NHTSA Complaint #758483 — 2001 DODGE DAKOTA

1-11-2002 OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER..DONALSON MOTOR COMPANY IN SILSBEE, TEXAS. AFTER 2 DAYS THEY PHONED ME TO TELL ME THE ENGINE HAD SUFFERED A "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE". THE CAUSE WAS "DIRTY OIL". I RUN ROYAL PURPLE-A HIGH DOLLAR SYNTHETIC OIL. THE PRICE TAG FOR ALL OF THIS WAS 5600.00. I TOOK A OIL SAMPLE TO THE MAUFACTURER TO HAVE TESTED. BOTH CHEMISTS THAT TESTED THE OIL REPORTED THE VISCOSITY OF THE OIL WAS INTACT. THE OIL WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. I TOOK THIS BACK TO DONALSON AND WAS TOLD THE OIL WAS THE CAUSE. I FOUND AN MECHANIC WHO GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF 3300.00 FOR THE SAME ENGINE. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY TRUCK DONALSON INFORMED ME THAT THEY WOULD DO THE WORK FOR 3000.00. THEY HAVE HAD MY TRUCK FOR 1 MONTH AND 19 DAYS, I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND THE AIRCONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER BLOWING COLD AIR(I DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE). I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AC HAD BEEN CONTAMINATED WHILE REBUILDING THE MOTOR AND IT WOULD COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO FIX!!!. *AK