NHTSA Complaint #760379 — 2000 DODGE DURANGO

WHILE ON VACATION AND TRAVELING UP TO 350 MILES FROM HOME, WITHOUT NOTICE THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. WE BEGAN TO LOSE PRESSURE AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND MANGE TO FIND THE ONLY GAS STATION/CONVENIENCE STORE FOR MILES. WE CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE THE NEAREST DODGE DEALER SHIP WHICH WAS APPROXIMENTLY 35 MILES AWAY IN MORGANTOWN, WV. AFTER LOOKING OVER THE CAR THE SERVICE MANAGER ALONG WITH HIS STAFF INFORMED US THAT THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT THEY NEEDED MORE TIME IN ORDER TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE EXACT PROBLEM BECAUSE THAT HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND BECAUSE THEY WERE USE TO REPAIRING CARAVANS. WE HAD TO FIND A HOTEL ROOM FOR THE NIGHT FOR MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN. THE NEXT AFTERNOON WE RECEIVED A CALL NOTIFYING US THAT THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR ENGINE WAS GONE AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE $6,000 IN ORDER TO FIX OUR PROBLEM. WE DID DECIDED TO TRY TO GET A SECOND OPINION AND CONTACT DEMLER CHRYSLER PRIOR TO TRYING TO PAY FOR AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. WHEN ASKED HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN, THE DEALER NOTIFIED US THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE ACCEPT IN MUCH OLDER CARS WITH HUNDREDS OF MILES. WE PAID THE BILL FOR APPROXIMATELY $200 FOR THEM TO TELL US THAT OUR ENGINE WAS GONE, RENTED A CAR AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR AAA TO TOW OUR CAR BACK TO MARYLAND WHICH AGAIN WAS OVER 350 MILES AWAY. THE VEHICLE ARRIVED AT OUR HOME APPROXIMATELY A WEEK LATER AND WE DISCOVERED THAT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT PUT OUR ENGINE BACK TOGETHER BUT PLACED ALL THE REMOVED PARTS IN THE TRUCK OF THE CAR. WE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER BY E-MAIL OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY NOTIFIED US THAT THEY WOULD RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM. THIS WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO. *AK