NHTSA Complaint #716376 — 1996 DODGE STRATUS

WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER LAST MONTH REGARDING THE LEAKING ENGINE HEAD GASKET ON OUR 1996 DODGE STRATUS WITH 57003 MILES. WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS REPORTED ABOUT LEAKING HEAD GASKETS. BUT, TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY MAY OR MAY NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US IT WOULD COST $100 OR SO TO JUST CHECK IT OUT. EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. BECAUSE OF OUR FINANICIAL STATUS, WE CHOSE TO APPLY THE $100 TO OUR MECHANIC TO ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. IT TOOK THE MEHCANIC 3 WEEKS TO GET THE PART BECAUSE IT WAS ON BACK ORDER. IMAGINE THAT, NO PROBLEMS REPORTED AND STILL THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. IT TOOK 3 DAYS TO FIX. OUR MECHANIC TOLD US THAT HE TALKED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AT THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. HE SAID THEY WERE REPLACING ABOUT 2 A WEEK. ALSO THAT CHRYSLER WAS PAYING FOR EITHER ALL OF IT OR PARTS. I CALLED CHRYSLER BACK AND TRIED TO TALK WITH THEM. I EVEN GOT MORE IRATE THAN I SHOULD HAVE. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT HELP US BECAUSE WE CHOSE NOT TO GET IT FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS LEAKY HEAD GASKET WAS NOT A RECALL. WERE WE REQUIRED TO PAY AN EXTRA $100 JUST SO THEY COULD SAY "YES" IT IS THE HEAD GASKET IN ORDER FOR THEM TO THEN SAY "NO" WE ARE NOT COVERING IT? UNDERSTAND MY POSITION, ALL I WANT REEMBURSED FOR IS THE HEAD GASKET ITSELF WHICH WAS $136.30. BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A RECALL, WHY COULDN'T I TAKE IT TO MY MECHANIC? MY MECHANIC CHARGES $24/HR LABOR COMPARED TO THE $54/HR THE DEALERSHIP CHARGES. DOES IT MATTER WHO INSTALLS IT WHEN IT IS NOT A RECALL? ALSO, MY MECHANIC SAID THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS THE SAME IDENTICAL ONE THAT WAS TAKEN OUT. IN CONCLUSION, WHY SHOULD I BE PENALIZED FOR SAVING EXTRA MONEY WHEN IT IS CHRSYLER FAULT FOR THE DEFECTED PART? ALL I ASK FOR IS THE PRICE OF THE HEAD GASKET $136.30. THANK YOU. *AK