1996 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER Complaints

THE CLOCKSPRING CONNECTOR ROUTES THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG AND HORN WIRING FROM THE ROTATING STEERING WHEEL TO THE STATIONARY COLUMN. IT BROKE, LEAVING BOTH THE AIRBAG AND HORN INOPERATIVE. I NOTICED AN ERRATIC AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT FOR 6 MONTHS AND RECENTLY FOUND THE HORN NO LONGER WORKED. I REPLACED THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY AND TOOK APART THE OLD UNIT TO DIAGNOSE. IT DOES NOT USE WIPERS, BUT RATHER A COILED FLAT CABLE WITH ~ 6 FLAT COPPER LEADS. SINCE MY VAN DOES NOT HAVE CRUISE CONTROL, ONLY 3 OF THE LEADS ARE USED. I FOUND THAT THE FLAT CABLE IS FOLDED BACK TIGHTLY UPON ITSELF TO SECURE AT THE INNER ROTATING CONNECTOR. ALL THE LEADS WERE BROKEN AT THIS SHARP BEND. A THIN PLASTIC SHEET IS AGAINST THE CABLE AT THIS TIGHT FOLD IN AN APPARENTLY LAME ATTEMPT AT STRAIN RELIEF. THIS DESIGN IS GUARANTEED TO FAIL AFTER SO MANY TURNS OF THE STEERING WHEEL. TSB 08-010-01 NOTES MANY FAILURES, CLAIMING THEY ARE DUE TO SERVICING ISSUES. SAFETY RECALL 982 FOR FAILED CLOCKSPRINGS IN DODGE PICKUPS. ALL AFFECTED CHRYSLER VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED. I SPENT $80. FOR THE PART AND MUCH TIME FIXING MINE. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHCLE HAD STOP FOR GAS AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE THE DAY BEFORE FROM THE DEALER SHIP WHERE THE RECALL FOR FUEL LEAKAGE WAS DONE, WAS PUMPING GAS WHEN THE GAS SPILLED ALL OVER THE GROUND AT THE GAS STATION. DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM

THE DESIGN OF THE LAMP ASSEMBLY ALLOWS ARCING TO OCCUR BETWEEN THE BULB HOLDER AND THE REFLECTOR ASSEMBLY. ARCING CAUSED PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, MELTED AND CHARRED THE PLASTIC REFLECTOR ASSEMBLY. MFG WAS CONTACTED BUT CHOSE TO TAKE NO ACTION. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO CONTACT AREA IN REFLECTOR. HOWEVER WOULD EXPECT THAT FIRE/CHARRING OF PLASTIC COULD EXTEND IN SOME CASES TO CAUSE IGNITION OF ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. CONDITION HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR SOME TIME BASED ON DAMAGE BUT WAS ONLY FOUND WHEN LAMP APPEARED TO BE "BURNED OUT". DATES AND MILEAGE ARE ACTUALLY UNKNOWN FOR WHEN EVENT STARTED. MR

CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER HAS REPLACEED THE CLOCK SPRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON CONSOLE WITH CAUSE UNKNOWN. OWNER TOOK THE VAN TO A DEALERSHIP WHICH INFORMED HIM THAT THE AIR BAG LOCK SPRING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. OWNER WAS PERPLEXED BECAUS DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM BEFORE THOROUGHLY INSPECTING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.AK

WHILE DRIVING INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL START TO ACT UP, SPEEDOMETER WILL START TO JUMP UP AND DOWN IN SPEED, AND ANYTHING ELSE. THEN, VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON, HORN CANNOT WORK, AND LOSE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS INDICATES THE MALFUNCTION IN AIR BAG SYSTEM, HORN CIRCUIT, AND THE SPEED CONTROL.*AK

HORN DOES NOT WORK, AND AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT IS ON. CONSUMER FEELS AIRBAG MAY OR MAY NOT DEPOY. CAN'T WARN OTHER DRIVERS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING FUEL TANK CRACKED, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

FUEL TANK LEAK OCCURRED AT A PLATISC WELD POINT ON THE TOP OF THE TANK WHERE A LINE WENT IN. THIS TANK IS ESSENTIALLY A STATIC COMPONENT AND A LEAK AT A WELD JOINT I CONSIDER IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I'VE TAKEN A FEW AUTOS BEYOND THIS AMOUNT OF MILEAGE AND YEARS WITHOUT ANY FUEL TANKS FAILURES OF THIS TYPE. THIS FAILURE APPEARED DURING VACATION WHEN PARKED ON A GRADE WITH THEFRONT OF THE VAN POINTED DOWNHILL. THIS CAUSED A RATHER LARGE POOL OF FUEL TO SIT ON THE GROUND, ENOUGH FOR THE LOCAL OFFICIALS TO SEND A FIRE TRUCK TO THE SCENE. WHEN I RETURNED TO OUR VAN IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE FIRE OFFICAL THAT IT NOT BE DRIVEN. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A CHRYSLER DEALER SHIP AND THE NEXT DAY THE LEAK WAS FOUND. THEY COULD NOT SUPPLY A TANK BUT SINCE THE LEAK WAS ON TOP SAID IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AS LONG AS I FILLED THE TANK NO MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS FULL. I PROCEEDED HOME AND HAD THE LOCAL MONCKS CONER DEALERSHIP REPAIR THE VAN. I CALLED THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE 800 NUMBER TO SEE IF THIS WAS A COVERED RECALL OR ALERT BULLETIN. IT WAS NOT. THEY WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER PAYING FOR A PORTION OF THE REPAIRS. LIKE I SAID BEFORE A FAILURE OF THIS TYPE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND CAN BE VERY UNSAFE DO TO THE GREAT POSSIBLITY OF FIRE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME. THANKS LEIF