NHTSA Complaint #753152 — 1995 DODGE STRATUS

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR IN TOWN AT APPROX. 30 MPH WHEN I STARTED LOSING POWER AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY EXHAUST. I KNEW FROM AN EXPERIENCE MY FATHER HAD WITH HIS CAR, THAT IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER. KEEP IN MIND THAT AT THIS POINT THE CAR WAS RUNNING WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THE LOSS OF POWER AND THE SMOKE.UPON HEARING FROM THE DEALER, I WAS SHOCKED WHEN HE TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. I COULDNT POSSIBLY AFFORD THE $3000 OR $4000 ESTIMATE THEY GAVE ME, SO I TOLD THEM TO LEAVE IT ALONE AND WOULD HAVE IT TOWED OUT OF THEIR LOT. WHEN I MET THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WITH THE TOW TRUCK ON THEIR LOT, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEIR LOT.WHEN I TOLD THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ABOUT WHAT IT WAS DOING WHEN I GAVE CONTROL OF MY CAR TO THE DEALER, HE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO WAY THE MOTOR WAS BLOWN. THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO GET SOME MONEY OUT OF ME. HE THEN TOLD ME TO START THE CAR AND LET HIM SEE WHAT IT WAS DOING. WHEN IT STARTED IT WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE. NOISE IT WAS NOT MAKING WHEN I SHUT THE MOTOR OFF. WE COULD ONLY COME TO THE CONCLUSION AFTER SEEING WERE THE CAR WAS PARKED THAT THE DEALER MECHANICS HAD DRIVEN IT AGAINST MY INSTRUCTIONS AND CAUSED THE MOTOR TO BLOW. SO INSTEAD OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REPLACED HEAD GASKET, TURNED INTO A MOTOR REPLACEMENT. AFTER CONTACTING CRYSTER CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY REFUSED TO MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO PAY FOR ANY DAMAGES I HAD INCURRED. EVEN AFTER ADMITTING WHAT I HAD HEARD FROM MANY MECHANICS, THAT THE 95 2.0L MOTOR HAD THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. *AK