1995 Chrysler LHS Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, AT THREE TO FIVE MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT IT DID NOT LOCK UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE SEAT BELT FAILURE. THE FRONTAL AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE POLICE AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED.

I WAS HAVING SOME UNEVEN AND PREMATURE FRONT TIRE WEAR PROBLEMS. I THOUGHT THAT THE INNER TIE ROD BUSHINGS WERE SIMPLY WORN OUT. I FOUND OUT INSTEAD THAT ONE OF THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE INNER TIE ROD ENDS TO THE STEERING RACK HAD ACTUALLY SHEARED/ BROKEN, AND THIS WAS ALLOWING THE EXCESSIVE SLOP IN THE STEERING. OBVIOUSLY, IF THE BOLT WOULD HAVE SHEARED ALL THE WAY OFF, SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC (POSSIBLY DEADLY) LOSS OF STEERING WOULD HAVE OCCURRED, WITHOUT WARNING. IN ORDER TO REMOVE/EXTRACT THE BROKEN BOLT, THE STEERING RACK HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO THE BROKEN BOLT WITH AN EXTRACTOR. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE 6 HOURS OF LABOR JOB, TO REPAIR A SIMPLE BROKEN BOLT. NOT ONLY IS IT RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR, THIS IS AN ITEM (THE TIE ROD TO STEERING RACK BOLT) THAT SHOULD NEVER BREAK FROM NORMAL USAGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND FROM ON-LINE RESEARCH THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM IN THE CHRYSLER LH PLATFORM CARS. ALSO, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN M...

DT: CONSUMER'S FRIEND WRECKED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE WITH FRONT IMPACT, AND BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. DID NOT CONTACT MANUFACTURER. HAD NOT REPLACED AIR BAGS. *AK

I EXPERIENCED A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO WHEN I DROVE OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT OR AN UNEVEN ENTRY TO A DRIVEWAY I COULD HEAR THE SAME SOUND AND COULD FEEL IT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD A DEALERSHIP CHECK IT OUT AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS A BOLT THAT HAD WORKED ITSELF LOOSE ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. I HAVE FOUND INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET RELATED TO STEERING FAILURES LEADING TO DEATH ON SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH THE SAME STEERING COMPONENTS THAT MY CAR HAS. FORTUNATELY I CAUGHT THIS EARLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT A DISASTEROUS EVEN LIKE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED. THEY TIGHTENED THE BOLT. I UNDERSTANT THAT CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS CHANGED THE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS AND THE BUSHING USED ON THE TIE-ROD ENDS IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE TYPE OF FAILURES THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION THAT I FOUND CONCERNING STEERING COMPONENTS, PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE, GO TO: HTTP...

DT: 3 MONTHS AGO THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING TOWARD THE CITY AND THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND THEN CAR STARTED SMOKING. CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS SMOKE EVERYWHERE. CONSUMER HAD CAR TOWED. IT WAS RUNNING FINE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. MECHANIC SAID THAT THE CAR THREW A ROD, AND NEEDED A NEW MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR BECAUSE THE SHE COULD NOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED.*AK