1996 Chrysler Lhs

ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2004, MR. ROBERT GALENTY OF ISELIN, NJ, PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS OF CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1993-1997 VEHICLES PRODUCED BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION.HIS PETITION IDENTIFIED THREE ISSUES OF CONCERN: 1) FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL INJECTOR RAILS; 2) BRAKE FLUID CONTAMINATION RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE; AND 3) SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE FRAME TO DAMAGE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING TOWED.MR. GALANTY ALLEGED THAT HIS 1996 DODGE INTREPID HAD EACH OF THESE THREE PROBLEMS.CONCERNING FUEL RAIL LEAKAGE, DAIMLERCHRYSLER COMMENCED A RECALL (98V-184) OF APPROXIMATELY 722,600 VEHICLES TO ADDRESS ENGINE FUEL RAIL LEAKS THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, INCLUDING THOSE VEHICLES CITED IN THE PETITION AND THE PETITIONER'S 1996 DODGE INTREPID.ON OCTOBER 7, 1998, NHTSA OPENED A RECALL QUERY INVESTIGATION (RQ98-018) TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE RECALL REMEDY.THAT INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED ON JULY 8, 2002 WITHOUT REQUIRING FURTHER ACTION BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER.VERY RECENTLY, ON JUNE 9, 2004, NHTSA DENIED A PETITION (RP04-001) TO REOPEN RQ98-018 AFTER FINDING THAT THERE WAS NO NEW INFORMATION THAT WOULD INDICATE ANY BASIS FOR REOPENING IT.THIS IS STILL THE CURRENT POSITION OF NHTSA ON THIS ISSUE.CONCERNING BRAKE FLUID CONTAMINATION AND FRAME ALIGNMENT, A REVIEW OF NHTSA'S DATABASE SHOWS NO OTHER COMPLAINTS ON EITHER ONE OF THESE ISSUES ON THE VEHICLES CITED IN THE PETITION.

THE MANUFACTURER REPORTS ABOVE ARE BASED ON DAIMLERCHRYSLER?S (DC) ANALYSIS OF MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998 (POPULATION = 356,384) AND 1999 (POPULATION = 486,948) JA, JX AND LH FAMILY SUBJECT VEHICLE DATA (EARLIER MYS EXCLUDED).THE POPULATION NUMBER INCLUDES ALL MYS.THE PRECISE NUMBER OF DUPLICATES BETWEEN ODI AND DC REPORTS CANNOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO MISSING OR INCOMPLETE INFORMATION.THE FATALITY INCIDENT INVOLVED AN ELDERLY PERSON WHO ATTEMPTED TO STOP A ROLL AWAY VEHICLE AND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.ODI ALSO GATHERED INFORMATION ON MY 1997-99 PROWLER VEHICLES IN THIS INVESTIGATION. THE PROWLER VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A DIFFERENT DESIGN SHIFTER MECHANISM (THE SHIFT LEVER IS SHORTER).THERE ARE NO COMPLAINTS OF PROWLER INTERLOCK FAILURE IN ODI?S DATABASE, AND DC HAS RECEIVED NO REPORTS EITHER.THE PROWLER IS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL SCOPE.THE INVESTIGATION INVOLVED A CONDITION WHERE THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM COULD FAIL (OR BE MADE INOPERATIVE BY THE OPERATOR) DURING VEHICLE USE, POSSIBLY INADVERTENTLY.THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM IS REQUIRED UNDER FMVSS 114.WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE PARK POSITION AND THE IGNITION KEY OFF, THE COMBINED ACTION OF PRESSING THE SHIFT BUTTON AND PULLING THE SHIFT LEVER REARWARD MAY RESULT IN THE OPERATOR OVERCOMING THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM AND CAUSE THE MECHANICAL LINKAGE OF THE SYSTEM TO DISCONNECT.WHEN THIS OCCURS, THERE IS NO OVERT INDICATION TO AN OPERATOR THAT THE SYSTEM IS DEFEATED, AND AN INCREASED RISK OF VEHICLE ROLL-AWAY EXISTS.UNDER RECALL 04V021, DC WILL REPLACE DAMAGED SHIFT MECHANISMS, AND WILL INSTALL ON ALL VEHICLES A DEVICE WHICH INHIBITS THE OPERATOR?S ABILITY TO OVERCOME THE INTERLOCK AND DEFEAT THE SYSTEM.BEGINNING WITH MY 2000, DC INCORPORATED A BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTER INTERLOCK (BTSI) SYSTEM INTO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.INTRODUCTION OF BTSI INVOLVED DESIGN CHANGES TO THE SHIFT MECHANISM, ONE OF WHICH RESULTED IN REDUCED MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE (RMA) OF THE SHIFT BUTTON.THE RMA SHIFTER REQUIRES INCREASED FORCES TO OVERCOME THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM, MAKING THE SHIFTER LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE.

