State police in Indiana say taxpayers are being "shortchanged" by a widespread defect that has sidelined dozens of new Dodge Durango patrol vehicles.
Of 219 Durangos put into service since May 2023, 39 have had a defective oil cooler, Indiana State Police said in a
June 12 statement. The agency has ordered a total of 519 Durangos to replace the Dodge Chargers it has used since 2010, and if the nearly 20 percent failure rate continues, it expects some $3.9 million worth of the SUVs to be affected. Fifteen Durangos failed in May alone, and each warranty repair takes an average of four to eight weeks, it said.
The statement said police Superintendent Doug Carter spoke to Dodge parent
Stellantis about the problem but "was not given a timeline to resolve the matter."
"ISP has used Dodge as our primary police vehicle provider for the last decade and a half, it is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this precarious position," Carter said. "We're having to sideline brand new vehicles, losing out on their value and functionality. … The citizens and taxpayers of Indiana are being shortchanged and deserve better."
Sgt. Carey Huls told TV station WDRB in Louisville, Ky., that the problem involves oil leaking into the coolant compartments, which then shuts down the Durango's V-8 engine.
"Basically, you start noticing an odor that doesn't seem right," Huls said. "You see some smoke coming out of the tailpipe, and then, eventually, the car just stops running and it will ruin the engine