1997 DODGE AVENGER Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

HEAD GASKET BLEW UP IN MY 1997 DODGE AVENGER..CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND THEY REVEALED THEY ALREADY KNEW THE GASKET WAS IN DEFAULT BUT WERE ONLY REPAIRING THEM AS THE COMPLAINTS CAME IN . THEY REFUSED TO DO A RECALL . THEY INSTALLED A SO CALLED "NEW HEAD GASKET" BUT CAR HAS NEVER RUN GOOD SINCE AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO DO ANYMORE TO IT.*AK

DEALERSHIP ADMITTED DEFECTIVE GASKET ON 2.0L ENGINES, BUT WILL NOT REPAIR.

PROBLEM 1: SINCE JULY '98, I HAVE OBSERVED (SMELLED) NOXIOUS FUMES -NOT YOUR TYPICAL SULPHURIC ROTTEN EGG SMELL-WHEN I ACCELERATE,USUALLY ABOVE 40MPH. THE SMELL IS OUTSIDE THE CAR,BUT IN SUMMER AND WARM MONTHS IT'S QUITE OVERPOWERING WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN AT LEAST 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, THE SERVICE DEPT. SAYS THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT-IT'S "NORMAL"-I UNDERSTAND SOME SULPHURIC SMELL, BUT THIS IS NOT "ACCEPTABLE" OR "NORMAL"! THEY ARE BASICALLY TELLING ME TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT THEY AREN'T THE ONES WHO HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR EVERY DAY AND HAVE THE FUMES OVERPOWER THEM WHENEVER THEY PUT DOWN THE WINDOWS. PROBLEM 2: MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT LOCKS AND WON'T UNLOCK UNTIL YOU DISENGAGE IT FROM THE LATCH. IT WAS FOUND TO BE A PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR, AND WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED WITH A WHOLE NEW ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER,...

DRIVING THROUGH A LOW PUDDLE OF WATTER, THE CAR SUCKED WATER INTO THE AIR INTAKE AND IMMEDIATELY HYDROSTATICALLY LOCKED THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY DESTROYED AND THE CAR WAS TOTALLED. I FEEL THIS WAS A RESULT OF POOR ENGINEERING ON THESE VEHICLES AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW MANY OTHER DODGE AVENGERS SUFFERED THIS DEMISE BECAUSE OF POOR DESIGN.