Chrysler 2000 Dodge Neon

In 2001 I bought a new car in a military base in Puerto Rico from the =

dealer in that base. In July of this year (2007), the police stopped my =

son and they found that the hood of my car does not have a VIN number. =

My son called me and I immediately went with my papers to the scene to =

show that the car was not stolen, that it is mine. The car was taken to =

a precinct and although I had the bill of sale and the title, the =

officer said that if the car was not stolen then the hood was since it =

did not have the VIN or it had been painted over. We explained that the =

dealer had painted the front bumper because it had had a scratch when we =

bought it, and that the top(outside) of the hood had been painted when =

the car washer had used too much pressure to clean it. The officer told =

us that we would have to buy a new hood, do the paperwork and pay the =

fees in order to be able to drive the car. We told him that we had =

bought the car at the military base and that we doubted that they would =

sell us a car that had stolen parts. The officer told my husband and I =

that this was not the first time that this has happened and that there =

have been various military personnel that have gone through the same =

thing.

In August my husband and I contacted Chrysler through the website to =

find out where the VIN would be on a 2000 Dodge Neon. The site does not =

mention the hood. To make sure, my husband called Chrysler in Detroit =

and was told the same thing. He requested that a letter be sent to us =

stating where the VIN would be in this particular model. He was told =

that we would have to contact the Puerto Rico office since that car was =

bought in Puerto Rico. We contacted the Puerto Rico office, asking the =

same question (where the VIN number would be on a 2000 Dodge Neon), he =

was told that the VIN could be found on the doors, on the trunk, by the =

shock absorbers, but the hood was not mentioned. He asked if he could =

get a letter stating just that. He was told that the officer could call =

their office and they would confirm this. My husband called the officer =

and the officer said that he would do no such thing. He told my husband =

that if the car gets stopped again we would probably lose it. (Right =

now the car is not being used.)

My husband called the Chrysler office once again and stated what the =

officer said and asked once again that a letter be sent. In the =

meantime we went to the dealership where I bought the car and told them =

what was transpiring. We showed them pictures of the car and we told =

them all that the officer said. They stated that the cars they sell =

come from the automobile factories themselves; if our car does not have =

the VIN on the hood it is a factory defect. As such, Chrysler is the one =

that should inspect the car and hood. However, they would send me a =

statement showing when I bought the car. I received the letter from =

their New York office a couple of days letter, and an email with the =

original invoice attached.

We went to the Chrysler office in Puerto Rico to speak but the customer =

service and left pictures and copies of the bill of sale and title with =

the receptionist. In the meantime, we went to several dealers to asking =

if Dodge Neons from 2000 bare a VIN on the hood. Each person we spoke =

to told us that it is not found there.

A couple of weeks later my husband called Chrysler P.R. once again and =

spoke to a representative. The car license was requested and I faxed it =

to the person.

Several weeks passed and we did not receive anything. My husband mailed =

a complaint to Chrysler in Detroit and told them that he was very upset =

with the way things were being done with our request.

Yesterday I received a call that the letter was ready, When I opened the =

envelope I found that it read contrary to what my husband and I had been =

told on numerous occasions. It showed that the VIN should be found on =

the hood. My husband told the person that that is not what he had been =

told. The person told him that the letter is correct, that the VIN =

should be found on the hood. We told the person that it did not have it =

and were told that the dealership must have sold us a car with a stolen =

hood and side panels. We said that it would be impossible since the car =

came directly from the factory.

We refuse to have to buy or pay for something that we bought new and is =

ours. All we are asking is that Chrysler prove to us where the VIN =

should or should not be on our car. The consumer buys in good faith, =

and this is what happens.

Are there others out there who have gone through similar experiences? =

What's our next step?