Many car owners and enthusiasts are finding that late and popular Dodge/Chrysler models, such as the Durango, Dakota, Ram, Charger, Chrysler 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee & Jeep Liberty - are having premature and severe (V6 3.7, V8 4.7 and 5.7) engine troubles. And what can they do about it? Nothing. That’s because the original 3-year warranties have expired, and bewildered car owners feel that they have nowhere to go.

These normal drivers, who otherwise love their cars, are left with no other option but to replace the failing engine or purchase another vehicle altogether (both of which can be very cost prohibitive).

So why is this happening to these relatively new American vehicles?

There are two main problems with late model Dodge/Chrysler engines:

Firstly are the valve seats. In the manufacturer’s original design, the engine’s valve seats, which are pressed into the cylinder heads, are dropping and leading to catastrophic failures. Dodge’s valve seats are made of a powdered metal, and as the metal expands, the valve seats drop which leads to contact with the valve & pistons. When this occurs the seat breaks into many pieces leading to piston, cylinder wall, valve and cylinder head failure. This metal has also been known to fly back into the intake manifold, and if not cleaned out properly, can lead to a failure in both new (and replacement) engines.

Two; these engines invariably run at a higher than normal combustion-chamber temperature because of an engineering flaw in the piston ring landings. This, in conjunction with smaller than feasible drain back holes in the heads and block, create a “frying pan” effect by breaking down new oil faster and leaving sludge in the engine, which ultimately gets blocked. This leads to oil-starvation and absolute failure of the engine.

Unwilling to junk their car and simply walk away from an otherwise perfectly good vehicle, owners are discovering a more cost-effective way for replacing the broken drivetrain with rebuilt and upgraded replacements, effectively salvaging their initial investment and keeping it on the road for many more years (and miles).

Sympathetic with frustrated Dodge/Chrysler owners, Eddie Symonds, the CEO of the Maryland based company, Powertrain Products, says, “Engine problems are showing up in Dodge/Chrysler cars at about the 75,000 mile reading. Let’s face it, everybody expects the engine to run smoothly for at least 200,000 miles, which it doesn’t.  We consider this as a very early failure.”

With the tagline - “We Fix Dodge’s Mistakes”, Powertrain Products is an engine rebuilding company that completely rebuilds and upgrades Dodge/Chrysler engines for as low as $1,500 - which can be as much as 50% less than the cost a vehicle owner could expect to pay at the typical car dealer. That’s why the company focuses on rebuilding Dodge/Chrysler engines, along with other manufacturers’ faulty engines, like the Ford 5.4 (found in the F-series) and Mazda 2.3 engines (found in the 3s and 6s).

When rebuilding an engine, the company’s engineers fix every known factory fault, updating cylinder heads, using re-engineered pistons, rings, bearings and seals, which are installed as well. The engine is taken apart, checked for cracks, straightness, and all specs. It is bored, machined, reassembled and tested to deliver essentially a brand new engine. The warranty on the rebuilt engine is 4 years and 1 million miles - with parts and labor coverage standard. That’s a comfortable and reliable ride that every Dodge/Chrysler owner is desperately seeking.

“We are not another corporate-monster”, says Eddie. “We strive to help our customers to get back up and running as soon as possible”.