2002 Chrysler Concorde

I PURCHASED A 2002 USED CONCORDE WITH AROUND 40,000 MILES. FOUR MONTHS, TWO OIL CHANGES, AND 12,000 MILES LATER THE ENGINE SEIZED / TIMING CHAIN BROKE. MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN WERE UNINJURED. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS IS AT $5,692. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CONSUMER PROTECTION SERVICE CONTRACT PROVIDER ARE INSISTING THIS IS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE AND WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. AFTER LOOKING AT IT HE SAID IT WAS NOT DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON MY PART, ALTHOUGH I COULD HAVE CHANGED THE OIL MORE FREQUENTLY. HE SAID SLUDGE BUILD UP IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT CHANGE IT EVERY 3,000 MILES, I DID CHANGE IT WITHIN THE 7,500 MILES SUGGESTED IN MY OWNERS MANUAL. *NM

DT: 2002 CHRYSLER CONCORD LX. CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF AN ENGINE FAILURE. IT FIRST STARTED BY THE ENGINE KNOCKING AND LIGHT COLORED SMOKE FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE CAR WAS MAINTAINED WITH OIL CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES. TOOK T VEHICLE O DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THEN ENGINE SPECIALIST SAID VEHICL NEEDED A BRAND NEW ENGINE AT THE COST OF $5500.*AK I WAS TOLD BY THE ENGINE SPECIALIST THAT THERE IS DEFECT IN THE OIL PUMP AND IT WILL NOT MAINTAIN OIL PRESSURE AND THIS CAUSES OIL SLUDGE AND THIS IN TURN LOCKS THE ENGINE UP. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR 7 MONTHS I BOUGHT IT USED AND I STILL OWE $9000. ON THIS CAR NOW. I HAVE DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND AT LEAST 900 OTHER CASES OF THIS PROBLEM.

WE PURCHASED 2002 CHRYSLER CONCORDE LIMITED IN DECEMBER 2004. THE VEHICLE HAD 36,000 MILES AND RAN GREAT. THREE MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR COMES ON AND THE NEEDS SERVICE PERFORMED INDICATOR. WE TAKE THE CAR TO THE MECHNAIC ASK THEM TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS CONCLUDED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO CODE NUMBER P0740 (TCC SOLENOID CIRCUIT FAULT ON THE TRANSMISSION, ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOLANID OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE MECHANIC ADVISED US TO CONTACT CHRYSLER REGARDING THE POWER TRAIN THAT HE THOUGHT WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR 5 YEARS/50,000 MILES OR 7 YEARS/70,000 MILES. WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WHO FIRST SAID THE PWER TRAIN WAS UNDER WARRANTY OF 5 YEARS/50,000 MILES. THE DAY PRIOR TO HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TO REMIND THAT CAR WAS BEING TOWED THE NEXT MORNING THE MECHANIC ON DUTY LOOKED UP POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AND DETERMINED THAT THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY WAS 3 YEARS/36,000 MILES. WE HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO AAMOCO TRANSMISIONS AND COUNTY TRANSMISSION WHO BOTH CONCLUDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED AND THE COST IS OVER $2,000. I AM OUTRAGED. I AM LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY PROVIDES THE DETAILS OF THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. I ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHY THE WARRANTY ON THE POWERTRAIN FOR 2003 MODELS WERE INCREASED TO 5 YEARS/50,00 MILES.

1. CAR OPERATED NORMALLY. AGE 2 YRS., 5 MONTHS; 21,460 MILEES. STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, THEN PROCEEDED FORWARD. 2. 50 TO 75 FT. BEYOND STOP, LEFT FRONT WHEEL HUB & BEARING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. LEFT FRONT WHEEL TURNED IN, PERHAPS 40-60DEGREES FROM STRAIGHT TRACK. RIGHT FRONT WHEEL UNAFFECTED; REMAINED ON STRAIGHT TRACK. LEFT FRONT WHEEL DIDN'T RESPOND TO STEERING AFTER FAILURE. CAR CAME TO A STOP. 3. CAR TOWED TO DEALER. NEW ASSEMBLY WAS IN STOCK; REPAIRE MADE WITHIN ONE HOUR. OLD PART RETURNED TO MFR. AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. COMMENT: HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *AK