NHTSA Investigation PE87013

LOSS OF POWER BRK ASSIST

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURE:CHRYSLER RECALLED, IN CANADA,67,602 1984 THROUGH 1987 PASSENGER CARS, TRUCKS, AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH THE5.2L ENGINE FOR INTERMITTENT LOSS OF THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST ON THE SECONDAPPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL.THE DEFECT WAS A RESULT OF THE BRAKEBOOSTER VACUUM HOSE PORT IN THE BASE OF THE CARBURETOR BEING BLOCKED WITHFROZEN MOISTURE AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HIGHWAY DRIVING AT LOW AMBIENTTEMPERATURES.TO PREVENT THIS DEFECT FROM OCCURRING, THE VACUUM SOURCE FORTHE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS RELOCATED FROM THE BASE OF THE CARBURETOR TO THEINTAKE MANIFOLD.IT WAS STATED THAT REPORTS OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAVEOCCURRED IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF CANADA, AND THAT CHRYSLER WAS AWARE OF NOSIMILAR REPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES.ANALYSIS:A REVIEW OF THE MANUFACTURER'S DATA INDICATED AT LEAST 4 SIMILARU.S. VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED FAILURES CONSISTENT WITH THOSE REPORTED INTHE CANADIAN MARKET.ONE VEHICLE WAS A MANUFACTURER TEST VEHICLE.THESTATES IN WHICH THESE REPORTED FAILURES OCCURRED ARE ALASKA, WISCONSIN,AND MINNESOTA (2).PROPOSED ACTION: CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION AND OPEN AN ENGINEERINGANALYSIS.===

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.