1999 Dodge Avenger EX review from North America

My engine blew at 40,000 miles. Yes, the assumption is that the Serpentine belt broke and (somehow) a very small piece of it got under the engine cover, wrapped around the drive shaft pulley causing the timing belt to slip, then breaking the valves and pushing them into the pistons. I have an extended warranty on my car (the manufacturers is 3 years, 36,000) which you can see JUST passed as I bought my car in July, 1999, and this happened in November, 2002. The extended warranty I purchased refuses to pay because they say that it was the belt that caused the engine to break, and belts are not covered under warranty.

I have gone back to the Dodge dealer, where I purchased my car, and they said that even though my engine looks "Clean"

that I must show all the receipts of the oil changes performed on my car. Well the unfortunate thing is that I have moved across the US 4 times in the past 1 1/2 years, so unfortunately, I threw all of them away (I know, stupid me!)

So here I am, with a $22,000 car, that I only got 40,000 miles out of, and to fix it with a new engine is going to cost me around $8000.00!!!

Please, don't buy Dodge vehicles, my understanding is that these belts break all the time. The Avengers I believe have a defective part because there is no way anything should get under that engine cover.

Customer Service at Dodge\Chrysler has been fair, at best, and have no intention of resolving this problem.

They have not only lost a customer in me, but everyone I know.

It's a very sharp looking car, but not worth the money.