Chrysler Repair: 2005 grand caravan 3.3 v6-head gasket, combustion chambers, 2005 grand caravan

Question
Hi i have a 2005 grand caravan with a 3.3\L v6- with about 68,000km. the MIL light is on with white smoke coming out exhaust- from what i've read probably head gasket- but it was just changed. Could this be a cracked or warped head?The mechanic was going to check for warpage(it was misfiring and there was gas in cyl#1) but as soon as he saw the damaged gasket he assumed that was the problem and repaired. We were told it was still a little rough but would get better with driving- light came back on after a few hrs. We discovered this vehicle has a very long history of engine repairs. last yr short engine block and since many hrs of diagnostic and sensors, spark plugs, fuel filters, the fuel pump, manifolds.(i discovered all this AFTER i bought it) It has been to 4 Dodge dealerships-i have been told by some it is "not fixable" This does not make sense to me- most of the parts are new- besides what you think about the head- in your opinion have you ever heard of something that cannot be repaired?

Answer
Hi Lynn,
I agree that most things can be repaired, within limits, of course. I would push on the mechanic who did the repair, and assuming this is a person with a business license and is subject to some sort of oversight by a government agency/state law/small claims court redress...he should stand behind the job that was done. If the head was warped or cracked and he didn't catch that it is his responsibility to re-do the job at no cost other than any other old parts found now to be defective/shop rebuilding of a bad part that wasn't done the first time he repaired the head gasket. Perhaps it was just a faulty gasket replacement, but in any case you have a right to not have coolant in the combustion chambers.  It appears that there is a leak from the cooling system into the combustion chamber(s) of at least one cylinder, thus the excessive white smoke. Presumably the block is OK if it was replaced last year and no extreme overheating occurred since then. So demand that the mechanic stand behind the work and not charge you for any more shop time/parts other than as I listed above. It should be repairable with proper attention to detail.
Roland