1993 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER Complaints

RECALL LETTER #730 ADDRESSES SIMILAR PROBLEM IN 1992 MODEL OF SAME VEHICLE. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER REPORTED FAILURES OF THIS COMPONENT IN 1993 MODEL?

ABS BRAKES HAD FAILED. THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. HAD A PANIC STOP. VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. PEDAL WAS HARD. DOWN SHIFTED TO LOW & APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKES. TOOK TO DEALER FOR PROBLEM. NOTHING FOUND. A CONTIUOUS PROBLEM, BUT INTERMITTENT. *AK

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN STARTED (INTERMITTENT PROBLEM) AND HAS SHIFTED, BY ITSELF, INTO NEUTRAL WHILE IN OPERATION. THE VAN IS STILL IN WARRANTY AND WE ARE ASKING THAT THEY FIX OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AS WE FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN IT'S PRESENT STATE. THE STARTING PROBLEM INVOLVES THE CAR TURNING OVER VIGOROUSLY BUT NOT STARTING WHEN THE IGNITION IS ACTIVIATED. ON THE SECOND OR THIRD ATTEMPT THE CAR WILL USUALLY START. THE PROBLEM IS MORE FREQUENT IN WARMER WEATHER AND AS THE DAY GOES ON.

THE CENTER-MOUNTED REAR BRAKE LIGHT ON THIS MODEL IS EQUIPPED WITH THREE LAMPS. I NOTICED ONE OF THESE HAD BURNT OUT, AND UPON REPLACING IT I NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC HOUSING THE LAMPS ARE MOUNTED IN WAS MELTED THROUGH ABOVE ALL THREE LAMPS, AND FURTHER THAT THE FOAM MATERIAL GLUED TO THE INTERIOR DRESSING PANEL ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF MELTING. ALL THREE LAMPS HAD MELTED PLASTIC ON THEM AS WELL.

THE BOLT HOLDING THE HATCHBACK PISTON ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE SHEARED OFF AT THE BODY. THIS REQUIRED DRILLING OUT THE REMAINS AND REPLACING THE ENTIRE PISTON BECAUSE THE BOLT WAS NOT DETACHABLE AND BUILT-IN TO THE PISTON.

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM ALTHOUGH THE MAKER SAYS THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD EXCESSIVE PROBLEMS

BASE COAT FAILURE TO ADHERE TO OVERCOAT CAUSING PAINT TO PEEL FROM TOP OF VEHICLE.

I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A HARD COPY OF THE ORIGINAL FAILURE (NHTSA REFERENCE NUMBER 828479) VIA NORMAL MAIL. THIS SUBMISSION IS TO DOCUMENT A SIMILAR SAFETY ISSUE THAT OCCURRED 7 WEEKS AFTER THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS 'FIXED'. I WILL REPEAT THE INFORMATION FROM MY ORIGINAL SUBMISSION FOR REFERENCE. ORIGINAL SUBMISSION (10/22/98): I HAD A RECALL PERFORMED ON THE ABS SYSTEM IN 1996. AT THAT TIME, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT A DEFECTIVE DESIGNED PART WAS BEING REPLACED WITH A NEWER DESIGNED PART AND THAT THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD NOW FUNCTION PROPERLY. IN AUGUST OF 1998, WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD AT 35 MPH, I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE AND HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SPARTAN CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH IN MURRAY, UT WHO INFORMED ME THE ABS HYDRAULIC SYSTEM 'PISTON ASSEMBLY' HAD FAILED. THEY INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE SAME PART FOR WHICH THE RECALL WAS ISSUED IN 1996. THEY TOLD ME (IN 1998) THAT IN 1996 THE RECALL ONLY CONSISTED OF CHECKING THE PART TO SEE IF IT WAS BAD. MY QUESTION IS THAT I WONDER IF THE RECALL WAS REALLY JUST TO CHECK THE PART? THIS SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THE PART CAN WORK TODAY AND PASS THE RECALL 'TEST' ONLY TO FAIL TOMORROW AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH BECAUSE THE VEHICLE LOSES THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WOULDN'T IT BE SAFER TO REMOVE THE FAULY DESIGNED PART AND REPLACE IT WITH A KNOWN FIXED PART? UPDATE (11/18/98) ON 7 NOVEMBER, THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF MY VEHICLE FAILED WITH IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS AS BEFORE. WITHOUT WARNING, THERE WAS NO BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO NOT CAUSE AND ACCIDENT. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME SPARTAN DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED 'ACCUMULATOR PUMP' IN THE ABS SYSTEM. THEY INSIST THE TWO FAILURES (2 MONTHS APART) ARE TOTALLY UNRELATED, THAT THERE IS NO HISTORY OF ABS FAILURES IN THIS MODEL OF VAN, AND THAT THERE IS NO UNDERLYING PROBLEM WHICH IS CAUSING THESE PARTS TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON 1

SINCE ABS RECALL 685 HAS BEEN DONE, THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN IRREGULAR. THE PEDAL FIGHTS ME, THE PEDAL LOCKS UP AND THE ABS SYSTEM IS OBVIOUSLY MECHANICALLY COMPROMISED. DEALER TOTALLY UNABLE TO ADDRESS MY NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. (THEY CLAIM I DONT NO HOW TO BRAKE)

THE AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH A/C MOTOR AND HIGH PRESSURE SWITCH. DEALER REPLACED PARTS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK