NHTSA Complaint #11383143 — 2012 DODGE CHARGER

AT UNDER 30,000 MILES MY VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE ODD RUSTLING NOISE AND THE RPM NEEDLE WAS BOUNCING UP & DOWN IN LOW RPMS AND NEAR IDLE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO BAYSIDE CHRYSLER DODGE AND THEY FAILED TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE, INFORMING ME THERE WAS NO ISSUE APPARENT. AT JUST OVER 49,000 MILES (2 YEARS LATER) THE ENGINE SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND HAD TO BE DISMANTLED. THE SAME DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED THAT THE LIFTERS WERE SEIZED AND THE CAM WAS SCORCHED. NEW LIFTERS, A GASKET KIT, AND A CAM WERE INSTALLED, INCLUDING RESURFACING OF THE VALVES AND NEW TAPPETS. IN 2018 @ AROUND 71,000 MILES THE VEHICLE BEGAN SUFFERING THE SAME NOISE - MOST PROMINENTLY BETWEEN 900-1500 RPMS. THE CURRENT DEALERSHIP HAS CONDUCTED 8 DIAGNOSTICS AND CHANGED OUT THE TRANSMISSION, TRANSFER CASE, THE FRONT & REAR DRIVE SHAFTS, THE MDS, THE WATER PUMP, THE FRONT ARM AND OTHER COMPONENTS WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS IN REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. THE RUSTLING / PUTTERING / CLIPPING SOUND IS VERY PRONOUNCED AND EASILY DUPLICATED WHEN DECELERATING TO 20MPH. THE NEEDLE ALSO BOUNCES IN IDLE DESPITE A NEW TRANSMISSION BEING INSTALLED IN DECEMBER 2018 AND A NEW TRANSFER CASE IN AUGUST 2019. THE CURRENT DEALERSHIP (SOUTH SHORE CHRYSLER DODGE) HAS CONDUCTED OVER 8 SEPARATE DIAGNOSTICS BY A HANDFUL OF THEIR MECHANICS, BUT TO DATE HAS NEVER INSPECTED THE INTERNAL ENGINE COMPONENTS. I HAVE OPENED UP NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WITH FCA AND AWAIT CORPORATE RESPONSE TO THE SHOP SINCE APRIL 2019 BUT THEY CITE COVID RESTRICTIONS HAVE CREATED THE INABILITY TO FURTHER ASSIST. MY CASE MANAGER STATES FCA ISSUES RECALLS BASED ON CUSTOMER REPORTS, AND LIFTER FAILURE IS UNCOMMON WITH 5.7L HEMI ENGINES - CONTRARY TO MY RESEARCH ON CHARGER, CHALLENGER, AND RAM FORUMS (SPECIFICALLY EQUIPPED WITH 5.7L HEMIS) TELLING OTHERWISE. FCA SAYS THEY CAN NOT HONOR ACCOUNTS OTHER THAN NHTSA'S. PLEASE CALL ME: 646-246-0454 VIDEO AVAILABLE