NHTSA complaint: 2009 DODGE JOURNEY AWD — POWER TRAIN
BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009. ASSUMED THAT THE UNLIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY APPLIED TO THIS VEHICLE. NOTICED A FOUL, PUNGENT ODOR 2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO FOLLOWING INCIDENT. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, I MADE A SLOW LEFT HAND TURN WHEN I HEARD A LOUD METALLIC SOUND FROM UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I EXITED THE VEHICLE, LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND FOUND THICK, DARK FLUID POURING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS A SMALL FIRE. FIRE SELF EXTINGUISHED. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE SLOWLY HOME (APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE) AND PARK IT. 2 DAYS LATER, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED A FAILED TRANSFER CASE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REMOVED FROM MY DRIVEWAY, I FOUND A PIECE OF METAL APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR WHERE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN. DODGE IS NOW DENYING RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS INSTANCE EVERY THOUGH THERE APPEARS TO BE (AND MY MECHANIC VERIFIED) A PARTS/MANUFACTURING ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. PREPARING LEGAL ACTION AT THIS TIME. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation