2008 Dodge Avenger

AFTER RESEARCH, THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED AS EARLY AS JULY OF 2008. THEN VERY AGGRESSIVELY WITHIN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. WENT TO LEAVE A PARK WITH MY 2 DAUGHTERS FRIDAY AND COULD NOT BACK OUT OF PARKING SPOT DUE TO SHIFTER LOCKING UP. SEARCHED MANUAL FOR ANSWER AND TRIED THE OVER-RIDE SWITCH TO NO AVAIL. TOW DRIVER TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM JUST DAYS BEFORE WITH A DODGE. INFORMED ME OF THE COLOR AND PURPOSE OF THE CULPRIT AND AFTER RESEARCH? LO AND BEHOLD, COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT FILED FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS (NEXT MONTH) ABOUT THE LITTLE PLASTIC PINK PIECE THAT RENDERS SHIFTER USELESS. THIS SITE PROCLAIMS TO "ADMINISTER SAFETY RECALLS TO SUPPORT THE NHTSA'S MISSION TO IMPROVE SAFETY ON OUR NATION'S ROADWAYS, YOUR COMPLAINT IS IMPORTANT TO US AND IF WARRANTED, THE (ODI) WILL OPEN AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF A SAFETY DEFECT TREND EXISTS." WELL HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE LEFT STRANDED, MISS A DAYS PAY, FAIL TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN AND/OR BORROW MONEY FOR THIS REPAIR (AS I HAVE HAD TO DO), OR FLAT OUT BE LEFT WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION. BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO MEANS FOR REPAIRS THAT ARE DUE TO A FACTORY FLAW THAT EVERYONE (DEALERSHIPS AND O.D.I.) REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE? LETS SEE ONE OF YOU HEAD OUT TO WORK, JUMP IN THE CAR TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD AND OR PACK THE TRUNK FOR VACATION. ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT YOU CAN'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK DUE TO DODGE'S ARROGANCE. THINK YOU SEE A DEFECT TREND THEN? RECALL WARRANTED? TWO YEARS FOLKS! AND COMPLAINTS BEING FILED MORE CONSECUTIVELY BY THE DAY. AS FOR THE LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY? TALK ABOUT FALSE ADVERTISING AND MISLEADING A CONSUMER. BUY AMERICAN? THINK I'LL GO WITH TOYOTA NEXT ROUND THANK YOU. AT LEAST THEY WILL FIX THEIR DEFECT TRENDS. THOUGH IT APPEARS THAT THEY WERE PUSHED TO DO SO OUT OF PREJUDICE. DODGE CAN GET BY WITH THE VERY SAME ACT OF IGNORANCE. SINCE THE TOW MAN COULDN'T GET MY CAR IN GEAR, WHEN HE LIFTED IT FOR HOOK UP. THE FRONT BUMPER DRAGGED THE PARKING CURB AND SCARRED IT MAJOR. *TR

MY WIFE, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND I ALL DROVE MY CAR ON FRIDAY WITH NO ISSUES. THE NEXT TIME I TRIED TO DRIVE MY CAR ON SATURDAY, I COULD NOT SHIFT MY CAR OUT OF PARK. MY CAR IS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES, MAKING SURE THE STEERING WHEEL WASN'T LOCKED, THE BRAKES WERE PRESSED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MOVE OUT OF PARK, CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CHECKED ANYTHING ELSE WE THOUGHT MIGHT CAUSE THE ISSUE. AFTER ALL THAT FAILED, I RESEARCHED A LITTLE ONLINE AND FOUND A FORUM ON CUSTOMERCOMPLAINT.COM WHERE SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE TYPE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A VERY SMALL, PINK PLASTIC HOOK IN THE SHIFTING ASSEMBLY THAT ALLOWS THE SHIFTER TO MOVE OUT OF PARK. NOT SURPRISINGLY CONSIDERING HOW SMALL IT IS, THIS HOOK BREAKS, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM SHIFTING. ON THE FORUM, MULTIPLE PEOPLE COMPLAINED THAT THE DEALERSHIPS WERE TELLING THEM THIS WASN'T COVERED ON WARRANTY. MY WARRANTY WAS UP, SO I USED A SUGGESTION FROM THE FORUM TO USE A COMPRESSION SPRING TO HOLD THE PINK ASSEMBLY IN PLACE ONCE THE HOOK BREAKS. NOT AN IDEAL FIX, BUT IT WORKS AND ONLY COST ME A COUPLE OF DOLLARS FOR THE SPRING INSTEAD OF THE 100-300 DOLLARS INVOLVED IN TOWING AND HAVING THE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT THAT OTHERS ON THAT FORUM WENT THROUGH. *TR

WE WERE ON OUR FIRST DAY OF VACATION. WE ORDERED SOME TAKE OUT AND WERE GOING TO PICK IT UP. WE PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT TO GRAB OUR DEBIT CARD OUT OF OUR CONSOLE. WE PUT IT IN PARK AND THEN TRIED TO CONTINUE ON OUR WAY WHEN IT WOULDN'T COME OUT OF PARK. THE CAR NO WARNINGS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO CALL OUR SISTER AND BROTH IN LAW TO HELP US. OUR TWO YEAR OLD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. WE HAD TO TAKE HER OUT AND PUT THE CAR SEAT IN OUR SISTERS CAR. THEN WE HAD TO CALL AND CANCEL OUR TAKE OUT. WE EVENTUALLY PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE MANUALLY TEARING APART THE CONSOLE AND DRIVING IT TO DODGE. THIS WAS THE WORST START OF ANT VACATION WE HAVE EVER BEEN ON. WITH ALL THESE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE GEAR SHIFT LOCKING UP AND THERE IS NO RECALL YET. SERIOUSLY, THIS IS HARD TO BELIEVE. NOW I JUST BLEW 300$ OF OUR VACATION MONEY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD INDEPENDENTLY ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY. THE DEALER TOPPED OFF THE BRAKE FLUIDS, YET THERE WERE NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND TOPPED OFF THE BRAKE FLUIDS YET AGAIN. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME. THE DEALER ADVISED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO AN INTERNAL FAILURE WITH THE SWITCH BRAKE FLUID LEVEL. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO CHECK AND SET THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL AND INSTALLED A NEW RESERVOIR. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOUR ADDITIONAL TIMES WHERE THE BRAKES WERE CHECK, BRAKE FLUID WAS REFILLED AND A FOUR WHEEL BRAKE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED, ALL OF WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,490 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16, 563. UPDATED 09/24/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/24/10

I HAVE A 2008 DODGE AVENGER THAT I COULD NOT GET OUT OF PARK. A MECHANIC FRIEND REMOVED THE GEAR SHIFT COVER AND NOTICES A PINK PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT APPEARED TO BE BROKEN FROM SOMEWHERE INSIDE THE GEARSHIFT. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION THIS PINK PIECE OF PLASTIC IS WHAT IS NEEDED TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF PARK. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RECALL ITEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WOULD INTERMITTENTLY BECOME STUCK IN PARK AND OFTEN, WOULD SHIFT INTO PARK WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN SAFETY MECHANISM ON THE VEHICLE THAT PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM SHIFTING, WHICH WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING UNKNOWN REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 31,000.