1997 Dodge Avenger

I OWN A 1997 DODGE AVENGER I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW IT HAS THE 2.0 DOHC 4 CYL ENGINE THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING ON IT AND I ALMOST RAN IT OUT OF OIL. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A DEFAULT HEAD GASKET FROM THE MANUFACTURE ON THIS TYPE OF ENGINE MY CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND HAS REAL LOW MILEAGE SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW MILES IS (71,000). *NM

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

RECURING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE VIBRATION AND FAST WEAR, ALSO WITH SUSPENSION REPAIR, WAS TWICE QUOTED FOR A FULL REPLACEMENT OF FRONT SUSPENSION. HAVE NOT DONE THIS YET. MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE ELECTICAL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. HAVE REPLACED WIRES AND PLUGS 2-3 TIME PER YEAR. REPLACED ENGINE COIL ONCE TO FIX PROBLEM WITH SPARK PLUGS ARCHING AND BURNING UP. PROBLEM WAS SOLVED TEMPORARILY. PROBLEM IS BACK 3 MONTHS LATER. CHUGGING AND SPUTTERING.

A LEAKING HEAD GASKET WAS CONFIRMED BY OUR LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP, AT WHICH TIME THEY VOLUNTEERED INFORMATION THAT "INFERIOR" HEADGASKET MATERIAL HAD BEEN USED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. I ASKED IF IT HAD BEEN RECALLED AND WAS ADVISED THAT IT HAD NOT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER RELIEF AVAILABLE, AS THE WARRANTY HAD LONG EXPIRED. I OBTAINED A QUOTE FOR REPAIRS FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND SEVERAL INDEPENDENT SHOPS. BECAUSE OF A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PRICE, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP. WHEN THE WORK WAS COMPLETED, I WAS INFORMED BY THE INDEPENDENT SHOP THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE, IN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, TO CAUSE THE HEADGASKET TO FAIL. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE REPLACEMENT GASKET, WHICH WAS PURCHASED FROM DODGE, WAS TOTALLY REDESIGNED. ON MY RETURN HOME, I CALLED THE DAIMLER CHRYSLER CONSUMER HOT LINE. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE QUICKLY OFFERED TO REIMBURSE THE COST OF THE HEAD GASKET MATERIALS, BUT WOULD NOT REIMBURSE LABOR COSTS, AS THE REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED AT ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS. IT WAS OF NO CONCERN TO THEIR HOT LINE REPRESENTATIVE THAT ONE OF THEIR OWN DEALERSHIPS HAD ADVISED THAT NO RECOURSE WAS AVAILABLE TO US.*JB

THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I HAVE LOW MILES ON MY CAR & THEIR SHOULD BE NO REASON WHY MY HEAD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE MY CAR SERVICED FOR OIL CHANGES ON A REGULAR BASIS. I READ PEOPLE'S COMPLAINTS & THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAD TO REPLACE THEIR HEAD GASKET IS RIDUCULOUS. THIS SHOULD DEFINANTELY BE A RE CALL. I CONTACTED CYRSLER BUT IT SEEMS THEY CANNOT BE BOTHERED. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE DODGE NEONS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY CRYSLER DOES NOT LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER. THEIR ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS.*AK

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.

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, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. ONCE AGAIN, I FEEL UNABLE TO GET THE DEALERSHIPS TO RESPOND TO MY INQUIRIES. HELPLESS, IF YOU MAY....THE BELT CONTINUES TO LOCK, AND I'M AFRAID IN THE FUTURE IT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IF I HAVE TO COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU CAN HELP ME. I AM CURRENTLY WRITING TO CHRYSLER'S CUSTOMER CENTER WITH MY COMPLAINT.