2006 SPRINTER 3500 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHILE DRIVING SAW SMOKE FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ROOF AND PILLAR, THEN SAW FLAMES, EXTINGUISHED FLAMES, REPAIRER ADVISED THAT SHORT IN FUSE BLOCK STARTED THE FIRE, REPAIRS WERE $13000+ AND AFFECTED REAR LIGHTS AND SEAT BELTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING SAW SMOKE FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ROOF AND PILLAR, THEN SAW FLAMES, EXTINGUISHED FLAMES, REPAIRER ADVISED THAT SHORT IN FUSE BLOCK STARTED THE FIRE, REPAIRS WERE $13000+ AND AFFECTED REAR LIGHTS AND SEAT BELTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING SAW SMOKE FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ROOF AND PILLAR, THEN SAW FLAMES, EXTINGUISHED FLAMES, REPAIRER ADVISED THAT SHORT IN FUSE BLOCK STARTED THE FIRE, REPAIRS WERE $13000+ AND AFFECTED REAR LIGHTS AND SEAT BELTS. *TR

WE PURCHASED A 2006 DODGE SPRINTER 3500 AS A 2006 WINNEBAGO VIEW CLASS C MOTORHOME WITH 5010 MILES ON NOVEMBER 2006. WE WERE TRAVELING APRIL 2007 WHILE CROSSING THE JACKSONVILLE BRIDGE ON A1A, FL.. THE MOTORHOME WOULD NOT ADVANCED. IT LOST THE POWER. WE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE AT 20MPH. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW WE MADE IT. WE HAD TO INTERRUPT THE TRIP AND GO TO A DODGE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE RESONATOR WAS THE PROBLEM A FEW DAYS AGO JAN. 2010 ON THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS SCENIC HWY 348, BLAIRSVILLE, GA; WHEN WE GOT TO THE HIGHEST PEAK THE MOTORHOME WOULD NOT GO AT ALL. WE HAD TO BACK UP SLOWLY AT LEAST HALF A MILE TO FIND A SPOT OR SHOULDER TO TURN AROUND AND GO DOWNHILL. CAN YOU IMAGINE DRIVING BACKWARDS ON A NARROW TWO LANE ROAD ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROTECTION. THIS VEHICLE IS A HAZARD TO US AND OTHER MOTORISTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION . A RECALL IS NEEDED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

SUBJECT: TURBO RESONATOR FAILURE I TOOK DELIVERY OF A DODGE SPRINTER MODEL 3500 CHASSIS WHEN I PURCHASED A WINNEBAGO VIEW IN MARCH OF 2007. CURRENT MILEAGE: 15,422 I HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ON 8/17/09, I HAD THE RESONATOR, PART NUMBER 14070001, AND THE ASSOCIATED AIR HOSE, PART NUMBER 14089002, REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY FARRISH DODGE IN FAIRFAX, VA. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS IN 2007, THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY DOMINION DODGE IN ROANOKE, VA. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS IN 2008, THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY FREIGHTLINER OF HAGERSTOWN IN HAGERSTOWN, MD. IN EACH CASE, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWED AND BEGAN TO HAVE NO POWER. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE FAILURE OF THE RESONATOR IS DETECTED, THE ENGINE IS PUT INTO THE 'SAFE' MODE AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN AT LOW SPEED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT FARRISH DODGE, HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY DODGE. HE DID SAY THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON AND WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE IS AWARE THAT THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET ALL METAL RESONATOR AVAILABLE BUT COULD NOT BE SURE WHETHER THE INSTALLATION OF THIS WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN DODGE INTENDS TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. MY WARRANTY WILL CONTINUE TO COVER THIS REPAIR FOR TWO MORE YEARS, BUT AT THIS POINT, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT CONTINUE TO RE-OCCUR FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE ESSENTIALLY COMES TO A NEAR STOP WITHOUT WARNING. IN ONE CASE I WAS ALMOST HIT IN THE REAR END BY A LARGE TRUCK. I HAVE APPROACHED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NO USEFUL HELP. *TR