SELLERSBURG, Ind. (WDRB) -- Nearly 20% of cars issued to Indiana State Police troopers are in the shop due to a mechanical issue, an issue it says is shortchanging Hoosier taxpayers.

ISP said in a news release Monday that it began replacing its fleet of Dodge Chargers with 2023 Dodge Durangos last year. The agency ordered a total of 516 Durangos at an approximate cost of $25.8 million, with 219 issued to troopers for patrol duties.

Since purchasing the vehicles, 39 Durangos have experienced the mechanical failure, and ISP is now expecting the mechanical failure to surface in an additional 40 Durangos — for a total of 79 anticipated failures. 

Oil is leaking into the coolant compartments in the cars, causing the engine to die. Sgt. Carey Huls said Tuesday it's a safety risk, and it's a concern every time he gets into his car.

"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."

A fully equipped ISP Dodge Durango costs approximately $50,000. During the month of May 2024, ISP had 15 Dodge Durangos experience this oil cooler failure, according to the release, with an average downtime for engine replacement/repair of four to eight weeks.

ISP is estimating that approximately $3.9 million of equipment may not be available for its intended use, according to the news release Monday. And the repairs have been taking four to eight weeks, creating a burden on operations and public service.

"It's not just aggravating," Huls said Tuesday. "It raises some eyebrows as to how we can respond to different instances."

Stellantis, Dodge's parent company, said it is covering the cost of repairs even if the warranty is expired.

"The Dodge Durango Pursuit meets or exceeds all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards and is subject to severe operating conditions to which the standard, retail version of the Durango is immune," the company said in a written statement Tuesday. "Further, certain oil-cooler issues are difficult to detect, which may lead to collateral damage and a highly complex remedy. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to the Indiana State Police and are working to expedite service for these vehicles. Since the model launched in 2018, it has been deployed with thousands of police agencies across North America, and overall feedback has been exemplary."

The retail version of the Durango is equipped differently, Stellantis said, so they won't see this issue.

The Sellersburg ISP post has about 11 2023 Dodge Durangos, including Huls. Two of them are currently out of commission. Every time he gets gas, Huls pops the hood to check for any issues.

"It's not just a matter of me jumping into a car," he said. "That computer, this camera, all this stuff I'm wearing communicates with the computer in this car. And if I go into another car, that stuff doesn't work."

And it's not just an issue with ISP. The Clarksville Police Department said it has experienced significant mechanical issues, so much so that the chief said he's switching his fleet over to Chevy Tahoes.

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