NHTSA Complaint #740750 — 1998 DODGE STRATUS

I TOOK MY CAR IN BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED AS A REGULAR ITEM OF REPAIR, SECONDARY TO WEAR AND TEAR. THIS WAS EARLY IN DECEMBER 2000. THE MECHANIC ALSO CHECKED OVER THE CAR AND REPORTED THAT AS WITH MANY 1998 DODGE STRATUS' I WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET. THE MECHANIC ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD CHECK WITH THE DEALER AND SEE IF THIS ITEM HAS YET BEEN RECALLED. I THEN HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHEN I WAS TURNING AROUND A CORNER SLOWLY AND AN AWFUL NOISE OCCURRED. I THEN PARKED THE CAR AND WHEN I RETURNED I HAD A LARGE OIL LEAK ON THE GROUND. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY TRUSTED MECHANIC AND THEY CHECKED IT OVER WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACING, THE ENTIRE PULLEY SYSTEM WAS SEIZING UP AND NEEDED REPLACING AND MY MANIFOLD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THIS WAS $1,000 AND THAT WAS WITHOUT REPLACING THE MANIFOLD, AS I COULD NOT AFFORD IT AT THAT TIME. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT THE CAR, SUBMIT A CLAIM TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HELP OUT WITH APPROX. $200. OF THE REPAIRS. WELL SINCE I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING TO GA FROM CA AND HAD TO STAY ON SCHEDULE I WAS UNABLE TO STAY BACK FOR THE APPOINTMENT WHICH WASN'T UNTIL A WEEK LATER. UPONE MY REQUEST FOR THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER, THEY SAID , I CANNOT GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WITH THIS INFORMATION AND YOU MUST BRING TO CAR IN FOR US TO INSPECT. WHEN I ASKED THEM IF THIS INPECTION WOULD COST, THEY REPORTED, DEPENDING UPON THE TESTS NEEDED. I KNEW THAT FINANCIALLY, EVEN IF I WAS APPROVED FOR $200 ASSISTANCE I WAS BETTER OFF GETTING THIS FIXED BY A TRUSTED LESS EXPENSIVE MECHANIC AND FIGHT THE BATTLE LATER. CLEARLY A VEHICLE WITH 70,000 HWY MILES, WITH OIL CHANGES EVERY 3,500 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED A NEW MANIFOLD, A NEW PULLEY SYSTEM AND ALL NEW GASKETS