1998 Dodge Avenger Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE AVENGER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. HE WAS ABLE TO COAST ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, BOTH FRONT TIRES REQUIRED THREE REPLACEMENTS AS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE LOWER BALL JOINT. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V421002 (SUSPENSION, FRONT CONTROL ARM, LOWER BALL JOINT), THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT OFFER ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT FELT LIKE I HAD A BLOWOUT. I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BROKE. I SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, LOOKED AT THE WHEEL, AND IT WAS FACING TOWARD THE SKY. LUCKY FOR ME THIS HAPPENED ON A SUNDAY MORNING WITH VERY LIMITED TRAFFIC, OR IT COULD HAVE BE FATAL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A SHOP, AND THEY SAID THE BALL JOINT AND AXLE BROKE, THE FRONT TIRES WERE RUINED, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS WAS ABOUT $1500. THE SHOP REPLACED THE BALL JOINT AND AXLE, AND WERE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING A WHEEL FOR ME. I AM NOT SURE IF THE OLD PART WAS AVAILABLE OR NOT. SOMEONE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE BALL JOINTS, SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ASK THEM ABOUT MY CAR, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT A DEALERSHIP HAD CORRECTED THE RECALLED BALL JOINT ON FEBRUARY 20, 2002. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT EASY TO BELIEVE THAT IF...

IN THE YEAR OF 2001-2002 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT MY DOOR HANDLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY 1998 DODGE AVENGER BROKE. I WENT TO A DODGE MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY FIXED IT. IN THE YEAR OF 2003 THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF AND LATER ON IN 2004 THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE DOOR HANDLE BROKE AGAIN. I GOT SOMEONE TO FIX IT. IT IS NOW 2006 AND MY DRIVER SIDE OF MY DOOR HANDLE HAS BROKEN OFF AGAIN AND THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE WILL NOT OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO BE LOCKED OUT OF MY CAR MULTIPLE TIMES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE HANDLES KEEP BREAKING OFF. THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT BECAUSE THEY ARE EASILY BROKEN. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL 00V421002 FIVE YEARS AGO. WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BALL JOINTS. THE BALL JOINTS WERE MAKING AN INTERMITTENT CLUNG AT THAT TIME. THE PROBLEM GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE CONTACT STATES IT SOUNDED LIKE THE WHEEL WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON OCTOBER 19, 2005. THEY STATED THERE WAS EXCESSIVE WEAR ON LOWER BALL JOINTS, AND THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED SOON. THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED AT TWO OTHER PLACES ,AND THEY STATED THE SAME THING. WHEN SHE CALLED CHRYSLER, THEY INSISTED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO DO THE WORK. CHRYSLER THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THE RECALL WAS ON THE BOOT THAT COVERED THE BALL JOINT AND IT WAS NOT SEALED PROPERLY. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE BOOT WAS NOT DAMAGED, IT WAS JUST THE BALL JOINT. *AK

DT: WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE THERE WAS A SURGING EFFECT AS IF THE BRAKES WERE PULSATING. THE CONTACT DETERMINED THE ROTORS WARPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE WARPED ROTORS. THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THESE WERE ACTUAL CHRYSLER PARTS OR AFTER MARKET REPLACEMENTS. AFTER THE REPAIRS THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE CONTACT'S FATHER CONSULTED A SERVICE CENTER THAT NOTED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. NO FURTHER REPAIRS. THE BRAKES DID STOP THE CAR BUT THERE WAS A ROCKING MOTION AS IF IT WAS IN A CATCHING AND RELEASING FASHION. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS. ALSO, THE CONTACT ADDED THAT THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL O0V421002 CONCERNING THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS FOR WHICH THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED. THE CONTACT DID NOT EXPERIENCE E A FAILURE, BUT SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR WORK WAS DONE A COUPLE YEARS AGO THERE HAVE BEEN A NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. LAST WEEK T...