NHTSA Complaint #701992 — 1996 DODGE STRATUS

SEVERE OIL LEAK ON BACKSIDE OF ENGINE NEAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT THE RECALLED OIL GALLEY PLUG IN THE HEAD BUT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD. HAD TO HAVE HEAD GASKET REPLACED, CAM SEALS, CAM SENSOR AND VARIOUS OTHER GASKETS. WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CHRYSLER DEALER THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THESE ENGINES DUMP OIL, BUT CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. ONE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED 7 IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS, A GOODYEAR SHOP TOLD US THAT THEY SAW 5 IN ONE WEEK THAT HAD COME IN FOR OTHER REASONS AND THEY HAD TO SEND THEM TO THE DEALER. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS. WE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THIS REPLACED AND CHRYSLER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. HEAD GASKETS DO NOT JUST GO BAD ON NEW CARS. TO PUT THE FINAL NAIL IN OUR COFFIN. THE DEALER (JACK CARUSO REGENCY DODGE IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA) THAT REPLACED THIS GASKET, PUT OUR ENGINE BACK TOGETHER WRONG. WE WERE DRIVING AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND WE SMELLED FUEL. THE FUEL LINE TO THE ENGINE WAS LOOSE AND SPRAYING OIL EVERYWHERE, THE GROUNDSTRAP WAS ARCHING WITH THE SPARK PLUG WIRE AT THE DISTRIBUTOR. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DODGE DEALER AS WE WERE ON VACATION. THE DEALER SAID WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING OUR LIVES, ANOTHER FEW SECONDS AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE EXPLODED. THEY SAID "WHOEVER PUT THIS ENGINE BACK TOGETHER DID A ?!@#$% JOB AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING" THE FUEL LINE WAS BENT AND THE SEAL CRACKED, THE VACUUM LINES WERE NOT ROUTED CORRECTLY, BRACKETS WERE LOOSE ON HOSES AND PARTS LOOSE ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. AFTER WE PAID AGAIN TO HAVE THIS FIXED, WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO OUR DEALER WHO SCREWED UP AND THEY DENY EVERYTHING AND ARE NOT OF ANY HELP. WE ARE OUT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT AT LEAST IT IS ONLY MONEY, WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING THE LIVES OF 4 PEOPLE. THIS IS UNCALLED FOR! *AK