2000 Chrysler Cirrus Engine Problems

ON MAY 31, 2017, I DROVE MY 2000 CHRYSLER CIRRUS CAR APPROX 2 MILES TO A STORE AND PARKED IN THE STORE LOT AND THEN AS I WENT TO SHUT MY CAR OFF, I SAW ALOT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY CAR HOOD SO I SHUT CAR OFF AND GOT OUT OF MY CAR AND THEN LIFTED MY HOOD AND SAW THAT MY ENGINE WAS IN ENGULFED IN FLAMES SO I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE HOOD AND STARTED TO RUN AWAY FROM MY CAR. BY THEN SOMEONE WHO SAW ALL THE SMOKE HAD CALLED POLICE TO THE SCENE AND FIRE TRUCKS CAME SOON AFTER THE POLICE ARRIVED AND FIREMAN PUT THE FIRE OUT. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DOM BALDUCCI'S CAR CARE AND WAS LEFT THERE FOR AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER TO COME AND INSPECT THE CAR WHICH HE DID AND AFTER THE INSPECTION HE CLAIMED MY CAR THE 2000 CHRYSLER CIRRUS AS A TOTAL LOSS.

NHTSA ID

11001479

Incident

May 31, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi

CAR WILL CUT OFF WHILE CAR IS EITHER DECELERATING OR STATIONARY. OIL LIGHT WILL COME ON. PERIODICALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL APPEAR TOO BUT MECHANIC CHECKED DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER CODES NOTHING IS WRONG. VERY SCARY EXPERIENCES WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY AND SEVERAL CITY STREETS. NO PREWARNING LIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

10789447

Incident

Nov 9, 2009

Mileage

184,900 mi

2000 CIRRUS 2.5L ENGINE RANDOMLY STALLS AND FROST / FREEZE PLUGS RUST THROUGH. STALLING: ENGINE STOPS RUNNING WHILE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN AT ANY SPEED, WHICH LEAVES THE OPERATOR WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. NO TROUBLE CODES ARE DISPLAYED OR PENDING. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, ROUGHLY 20 MINUTES, THE ENGINE WILL START AND RUN FINE FOR SEVERAL DAYS OR WEEKS. WHEN STALLED, IF YOU ACTIVATE THE ALARM SYSTEM AND LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS IT SEEMS TO CLEAR THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM AND ALLOW THE FUEL PUMP TO RUN, WHICH ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO START. HAVEN'T CRASHED YET, HOWEVER WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL HARROWING EXPERIENCES. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF CHRYSLER OWNERS WITH THIS SAME RANDOM STALLING ISSUE, TO WHICH THEY HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS REPLACING SENSORS....ETC ONLY TO FIND THAT THE CAR CONTINUES THIS RANDOM STALLING BEHAVIOR. BOTTOM LINE, THEY SELL THE CAR, WHICH MOVES THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE ON TO ANOTHER UNSUSPECTING OWNER. BOTTOM LINE THE ENGINE SHOULD NOT RANDOMLY STOP DURING OPERATION, AND IF IT DOES SHUTDOWN AS PROGRAMMED IN THE COMPUTER DUE TO A PENDING OR PERCEIVED MECHANICAL ISSUE, THE TROUBLE CODES SHOULD BE ACTIVATED. CHRYSLER KNOWS THIS IS AND ISSUE AND THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO IGNORE THIS LIFE THREATENING DEFECT, HOPING IT WILL GO AWAY WITH TIME. FROST OR FREEZE PLUGS ARE RUSTING OUT, NEVER IN MY 40 YEARS OF DRIVING HAVE I HAD A CAR THAT DID THIS. LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND AGAIN THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH CHRYSLER. SAVE 50 CENTS COST THE CUSTOMER OWNER THOUSANDS. I FIXED TWO PLUGS FRONT AND BACK ON ENGINE HOWEVER NOW THE PLUGS BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE ARE LEAKING DO TO RUST. YES I'VE CHANGED THE COOLANT AND THIS STARTED IN 2004 WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10339293

Incident

Apr 2, 2010

Mileage

81,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER CIRRUS. AFTER BEING PREVIOUSLY DRIVEN, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE FIVE MINUTES AFTER IT WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED UNDER RECALL BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS FINE AND DID NOT NEED REPAIRING. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE DEALER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 123,000.

NHTSA ID

10230741

Incident

May 23, 2008

Mileage

123,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER CIRRUS. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, RAISED THE HOOD, AND A FIRE IGNITED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND A REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. WHEN THE CONTACT ARRIVED TO PICK UP HIS VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE HAD PREMATURELY HEATED AND DEVELOPED A LEAK. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE. DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. CHRYSLER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE REPAIRS. WEEKS LATER, CHRYSLER REFUSED TO PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT. THE SAME DAY HE PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER, IT CAUGHT FIRE AGAIN AFTER BEING DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES. CHRYSLER ADVISED HIM TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND THAT THEY WOULD TOW IT AND TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION. IT HAS CURRENTLY BEEN SIX WEEKS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,980. BEFORE THE FIRE, THE CONSUMER HAD OTHER WORK PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE SUCH AS: A NEW WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT. UPDATED

NHTSA ID

10196422

Incident

Jul 12, 2007

Mileage

134,980 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10163485

Incident

May 30, 2006

Mileage

17,000 mi

CAR WASN'T USED FOR 3 WEEKS. USED CAR AND BEGAN TO SMOKE. NEXT DAY TOOK TO A REPAIR SHOP & SAID IT SMELLED LIKE OIL. NEXT DAY DROVE ABOUT 3 MILES, PARKED CAR, 15 MIN LATER FIRE DEPT IS PUTTING OUT ENGINE FIRE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10144467

Incident

Dec 4, 2005

Mileage

42,000 mi

CHRYSLER CIRRUS 2000 LX UNDER THE HOOD FIRE WHILE DRIVING. FIRE AND POLICE WERE CALLED. CAR WAS A WRITE-OFF. *JB

NHTSA ID

10141837

Incident

Oct 14, 2005

Mileage

47,900 mi

DT: CHRYSLER HAS REDESIGNED A PART FOR THE CAR, THE PART THAT WAS IN THE CAR THAT WASN'T REDESIGNED. THE PART FELL APART AND HAS NEVER BEEN REPLACED. THE PART CAUSED THE TIMING BELT TO SLIP, CAUSING VALVES TO BEND IN ENGINE . *AK

NHTSA ID

10120520

Incident

May 10, 2005

THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING . THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10074261