NHTSA Complaint #757666 — 1999 DODGE DURANGO

AS IN MANY OTHER CASES LISTED ON YOUR SITE WITH THIS VEHICLE, MY ENGINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE SLUDGE, WHICH BLOCKED THE OIL PUMP (PRESUMABLY) AND THE ENGINE FAILED. I HAVE PROPER MAINTENANCE RECORDS, YET THE WARRANTY COMPANY (AMERICAN FINANCIAL) MAINTAINS THAT I DID NOT CHANGE THE OIL. ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO DULUTH DODGE (THE ORIGINAL DEALER) COMPLAINING OF FLUCTUATING OIL PRESSURE. THEY REPLACED THE OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT, AND MY ENGINE FAILED 3,000 MILES LATER (THE OIL WAS CHANGED THE DAY BEFORE I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO CHANGE IT EVERY 7,500 MILES). THE WARRANTY COMPANY PROMISED TO HAVE THE OIL TESTED TO RESOLVE OUR DISPUTE, BUT AFTER NUMEROUS CONTACTS WITH THEM (BOTH VERBAL AND WRITTEN) THEY NEVER DID. THEREFORE, I PAID OVER $5,000 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. I BELIEVE OTHER MODELS OF VEHICLES WITH THIS ENGINE (THE 5.2 LITER, OR 318 CID) HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF FAILURES LISTED ON YOUR SITE ALONE, I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE.*AK