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SINCE OPENING THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE), ODI HAS RECEIVED 6 ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS.DURING THE PE IT WAS DETERMINED MULTIPLE FAILURE MODES ARE INVOLVED IN THIS MATTER.THE WARRANTY CLAIM RATE IS HIGH FOR A STEERING SYSTEM CONCERN.THE ISSUES REPORTED INVOLVE PREMATURE WEAR OUT AT THE RACK AND PINION INTERFACE WITH THE INNER TIE ROD END(S), BINDING AND STICKING OF THE STEERING GEAR, CRACKED OR BROKEN TIE ROD ENDS, SHEARED RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY BOLTS, AND WEAR OUT OF THE RACK AND PINION MOUNT BUSHINGS.MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS MENTION STEERING WONDER AND LOOSE STEERING.THREE OF THE MOST RECENT COMPLAINTS ALLEGE A COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING DUE TO SHEARED BOLTS.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS PE IN ORDER TO PERFORM A THOROUGH TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS SYSTEM FAILURE ALLEGATIONS AND TO QUANTIFY THE EFFECT THAT THESE FAILURES HAVE ON VEHICLE CONTROL.

THE VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON THE FUEL RAIL WHICH WAS REPAIRED IN 1999 BY PREVIOUS OWNER. ITS BLOWING FUEL ONTO THE MOTOR AGAIN. THE SAME ISSUE . IT HAS 130K MILES ON IT. WHEN OUR MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT WE SAW IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE AS THE PREVIOUS RECALL. THE PARTS PLACES WE CALLED SAID THEY DO NOT SELL THE THE RECALL KITS TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP. CALLED DEALERSHIP SPOKE WITH MANAGER. THEY SAID THE RECALL KITS ARE IN DETROIT AND SINCE THE RECALL. L HS BEEN REPAIRED ONCE IT CANT BE REPAIRED AGAIN. WE CALLED MANUFACTURER. THEY SAID TO GO TO A SCRAP YARD TO GET PART OR CALL BACK DEALERSHIP AND ADVISE THEM TO ORDER THE KIT AND RE DO IT AND THERES ALSO ANOTHER RECALL ON IT CURRENTLY AMD FORBTHE DEALERSHIP TO HONOR THAT RECALL ALSO. WE CALLED BACK DEALERSHIP AND ARE CURRENTLY WAITING ON A DECISION. THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO US TODAY. WE HAVENT HEARD BACK. THIS IS MY ONLY WORK VEHICLE. NOONE SELLS THE PART BECAUSE ITS A RECALL. IT BLOWING FUEL ALL OVER MOTOR AND IM WORRIED IT WILL CATCH FIRE .

NHTSA ID

11133552

Incident

Oct 4, 2018

Mileage

130,000 mi

HAS LOOSE PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL AND STARTED GO OFF OF THE ROAD FOR A MOMENT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD..

NHTSA ID

10979461

Incident

Apr 15, 2017

Mileage

137,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHRYSLER LHS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND STEER TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME BUSHINGS OF THE VEHICLE WERE DETERIORATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

NHTSA ID

10887396

Incident

Jul 20, 2016

Mileage

84,000 mi

DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL LOST CONTROL WHILE TURNING LEFT. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. DIAGNOSING FAILURE TODAY. BELIEVE EITHER TIE ROD OR STEERING BOX. IF YOUR STEERING WHEEL HAS ANY PLAY WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT DRIVING UNTIL HAVING IT LOOKED AT BY MECHANIC. LIVES COULD EASILY BE LOST AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10664056

Incident

Dec 12, 2014

Mileage

111,000 mi

I PUT POWER STEERING FLUID IN AND MOTOR OIL AND TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY KIDS WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10621028

Incident

Aug 7, 2014

Mileage

190,000 mi

1.CLUNCKING,GRINDING, DOESN'T STEER PROPERLY 2.EVERY TIME IT'S ON THE ROAD 3.PARTS WILL BE REPLACED WHEN WE HAVE THE MONEY TO DO SO. *TR

NHTSA ID

10317442

Incident

Nov 15, 2009

Mileage

120,000 mi

FRONT END SHAKING AND POPPING REPLACED TIRERODS A LOWERCONTROL ARMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10270133

Incident

Nov 11, 2008

I BOUGHT A 96 LHS IN SEPT 2006 AND KNEW I NEEDED TO DO SOME FRONT END WORK. WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT END WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. TIE RODS, BALL JOINT, HUB BEARINGS, CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, BOOTS (AXLES) TRANSMISSION MOUNTS. I CAN'T BEGIN TO REMEMBER ALL THE PARTS I HAVE REPLACED. NOW TODAY AFTER ANOTHER TRIP TO THE REPAIR SHOP I AM INFORMED THE RACK AND PINION IS SHOT. AFTER ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE STILL RIDES LIKE A TRACTOR. THERE ARE WEBSITES FULL OF THE SAME STORIES ABOUT DODGE/CHRYSLER AND NOBODY CAN MAKE THESE PEOPLE CLEAN THIS MESS UP? AND WE KEEP GIVING THEM BILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS. MY NEXT LETTER WILL BE TO MY SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVES TRYING TO STOP ANYMORE TAX DOLLARS GOING CHRYSLER'S WAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10265904

Incident

Sep 1, 2006

Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery replacements are necessary.

Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.

Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.

Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.

Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.

Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.