My mom has a 2006 Chrysler 300 C with Hemi. My dad took it to a Chrysler dealership in Sarasota to have the oil changed, maintenance check etc. before they drive the car north for the summer.the mileage on car is just over 31,000 miles. Service bill was just over $200.00. Two days later mom was doing a few errands close to home when she saw one of gauges on instrument panel rise, she entered a parking lot and the car died. A tow truck took vehicle back to dealership. Service dept looked at on Mon. when they reopened and told my parents to contact their insurance company because, so they say, "something came up off the road and put a pinhole in the radiator and now the engine is melted. Plus it is not a warranty issue." Something doesn't add up. My parents are in there 70's and aren't speeders or reckless drivers. Mom states she did not run over anything and car did not make a noise as if something hit it. The car was in the driveway most of the time because I was visiting and we used my vehicle to go out in. We never saw any fluids under the car nor did smoke pour out from under the hood. My dad went to the dealership and said tech showed him where engine melted, but did not show him the radiator. Meantime they rented a car and are waiting for adjuster to look at car. they aren't leaving FL. as planned. Am I overreacting? I think dealership is covering up tech's error. I would appreciate your advice. I just don't want my parents to be taken advantage of. Thanks, Leslie

Hi Leslie, No I don't think you are overreacting. I would call your parents insurance agent and tell them that you are concerned that your parents are being taken advantage of. Tell them what happened and make sure the adjuster looks the vehicle over to see if something did indeed puncture the radiator. The insurance company should be advocating for your folks because they will have to pay out money to them if there was an accident. Good Luck, Amy Mattinat

Leslie, If the dealership offers "loaner" vehicles they should have offered to your parents. Pinholes in radiators can leak and cause the engine to over heat, but the whole deal sounds odd and fishy in my opinion. I would ask an unrelated individual to take a look at the car and offer a second opinion and assess what may have really happened. AJ Pierce

Leslie, First, I would have to know if the services that had been performed prior had anything to do with the coolant system. Without knowing this, here is what I can suggest - you can always have a second opinion from another qualified technician that can look at the vehicle. Going along with the pinhole in the radiator theory, you may not have noticed fluid because it could have happened after she pulled out of the driveway. However, normally, if there is a slow leak in the coolant system, a warning lamp for low coolant will come on first, then the engine temperature gauge will rise into the red. Especially on newer vehicles, the engine usually senses that it is overheating and turns itself off before major damage can be done. Although, things don't always work the way they should. Without knowing what was done to the vehicle prior and without being able to examine the vehicle in person, these are just some things to consider. Like I stated, if you really feel something is not right, get a second opinion from a trustworthy technician. Suzanne