1998 DODGE AVENGER Complaints

AFTER HITTING AN OPEN MANHOLE, SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE CAME OPEN, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT THE DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. VEHICLE REGISTERED TO AMY THOMAS. REPORT GIVEN BY FIANCE. *AK

HAVE PROBLEMS WITH NOISE COMING FROM LEFT FRONT OF ENGINE WHEN PUTTING CAR IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT IS SLIPPING TOOK IN FOR SERVICE AND TOLD IT WAS THE SOLENOID ON THE TRANSMISSION. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER AND TOLD IT WAS THE CLUTCH PAKS ON OR IN THE TRANSMISSION

WHILE DRIVING POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 45MPH CONSUMER HIT A POLE HEAD-ON, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,WEATHER WAS CLEAR.DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH VEHICLE STARTS VIBRATING, STEERING WHEEL WILL SHIMMY. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THIS VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE DIRECT SIDE AND THE AIR BAG RESTRAINTS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

THIS HAS BEEN MY SECOND AVENGER AND I WISH THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER GOTTEN RID OF MY 96. THIS 98 HAS A LONGER SERVICE HISTORY THAN MOST OF THE CARS IN OUR SMALL TOWN, PUT TOGETHER. BRAKES--THE CAR HAS NOW HAD 2 BRAKE JOBS IN 9000 MILES. EACH TIME THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ROTORS AND BLED OUT THE LINES.. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL 4500 MILES COMES AGAIN SO I CAN HAVE NEW BRAKES PUT ON IT AGAIN. FUEL ECON--THE CAR IS LUCKY TO GET 18-21 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER TOLD ME TODAY THAT THESE CARS ARE NOT KNOWN FOR GOOD GAS MILEAGE--IS THAT TRUE?? MY 96 AVENGER GOT 25-34 ON THE HIGHWAY!?!?!?! DOOR--THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HAS NEVER CLOSED PROPERLY SINCE I HAVE GOTTEN THE CAR. THE DEALER HAS ADJUSTED IT TWICE AND NOW TELLS ME IT IS FINE. IT SURE IS FUNNY HOW IT STILL SHUTS OUTSIDE OF THE WEATHERSTRIP OCCASIONALLY, CAUSING ANNOYING WIND NOISE. WHEELS----THE THIRD DAY I HAD THE CAR, I HAD A LOW SPEED POTHOLE COLLISION AND BENT A RIM. SINCE THEN, I HAVE NOTICED ALL MY RIMS HAVE SMALL DINGS IN THEM AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, THE FINISH IS PEELING OFF THE RIMS. *AK

ON THE EVENING OF 12/24/98 MY SON LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS CAR WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL THAT WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF. NOT SURPRISINGLY, CHRYSLER INFORMED US THAT THE RECALL SITUATION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER STRIKING A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CHRYSLER ALSO DENIED ANY FAULT IN THIS. IF IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER, THEN WHO? THIS COMPLAINT WAS INITIALLY FILED WITH NHTSA ON 12/26/98. I AM STILL WAITING FOR SOME SORT OF ACTION FROM NHTSA. A PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO PROTECT VEHICLE OCCUPANTS MUST SURELY RESULT IN A RECALL OF VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE SYSTEMS. THE VEHICLE IN IN THE CUSTODY OF CHRYSLER. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT REPAIR AND RETURN OF THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE !!!

ALLOY WHEEL BENT FROM POTHOLE COLLISION AT LOW SPEED ON RIGHT FRONT OF VEHICLE--ALLOY WHEEL REPLACED AT OWNER EXPENSE, SECOND WHEEL BENT WITH SIMILAR POTHOLE COLLISION--APPEARS THAT THESE WHEELS ARE NOT STONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE EVERYDAY ROAD HAZARDS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT 50-55 MPH, FELT CAR PULLING TO THE LEFT, PULLED OVER, TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT AND PULLED AWAY FROM THE RIM, NO PREVIOUS WARNING OR INDICATION OF INCIDENT. DEALER CONTACTED AND WILL INVESTIGATE. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK