Complaint 676802

Complaint Summary

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Owner Narrative

I USED MY DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB TO PULL MY 5,000 LB TRAVEL TRAILER ON VACATION AT THE TIME. THE TRUCK WAS VERY UNSTABLE AND UNSAFE WHILE PULLING THE TRAILER TO AND FROM PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE. THE ENGINE IS A 4.7 V8 RATED AT 230 HP AND 290 LB FT. TORQUE. I PURCHASED THE TOWING OPTION PACKAGE WITH THE TRUCK. IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE RATED FOR 7,000 LBS. DAIMLER CHRYSLER FALSIFIED THE TOWING ABILITY OF THIS ENGINE / TRANSMISSION SET UP BY OVERSTATING ITS TOWING CAPABILITY. I BASE MY ACCUSATION ON THE FACT THAT CHRYSLER RETOOLED THIS 4.7 V8 ENGINE FOR 2008. IT IS NOW RATED AT 302 HP AND 329 LB FT. TORQUE YET STILL ITS MAXIMUM TOWING CAPABILITY IS STILL RATED AT 7,000. COMMON SENSE WOULD DICTATE THAT IMPROVED ENGINE SHOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO TOW MORE WEIGHT SINCE IT NOW HAS MORE HORSEPOWER AND MORE TORQUE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE TRUCKS ON THE HIGHWAY THAT MAY BE TOWING AN UNSAFE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT SINCE CHRSYLER OVERSTATED THE TOWING ABILITY OF THE 2005 TRUCKS WITH THE 4.7 V8. I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR REPAIRS AND THEIR ONLY SOLUTION IS TO TOW LESS WEIGHT. I BELIEVE THEIR OVERSTATEMENT OF THE TOWING ABILITY OF THE VEHICLE WARRANTS A GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION FOR SAFETY REASONS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE TRUCK HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY YARD FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. *TR

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.