This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
While driving the transmission failed and the vehicle was unable to shift gears. Transmission was replaced twice, however the problem recurred. The horn airbag and cruise control have been replaced. The vehicle had brake problems. The dealer determined that the front brakes were at 45% but the rear brakes were at 70%. the dealer cleaned and adjusted the brakes. The A/C failed, the dealer replaced the fan module. The power door locks failed. The cd player doesn't work. The low beam head lights do not provide enough light therefore the consumer has to leave the high beams on to see. This problem has been checked three times but the dealer said they seem correct. The passenger seat broke. The starter failed and as a result the vehicle would not start. The steering pump failed and as a result the steering wheel became tight when making turns. The rear heater lines were leaking. The water pump leaked.
While traveling over a puddle of water consumer lost power steering, dealer has been notified. The loss of steering occured twice and the dealer indicated the steering problem was due to the A/C belt failure and failure to install special bracket by the manufacturer.
At 20K and 40K miles I experienced a loss of steering when cornering on wet pavement. The steering would seize while in the turn so I was not allowed to straighten the wheels. Fortunately I was not in a high traffic area when this occured and I was able to avoid a collision. On both instances I immediately went to my Chrysler dealer. They initially replaced the tensioner which did not correct the problem. When they replaced the power steering belt it corrected the problem for 20K miles. At 40K miles they once again replaced the tensioner thinking it would cure the problem but they needed to replace the belt again as well. Now I expect to have this problem every 20K miles as it seems to be a design problem. The power steering unit is located beside the right front wheel and appears to be prone to water problems. When I asked Chrysler who was going to pay for these repairs every 20K miles for the life of the vehicle they told me to take it to my dealer and he would take into consideration mileage and warranty to make that decision. They implied that I am the only person that has had this problem. I feel it is a design problem. If this is the case then I certainly shouldn't be the only person experiencing difficulties.
Parts began to fly from the engine compartment while being driven and there was a loss of power steering in the vehicle, along with loud noises from the parts coming loose. Mechanic said the power steering tensioner belt needed to be replaced.
Belt tensioner on steering went out. Second (2nd) time it happened. Driving 35mph at time. Had no control. Stopped vehicle. Had it towed to dealer 1st time & 2nd time went out. It recovered itself & then went out again.
The design of the power steering system malfunctioned when water got into the power steering belts, causing loss of steering control; and may result in accident. Once the belt dries, the power steering is functional. Dealer cannot determine problem.
When driving through a puddle of water, the vehicle will lose power steering for about a minute or two, then the power is restored. Service manager is aware of this problem with the power steering belts.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Waconia, MN, USA