANUFACTURING.