1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE Complaints

THE CAR I WAS DRIVING WAS A 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORD THAT HAD BEEN IN EXCELLENT DRIVING UP UNTIL THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. JUST THREE DAYS EARLIER THE AUTOMOBILE WAS SERVICED AT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER FOR AN OIL AND OIL FILTER CHANGE. I INQUIRED AT THE PICK UP EVENT IF THE BRAKES WERE OKAY AND IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THE WERE FINE AND THAT EVERYTHING WITH THIS AUTOMOBILE WAS FINE. ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2006, I STARTED THIS AUTOMOBILE IN MY GARAGE TO GO TO CHURCH. AFTER PUTTING MY SEAT BELT ON, I USUALLY INCH MYSELF OUT OF MY GARAGE VERY, VERY SLOWLY. HOWEVER, THIS TIME AFTER ADJUSTING THE TRANSMISSION LEVER FROM PARK TO DRIVE MY AUTOMOBILE TOOK OFF SO FAST I COULD NOT CONTROL IT AT ALL. I HIT THE BREAKS AS HARD AS I COULD BUT MY AUTOMOBILE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL. NOT ONLY THAT, I COULD CONTROL THE STEERING OF MY AUTOMOBILE AT ALL. I LIVE NEAR THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND THERE IS A DRAINAGE DITCH RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET WHERE I LIVE THAT CONNECTS WITH THE OCEAN. THERE IS A CHAIN-LINKED WIRE FENCE THAT SEPARATES THE STREET FROM THE DRAINAGE DITCH. MY AUTOMOBILE RACED OUT OF MY GARAGE, DOWN MY DRIVEWAY, WENT ACROSS THE STREET AND HIT THE CURB ACROSS THE STREET WHERE IT FORCE MY AUTOMOBILE TO SWERVE ACROSS THE ADJOINING STREET TO BREAK THROUGH THE CHAIN-LINKED FENCE WHERE IT WENT DOWN A CONCRETE EMBANKMENT FOR AN APPROXIMATE 20-FOOT DROP UNTIL IT COMPLETELY STOPPED IN THE WATER. THE CAR THEN BEGAN FILLING UP WITH WATER UNTIL IT BECAME COMPLETELY SUBMERGED. FORTUNATELY, A NEIGHBOR HAPPENED TO BE LOOKING OUT OF HIS SECOND STORY WINDOW OF HIS HOUSE WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ARRIVED PROMPTLY TO SAVE MY LIFE BY PULLING ME OUT OF THE WINDOW OF MY AUTOMOBILE. I WAS TAKEN BY PARAMEDIC PERSONAL BY AMBULANCE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF A NEARBY HOSPITAL WERE IT WAS DETERMINED I HAD NOT SUSTAINED ANY IMMEDIATE INJURIES AT ALL. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE A TOTALED WRECK. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT TIRE FOR THE VEHICLE, A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT START AND MADE A RATTLING NOISE. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE NOISE BEGAN ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED 2 TO 3 YEARS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THROUGH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THE CONTACT FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE ENGINE FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT ON THE INTERNET AS WELL. THE VEHICLE HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES PERFORMED.

I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL TO PROCEED. WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED MY CAR BEGAN TO MAKE LOUD SCREECHING NOISES AND LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, THE GEARSHIFT WAS WOBBLED, AND THE GEAR INDICATOR DISPLAYED PARK. THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATED BACKWARDS. THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED INTO WHAT APPEARED TO BE DRIVE, BUT SLIPPED INTO THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL# 04V021000, PERTAINING TO THE FLOOR SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CRANK BEARING FRACTURED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS FRACTURED. A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V035000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, SEATS: FRONT ASSEMBLY: RECLINER ON 9-23-03 HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. 08/29/06 THE RIGHT REAR STOP LAMP BLUB HAD TO BE REPLACED AND BOTH FRONT WIPER BLADES WERE REPLACED. *TT

THE ENGINE SEIZED AND QUIT ON OUR 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORD AS I PULLED INTO A LOCAL MACDONALDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THANKFULLY, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN THE DAY BEFORE WHILE I WAS IN 65 MILE AN HOUR TRAFFIC. WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING OIL BURNING FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO MONTHS. BUT THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE. I HAD JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED 12 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. BECAUSE OUR MECHANIC IS HAVING TROUBLE LOCATING A USED ENGINE, I BEGAN SEARCHING AND FOUND THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY CONSUMERS OF THIS PRODUCT TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS BLUE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND A LOUD TICKING NOISE OF THE PISTONS HITTING THE HEAD OF CAMS. WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY SEIZED AND FAILED RESULTING IN AN NON-DRIVABLE STATE. WHEN THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED, THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE. UPDATED 09/11/06. *JB

I BOUGHT A 1999 CONCORDE WITH A 2.7L ENGINE AT THE END OF MARCH OF 06. ON APRIL 3, 2006 I GOT AN OIL CHANGE AND OTHER MAINTENANCE, AND THE CAR WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 127K MILES. ALL SEEMED WELL WITH THE CAR. ON 7/2/06, THE DAY BEFORE MY SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE, MY WIFE TOOK MY CAR TO WORK INSTEAD OF HER OWN, AS SHE WAS GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE AFTERWARDS. AT ABOUT 7:07 AM, I GET A CALL FROM MY FRANTIC WIFE, AND SHE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT SHE WAS ON I-96 JUST BEFORE THE EXIT TO I-275 IN MICHIGAN GOING ABOUT 70 MPH AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND DIED WITHOUT WARNING. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS "ARE YOU OK?" I IMMEDIATELY GOT UP AND WENT TO WHERE SHE WAS. THE CAR WOULD NOT EVEN TURN OVER. I SIMPLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. HOWEVER, I WAS INFURIATED WHEN THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THE 2.7L ENGINES IN THE 1998-2001 HAD A DESIGN FLAW, WHEREIN AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE BUILD UP OCCURS, PREVENTING THE OIL FROM CIRCULATING THROUGH THE ENGINE, WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OIL ON MY DIPSTICK. THE MECHANIC COULDN'T GIVE ME A PRICE ON THE COST OF FIXING THE PROBLEM, MAINLY BECAUSE OUT OF ALL OF THE CASES THAT HE'S SEEN WITH THIS SAME ENGINE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO FIXES. I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW INCONVENIENT THIS IS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. BOTH MY WIFE AND I ARE STUDENTS WHO WORK. FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN READING, THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE CAN COST UP TO $9,000 DOLLARS. AT THIS POINT, THAT'S MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH NOW, AND WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS TYPE OF EXPENSE. *JB

I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ON ROUTE 295 IN NEW JERSEY. FIRST I HEARD A SPUTTERING SOUND THEN THE CAR LOST POWER. I HAD TO CROSS FROM THE FAST LANE TO THE SHOULDER WHILE LOSING POWER. I JUST MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER WHEN THE CAR STOPPED FOR GOOD. THERE WAS PLENTY OF OIL IN THE CAR AND IN FACT IT HAD JUST BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ANOTHER COSTLY REPAIR OF $1500 FOR A LEAKY AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR. A BAD SMELL HAD BEEN COMING INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN WHENEVER I TURNED ON THE HEAT OR AIR CONDITIONER. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED I WAS TOLD THAT BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS CAR WAS NOTORIOUS FOR ENGINE FAILURE AND THAT HE COULD SEE METALLIC MATERIAL IN THE OIL CLEARLY SHOWING THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN. TO REPAIR IT WITH A REBUILT ENGINE IT WOULD COST $5900 PLUS TAX. *NM