NHTSA Complaint #714761 — 1996 DODGE STRATUS

ON WEEK OF 10/18/99 CALLED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE A TUNE-UP DONE ON VEHICLE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DO NOT DO TUNE-UPS ON VEHICLES WITH AS LOW MILEAGE AS MINE. BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER, CHANGE THE OIL, REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY, FLUSHED THE RADIATOR AND DID A 26 POINT CHECK. THE CHARGE CAME TO $272.55. THE FOLLOWING WEEK MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE CHUGGING AND ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE. SOMETIMES, WHILE DRIVING IT WOULD QUIT FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN START BACK UP AGAIN. SO, MY HUSBAND CALLED ROBERSON MOTORS BACK AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THEM. CANDY BULL QUOTED THAT IT COULD COST FROM $200 TO $450 TO REPAIR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM ON 11/9/1999 WITH A QUARTER OF A TANK OF GAS. THEY CALLED ME BACK AT THE END OF THE DAY TO TELL ME THE GAS TANK WAS EMPTY AND THAT THIS MADE THEM MISS THE ALLOTTED TIME FOR MY CAR. THEY WOULD NEED TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. WE LEFT THE CAR THERE OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT DAY CANDY CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN OVER-FUELING. I ASKED WHAT CAUSES THIS? HER STATEMENT WAS THAT IT JUST HAPPENS. AFTER I GOT FRUSTRATED AND TOLD HER THAT I COULD PROBABLY UNDERSTAND IF SHE WOULD EXPLAIN IN DETAIL TO ME BECAUSE I AM FAMILIAR WITH HOW CARS OPERATE, SHE FINALLY EXPLAINED THAT THE TUBES FOR THE SPARK PLUGS WERE TOO LARGE ALLOWING OIL AND FUEL TO MIX UP AROUND THE SPARK PLUGS. SHE STATED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS WERE SOAKED WITH OIL. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND SHE SAID "NO, IT JUST HAPPENS, WE HAVE NOTICED IT IN THE DODGE CARAVANS BUT NOT IN THE STRATUS'". I TOLD HER THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAVE A TWO-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER THAT QUITE FREQUENTLY RIDES IN MY CAR. WHAT IF IT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE? I ALSO ASKED IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE OR HOW WE WERE DRIVING IT. HER ANSWER WAS "NO". SHE STATED THAT "IT JUST HAPPENS". ON 11/10/99, I WENT TO PICK THE VEHICLE UP AND WAS CHARGED $355. *AK