DaimlerChrysler, Dodge ripoff, oil use, warranty worthless Auburn Hills Michigan

Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to read this. Please allow me to apologize in advance for the imposition. This Email is going out to all those in my address archive from the past few years. Those of you who know me know that I am not one to generally send out mass or group mailings. However, in the spirit of public service and consumer protection, I feel I must relate a real, ongoing, and somewhat nightmarish experience regarding the purchase of a new vehicle from DaimlerChrysler Corporation. This experience is outlined in the following letter mailed to the Dodge Customer Assistance Center on April 19, 2005.

Dodge Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 21-8004
Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004 April 18, 2005

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is with great disappointment and frustration that I write this letter. In late 2003 I purchased a new Dodge Dakota with 14 miles showing on the odometer from Empire Dodge in Wilkesboro, North Carolina (a 4 hour drive) because that dealer had the vehicle of my choice in stock. I chose a DaimlerChrysler product because of the outstanding reliability I have experienced with my 1999 Jeep Wrangler.

Shortly after the first recommended oil change I noticed that the oil level was very low and decided to change the oil again and closely monitor said oil level. Over the next 3,000 miles I noticed that the oil level continued to drop indicating a 1-2 quart usage over the oil change interval period. Realizing there was a problem I scheduled an appointment with the service department at Asheville (NC) Dodge which is the most convenient dealer in relation to where I live despite a 1.5-2 hour drive one way to their location.

Asheville Dodge informed me that they would perform an oil consumption test to validate my concern, which was indeed performed and which indicated there was an oil consumption problem. I was assured that since my new Dodge was under full warranty coverage that any needed repairs would be handled appropriately. Four visits later, Asheville Dodge still maintains through their latest oil consumption test that my new Dakota uses about 2 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles. When asked about repair they replied that Daimler-Chrysler maintains that this is within a normal range of usage and that no repairs could be authorized.

Does DaimlerChrysler really believe this to be true and expect their new vehicles to consume 2 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles? I certainly hope not. Every mechanic including those at Asheville Dodge that I have spoken with assures me that this type of oil consumption is NOT normal and there is a problem with the vehicle.

Obviously DaimlerChrysler does not take their warranty very seriously. Further evidence of this was obvious when the vehicle was returned for an emergency brake handle repair which I was told was a cosmetic defect and not covered under warranty. I'm sorry to hear that DaimlerChrysler considers an inoperable emergency brake to be a cosmetic problem.

I am a small business owner and farmer that made a purchase expecting to own a reliable truck for my business. Since my purchase I have incurred considerable personal expense in transportation, hotel rooms and in lost business revenues because of a truck that I make payments on that is not reliable enough to actually use.

My business is founded on solid customer service, as well as commitment to detail and quality. This business strategy was incorporated into my business plan in response to the poor or non-existent customer service we Americans have come to expect from companies like DaimlerChrysler. It appears that corporate America has become so beholding to the bottom-line and satisfying the needs of the Board of Directors, that the customer has to settle for what is left. I for one am tired of this consistent poor behavior and have decided to speak my mind on the issue.

When my customers have an issue with my product or service, they know they can come to me for resolution. When DaimlerChrysler has a complaint, they do their best to convince the customer that their complaint is invalid or just plain decides to do nothing hoping the customer will go away or lose the will to get proper compensation. I see now why the youth in our once proud nation have lost hope in a system that apparently has failed us all. Greed and deception appear to be the rule rather than the exception with large corporations these days.

I for one will take this no more. I do not expect to be stuck owing my hard earned money on a worthless piece of scrap metal spewed out of a Dodge assembly line. I do expect just and due compensation and will remain committed to doing whatever it takes to receive such.

This letter hereby serves as notice that I expect to be fully compensated for my time, trouble and expenses. You are given 10 days to respond favorably before further action is taken on my behalf.

Respectfully Submitted,

c.c. The Honorable Roy Cooper, North Carolina Attorney General

Any known potential DaimlerChrysler product owners

Since writing this letter I have received a reply from Dodge Customer Assistance informing me of their position on the matter. DaimlerChrysler believes that this amount of oil consumption (1 quart per 1,500 miles) is normal for their vehicles. I wish that I had known in advance that DaimlerChrysler expects that volume of oil consumption in their vehicles as I would have opted not to purchase one.

I for one along with the many mechanics (including those at Asheville Dodge) do not believe that this represents normal oil consumption. I believe this is the result of policy set by yet another large multinational conglomerate and some faceless Board of Directors. American consumers deserve better.

I believe that these large corporations like DaimlerChrysler are bankrupting both the US economy and the American spirit. I remember not long ago the American taxpayer bailing Chrysler Corporation out of bankruptcy. As a taxpaying citizen, I think the least they can do is to honor their warranty to their US customers.

Again, as a US taxpayer and small business owner, I would like to see the current administration spend less propping up these large corporations like DaimlerChrysler in the form of what amounts to corporate welfare and spend more on small business development here in our country. It is a sad state of affairs that the current administration has repeatedly cut funding for and/or eliminated programs to help our small businesses opting instead for programs to help in the global expansion of corporations like DaimlerChrysler.

Small business in this country is the backbone upon which this nation was founded and is still responsible for most of the job creation in this country. Yet we face a disproportionate amount of the bureaucratic burden in accounting to the IRS and other federal agencies. As a nation, if we continue down this road of pandering to the industrial-government complex we will indeed create a future as envisioned in Orwell's 1984.

I appreciate your taking the time to read this consumer alert/commentary and also appreciate your passing it along as you see fit. I will close in quoting a respected person of past acquaintance who told me that All we need for this country to fall is for enough good people to do nothing.

Thanks again for your time,

Robin

P.S. On a more positive note, I must add that the NC Attorney General's Office responded to my concern in less time than I thought it would actually take for them to receive the letter. I am currently in the process of supplying that office with information they have requested to proceed with their investigation.

Robin
Robbinsville, North Carolina
U.S.A.

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