I bought a used Crossfire (2005 with 18K miles) from a Chrysler dealership this past spring. I always heard used cars were money pits and that is coming true for me. Before buying it I had it checked out by TWO mechanics shops - both gave a clean as a whistle bill of health.

When I brought the car into a dealership for its first "B" Service, I also requested a front end alignment. I was going on a driving trip soon and the car was pulling. After agreeing to do the B and an alignment, they called to say they couldn't do an alignment on 19 inch wheels and I'd have to go to NTB or somewhere whose machine could accommodate larger wheels. That was the kiss of death because I didn't get to bring the car elsewhere before that trip. On the way back home, I started getting shimmying or hopping in my steering at highway speeds. I then brought the car into a chain tire store that could handle 19" wheels. My toe alignment was negative 29 (was supposed to be negative 15 to positive 15). They did an alignment and balanced all 4 tires. As soon as I got on the highway the shimmying and movement in the steering was WORSE. I brought it back and demanded correction. They re-balanced; said the front tires were cupped (showed me); said they'd "missed" that the first time; said replacing them would correct the problems with the steering. I replaced the tires (very expensive!) and the shimmying/hopping in the steering diminished but didn't go away!!! I brought the car to another location of the tire chain. Told them about the shimmying once I hit 65 mph; they rebalanced the tires and drove it around the neighborhood (what good did that do when I said the problem was at highway speeds?). I made a fourth trip back and spoke to the manager who took it out on the highway himself. He concurred with what I had observed at highway speeds; he said the shimmying/vibration started at about 65 mph and got smooth again at about 90 mph. He put the front wheels and tires on a "force variation" machine. I watched in the shop as he put them on a machine that simulated 65 mph with spin. This showed me the tire "hopping" at that speed. He said the right front rim is bent badly and needs replacing (it did look that way to me). He said the left front rim is bent slightly and I can probably get away with not replacing. He said he's 99% sure if I replace the right front rim it will solve my problem. (But that's what the prior guy at the other store in the same chain said about replacing the tires). I have lots of questions. Does this sound believable? How do I know they're right this time? I've been driving 6 weeks on my new tires; if the rim is bent have I already ruined my new tires? I did hit a bad pothole on the highway awhile back (before all this started). Are the rims that fragile - hit one bad pothole and you need new ones??? I read about a class action lawsuit against Chrysler on 2000 - 2002 vehicles specifically with respect to deformed/unduly fragile rims that were ruined with just regular wear. I noticed rims are explicitly listed as not included under the warranty - will the corporation cut you any break on the basis of this past lawsuit? What is a fair price to replace a factory issued rim? These guys quoted me $407 for the part and they'll throw in the labor for all my trouble to date; re-balancing and re-alignment are already covered. How do I know if my wheels are chrome or silver? Lastly, since I got the new tires my low pressure light has been on despite correct pressure. At the second location of this chain they said the sensor is not reading from the left rear tire. Could the guys at the first place have "broken" my sensor or sensor xem? On top of that they said sensors should be covered under the warranty but that the dealer would likely deny warranty service on the basis of the tires having been replaced by other than a dealer. That ticks me off as it is a dealer that sent me looking elsewhere because they couldn't handle 19 inch wheels. I also don't like that dealer charged me $160 for a B Service (I call it a glorified oil change; supposed to be an oil change and checking things over yet they missed the cupped tires)!? Then it took this chain store 4 times to notice the bent rims. It's hard to find good help. I can't bear the thought of throwing good money after bad. I would sincerely appreciate any pointers as to your experiences, gut feelings, opinions about what's going on mechanically, what price is reasonable, what recourse if any I have with the dealership/warranty, and how I can protect myself at this juncture. I loved my car but this saga has taken all the joy out of it.