NHTSA Complaint #748553 — 1995 DODGE AVENGER

I NOTICED AFTER MY VEHICLE WARMED UP A SMELL OF BURNING OIL FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN I WOULD COME TO A STOP. SOME TIMES SMOKE WOULD BELLOW OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR AT A STOP. ON 7/14/2001 IT DID IT AGAIN, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER SINCE THE OIL LEAK COULD POTENTALLY START A FIRE SINCE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY DRIPPING ON TO MY EXHAUST SYSTEM. ON 7/16/2001 I WAS CONTACTED BY THE DEALERSHIP(I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AN INDIVIDUAL) AND TOLD THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN OUT AND PUMPING OIL DOWN ON MY EXHAUST. I WAS THEN TOLD BY THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT DODGE KNEW ABOUT IT, BUT DIDN'T REALLY CARE. HE ALSO TOLD THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PRODUCTION RUN AND WOULD (AT ONE TIME) REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET AT THERE COST , BUT SINCE MY CAR HAS 100000 MILES ON IT THEN IT IS MY PROBLEM. I AM A REASONABLE PERSON AND REALIZE THAT SOME MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS SHOULD PAID FOR BY THE OWNER, BUT A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD SUCH AS DEFECTIVE/ LEAKING HEAD GASKET(OIL) SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFATURER AND A SOLUTION SHOULD BE FOUND, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS BURNED TO DEATH BECAUSE THE OIL LEAK CATCHES FIRE OR THE CAR IS LOST . THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK