Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | ||||||||||||||||
| 04V268000 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION | from 01/17/2000 to 04/26/2004 | V (Vehicle) | 438391 | 09/20/2004 | ODI | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 06/03/2004 | 06/03/2004 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.4l non-turbocharged engines and automatic transaxles, the power steering pressure hose may contact the automatic transaxle differential cover, potentially damaging the hose. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an underhood fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect and relocate, or replace as necessary, the power steering hose and confirm torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. the recall began on september 20, 2004. owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Daimlerchrysler recall no. d18.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 1900805 | 11/02/2005 | 1900805A | 10017651 | Revised power steering system bleeding procedures. *sc | 11/14/2005 |
| 1900304 | 08/27/2004 | 1900304A | 10009785 | Steering column click sound. *tt | 10/25/2004 |
| 1900104 | 03/16/2004 | 10006448 | Whistling sound when the steering wheel is turned. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 1900402 | 04/06/2004 | 1900304 | 10007587 | Steering column click sound. *mj | 07/01/2004 |
| 1900702 | 04/06/2004 | 1900204 | 10000833 | Lower steering column click sound. *tt | 04/01/2003 |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 1803605 | 10/07/2005 | 10017630 | Flash: rough idle or idle fluctuation with power steering operation. *sc | 11/14/2005 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| PE04028 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/15/2004 | 06/18/2004 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 04V268000 | |
| Pe04-028 was opened to investigate seven complaints alleging that the engine compartment caught fire on my 2002 pt cruiser vehicles.on june 3, 2004, daimlerchrysler (dcc) notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 2001-2005 pt cruiser vehicles equipped with naturally aspirated 2.4l engines and automatic transaxles (recall 04v-268).the notification identified variation of the high pressure power steering hose routing, which allowed the hose to contact the transaxle differential cover, as the factor contributing to this defect.contact between the power steering hose and the transaxle differential cover can cause hose damage and power steering fluid leakage, which can potentially result in a fire. (note: the failure data in this resume is limited to my 2001-2003 vehicles per dcc's pe04-028 information responses.)this condition was limited to vehicles with automatic transaxles as vehicles with manual transmissions have substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and the power steering hose due to a smaller transaxle design.this condition also does not adversely affect vehicles with turbo engines, which have a different power steering hose routing that provides substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and hose.daimlerchrysler will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the power steering hose assembly inspected and relocated, or replaced, as necessary, and to confirm the torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. | ||||||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | ||||||
| PE04028 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/15/2004 | 06/18/2004 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 04V268000 | |
| Pe04-028 was opened to investigate seven complaints alleging that the engine compartment caught fire on my 2002 pt cruiser vehicles.on june 3, 2004, daimlerchrysler (dcc) notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 2001-2005 pt cruiser vehicles equipped with naturally aspirated 2.4l engines and automatic transaxles (recall 04v-268).the notification identified variation of the high pressure power steering hose routing, which allowed the hose to contact the transaxle differential cover, as the factor contributing to this defect.contact between the power steering hose and the transaxle differential cover can cause hose damage and power steering fluid leakage, which can potentially result in a fire. (note: the failure data in this resume is limited to my 2001-2003 vehicles per dcc's pe04-028 information responses.)this condition was limited to vehicles with automatic transaxles as vehicles with manual transmissions have substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and the power steering hose due to a smaller transaxle design.this condition also does not adversely affect vehicles with turbo engines, which have a different power steering hose routing that provides substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and hose.daimlerchrysler will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the power steering hose assembly inspected and relocated, or replaced, as necessary, and to confirm the torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. | ||||||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | ||||||
| PE04028 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/15/2004 | 06/18/2004 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 04V268000 | |
| Pe04-028 was opened to investigate seven complaints alleging that the engine compartment caught fire on my 2002 pt cruiser vehicles.on june 3, 2004, daimlerchrysler (dcc) notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 2001-2005 pt cruiser vehicles equipped with naturally aspirated 2.4l engines and automatic transaxles (recall 04v-268).the notification identified variation of the high pressure power steering hose routing, which allowed the hose to contact the transaxle differential cover, as the factor contributing to this defect.contact between the power steering hose and the transaxle differential cover can cause hose damage and power steering fluid leakage, which can potentially result in a fire. (note: the failure data in this resume is limited to my 2001-2003 vehicles per dcc's pe04-028 information responses.)this condition was limited to vehicles with automatic transaxles as vehicles with manual transmissions have substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and the power steering hose due to a smaller transaxle design.this condition also does not adversely affect vehicles with turbo engines, which have a different power steering hose routing that provides substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and hose.daimlerchrysler will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the power steering hose assembly inspected and relocated, or replaced, as necessary, and to confirm the torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. | ||||||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE04028 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/15/2004 | 06/18/2004 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 04V268000 | |
| Pe04-028 was opened to investigate seven complaints alleging that the engine compartment caught fire on my 2002 pt cruiser vehicles.on june 3, 2004, daimlerchrysler (dcc) notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 2001-2005 pt cruiser vehicles equipped with naturally aspirated 2.4l engines and automatic transaxles (recall 04v-268).the notification identified variation of the high pressure power steering hose routing, which allowed the hose to contact the transaxle differential cover, as the factor contributing to this defect.contact between the power steering hose and the transaxle differential cover can cause hose damage and power steering fluid leakage, which can potentially result in a fire. (note: the failure data in this resume is limited to my 2001-2003 vehicles per dcc's pe04-028 information responses.)this condition was limited to vehicles with automatic transaxles as vehicles with manual transmissions have substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and the power steering hose due to a smaller transaxle design.this condition also does not adversely affect vehicles with turbo engines, which have a different power steering hose routing that provides substantial clearance between the transaxle differential cover and hose.daimlerchrysler will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the power steering hose assembly inspected and relocated, or replaced, as necessary, and to confirm the torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 37000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the power steering hose was leaking on the engine. the contact also heard a loud noise and the smell of burning fumes emitting into the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the hose and motor mount needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance since her vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 42,000. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 37000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the power steering hose was leaking on the engine. the contact also heard a loud noise and the smell of burning fumes emitting into the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the hose and motor mount needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance since her vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 42,000. rvk | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 37000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that the power steering hose was leaking on the engine. also the contact mentioned that she heard a loud noise and burning fumes were emitted into the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local shop who diagnosed that the hose and motor mount needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since her vehicle was not included on any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 42,000. pm | |||
| 08/22/2011 | 117300 | ||
| Year: 2003 make: chrysler model: pt cruiser engine: 2.4l turbocharged componenet: power steering high pressure hose the power steering pressure hose was rubbing up against the transmission of the vehicle listed above. the result of the power steering pressure hose ruptred due to contact with the hot transmission during normal driving. this has been the first incident since the owner purchased the vehicle. the owner purchaced new power steering pressure hose and had it installed at a local automotive shop. | |||
| 10/01/2008 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 pt cruiser. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle lose all powering steering without warning. the contact replaced the steering pump in october 2008 and the hose in april 2009; however, the vehicle continues to have steering issues. the vehicle had not been repaired or diagnosed due to cost. the current mileages were 96,000 and the failure mileages were unknown. bw | |||
| 04/20/2008 | 32208 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact heard a loud humming noise coming from her vehicle. she took the vehicle to a dealer and they stated that the power steering pump failed. power steering fluid leaked out and caused the air conditioner to fail. the unit was replaced at the cost of $1,583. the technician stated that her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v268000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections); therefore, they would not assume financial responsibility for the repair. several weeks after the repair, the air conditioning unit failed again. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer on numerous occasions, in which she had to replace the water pump, the throttle body, the radiator, and various components in the powertrain and steering unit. the repairs cost $4,000. typically, the failures immediately recur after the repairs are made. the manufacturer gave her a small reimbursement of $878. the failure mileage was 32,208 and current mileage was 66,500. | |||
| 05/28/2008 | 28000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. while slowing down to make a turn, the steering failed because the vehicle switched back to manual. the vehicle has been to a mechanic and the hose was replaced on three occasions, the most recent time being on may 28,2008. on june 2, 2008, the failure recurred. the current mileage was 37,000 and failure mileage was 28,000. | |||
| 01/03/2008 | 30234 | 1 | 06/23/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that the steering rack on his vehicle malfunctioned. his wife stopped at a stop sign and experienced extreme difficulty when attempting to make a turn. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 30,234. updated 03/13/08. *lj the steering gear was replaced. | |||
| 05/30/2006 | 35326 | 3 | 05/22/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. after purchasing the vehicle the brakes began squeaking. the contact was told that the brakes would be replaced before she bought the vehicle. when she arrived to pick up the vehicle she was informed the dealer that the brakes were still squeaking. the dealer stated that it would take two to three days before the brakes would stop squeaking. however, the failure continued. a few days later the contact returned to the dealer the tires were removed and orange dust was found on the brakes. the dealer cleaned the brakes, but never replaced them. three weeks after purchasing the vehicle the contact had the air conditioning repaired because it would not blow cool air. in august 2006 the vehicle began running hot and failed while driving 58 mph. the vehicle was towed, and shortly thereafter the failure recurred and the vehicle was towed again. in september 2006 the engine was replaced. on april 19, 2007, a diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle because of steering failure. the contact was told that the steering wheel needed immediate attention because steering fluid was leaking into the bottom of the car and could cause a fire. she was informed that the engine that was installed in september 2006 failed. the contact did not provide an accurate vin. the current mileage is 50,400, and failure mileage was 35,326. *ak the consumer stated she went to the dealership to have the car repaired and they were rude and refused to help her. later, the dealership asked for information to rent the consumer a car and the rental place refused to rent her a car if the vehicle was not fixed by smith chrysler. the consumer stated the dealer sold her a car then changed the name on her paperwork, refused to give her the tags to the car unless payment was provided and told her she had the wrong vin number for the car. the consumer stated wants her money back for the car and the dealer to take the car back. updated 07/06/07 *tr | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 16000 | 0 | 02/28/2004 |
| Tires are firestone eagle p205/55/16. i have had trouble with a front shimmy since i purchased the vehicle. i have had it looked at and had re-balancing and wheel alignment to no avail. the reason i suspect the tires is that i had some firestone tires in the past do exactly what i am expereincing.i purchased the car used with 15000 miles on it.the original owner was expereincingthe same shimmy. the car at slower speeds begins to rock from side to side.i was told the last time that i had it looked at, that there was something wrong with the tires. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 45000 | 1 | |
| 2003 chrysler pt cruiser with defected control arm bushings. consumer stated that the bushings are wearing prematurely. *kb the consumer stated he has had problems with the transmission, steering column, front bearing and water pump. *jb | |||
| 08/23/2007 | 4 | 07/08/2003 | |
| When adjusting the steering column, or turning right or left, the radio and horn are disabled. pulling or pushing the steering column will enable the radio and horn. the dealership worked on this problem, and at one point thought it was corrected, however, after securing a loose wire that corrected the horn problem the technician wanted the car to remain at the dealership overnight so as to confirm the correction in the morning with a cold start. the technician determined that the correction failed, and the dealership recommended replacing the steering column. this correction is at the cost of the owner. i was advised that on the day that my car was service another pt owner brought her car to the dealership with the indentical problem. *tr | |||
| 07/04/2003 | 10400 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| Dt: the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact's wife was involved in an accident where the break away design of the steering wheel caused a fatal injury. the police ruled that the fatality occurred as overcorrecting. the contact stated he knew of another case within a ten mile radius where the same type of fatality happened. *ak | |||
| 03/15/2004 | 1 | ||
| When turning the steering wheel towards the left the steering wheel skipped. consumer notified the dealer about this issue. *ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 06/30/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated that after hearing that the pt cruiser was on recall he phoned the manufacturer to see if his vehicle was included the recall. consumer was told that the problem he was experiencing was not on recall, but that he should report the problem to manufacturer. when consumer was driving at 60 mph, the steering wheel shook. he did not feel very secure. consumer contacted dealer, and was urged to wait before bringing the vehicle in, and to see if the vehicle was included in the recall. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 06/12/2007 | 42000 | 1 | 04/11/2003 |
| As my wife was driving the car she noticed a sudden loss of power assist in the steering. she was able to direct the car into a parking space, and upon exiting ,noticed large amounts of smoke coming from under the car. she asked others to call the fire department, and by the time they arrived, the car was totally engulfed in flames. upon review at the accident scene there was a noticeable trail of power steering fluid on the road bed for approximately 4-500 feet before she came to a stop.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 12000 | 2 | 02/02/2003 |
| The power steering hose and brakes failed. the consumer received a recall for the hose but the dealer would not fix under warranty. *bf recall# 04v268000. *sc *jb | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 09/09/2005 | 1 | 03/31/2003 | |
| I have taken my pt cruiser into dealer 10-12 times for problems that they are unable to correct. there have been parts loose that needed to be tightened, such as belts, hoses, connections and interior parts that have fallen off the car and dealer does not know how to fix. i submitted a complaint to manufacturer and applied for lemon law, but chrysler representative did not listen and took dealer side. they claim they cannot duplicate noises, but i recently found out the shop supervisor who has been checking out my car for the noises has a severe hearing loss and a claim against insurance company for hearing problems. there are high pitch whining noises, squeals and loud screeching noises coming from the engine compartment. the car loses power and seems to hesitate at freeway speeds. there is also a noise that sounds like a train whistle in the distance. i have heard popping sounds in the front end and squealing and screeching sounds from the brakes and under hood is constant. there is also a noise that is heard sometimes in steering and turning. the dealer told me they would replace the power steering unit to see if it would solve the problems and ordered the part. when i took the car in for the service, they said they could not duplicate the noise again and did not do anything. when i step on the brakes the noise is so loud it can be heard for a long distance. it sounds like cars being crushed. the noise is also present in turning corners and driving, but worse in stepping on brakes. the dealer acknowledges a brake problem but say they do not know how to fix it. there have been other problems such as radio/cd player did not work when new, sensor light replaced, rattles under dash, check engine light, etc, but the noises and in-ablility to repair have me worried about serious problems. they hear the noise, but then tell me the mechanic cannot duplicate and do nothing to repair. this has been an ongoing problem since i got the vehicle in 2003. *jb | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/10/2008 | 60000 | 1 | 06/21/2008 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact continued to hear a clunking noise and stated that the vehicle would get away from her while driving various speeds on the highway. the dealer repaired the tire, but an independent mechanic stated that control arm bushings and tie rod end repairs were common. the dealer offered to repair the vehicle at the cost of more than $600. they also stated that a front end alignment would be needed following the repairs. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 65,000. updated 11/17/08 *cn updated 11/24/08. *jb | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/06/2004 | 2375 | 3 | |
| While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming from the steering column. dealerships mechanic determined that the problem pertained to rack and pinion. *ak | |||