(Indianapolis, IN) - The Indiana State Police are dealing with some defective patrol vehicles.  According to ISP, 18% (about 1in 5) of their brand new fleet of Dodge Durangos have gone kaput. A defective oil cooler is ruining the engines.

 

Last year, State Police phased out the Dodge Charger, which had been in service since 2010, in favor of the Durango. 516 SUVs were ordered at the cost of $25.8 million. So far, 219 have been deployed to Hoosier roadways. But 39 of them have gone down, 15 in the month of May. If the trend holds, they expect nearly 80 vehicles to fail.

 

The remedy, a complete engine replacement, takes four to eight weeks, which means almost $4 million of equipment may be sidelined, putting a greater burden on the other vehicles and officers.

 

“ISP has used Dodge as our primary police vehicle provider for the last decade-and-a-half,” said Superintendent Doug Carter. “It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this precarious position. 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.”

 

Carter says Chrysler has not given him a timeline to resolve the matter.