Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER
96V215000CHRYSLER CORPORATIONfrom 07/15/1996 to 09/15/1996V (Vehicle)1899704/21/1997MFRCHRYSLER GROUP LLC10/29/199610/31/1996
Defect SummaryThe master cylinder rear seal, between the hydraulic fluid and the vacuum reservoir, may not seal adequately allowing hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the power assist vacuum reservoir.
Consequence SummaryAs the hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases, the level sensor will detect the loss of fluid and illuminate the instrument panel brake warning lamp. continued operation of the vehicle with the warning lamp illuminated can result in extended stopping distances.
Corrective SummaryDealers will replace the brake master cylinder on all affected vehicles. addendum (4-14-97): vehicles inspected per chrysler recall no. 707 and found to be outside the listed suspect master cylinder date code range, must now have the master cylinder primary piston replaced (chrysler recall no. 714).
NotesOwner notification is expected to begin during late november 1996. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
0500106A09/23/20060500106A10020494Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *kb10/27/2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
05029702/14/199751966Rear brake cyclic rubbing noise. *tw07/17/1997
05019702/14/199751967Rear brake moan/howl noise. *tw07/17/1997
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC
050030104/20/2001619506A condition may exist where a low frequency howl / moan noise is heard from the rear brake area during low speed and / or low speed turns such as a parking lot maneuver, with no brake pedal pressure applied. *tt06/04/2001
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM
050030503/09/2006050010610019632Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *tt04/12/2006
050020406/21/2005050030510005996Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *tt04/05/2004
0500102A09/23/20020500102630800Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *yd this bulletin supersedes 05-001-02 dated march 4, 2002. *tt04/24/2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - DRUM
050010102/09/2001051099619122On some vehicles, while driving through deep or blowing snow / water, the snow / water may enter the rear brake drums causing rust to develop on the rear brake drum and shoe friction surfaces. this condition can lead to temporary freezi05/15/2001
05109901/31/20006089711Information regarding snow / water entering the rear brake drums. *tt02/24/2000

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SERVICE BRAKES
09/14/20121950451
 I went to dmv to have my car inspected and was given a report that stated several parts on my vehicle were recalled. i am trying to find out if vehicle can be serviced for free from dealer because of the defects or will i have to pay for them? parts listed under recall were rc-j25-09 emissions recall j25 mopar value line catalytic converters my car failed for emissions problems b24-clockspring safety recall - lifetime warranty 895- safety recall fuel rail seals. *tr
09/14/2012195045
 I went to dmv to have my car inspected and was given a report that stated several parts on my vehicle were recalled. i am trying to find out if vehicle can be serviced for free from dealer because of the defects or will i have to pay for them? parts listed under recall were rc-j25-09 emissions recall j25 mopar value line catalytic converters my car failed for emissions problems b24-clockspring safety recall - lifetime warranty 895- safety recall fuel rail seals
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
12/19/20081500001
 Hard application of brakes. *tr
06/14/2008111501
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chrysler town and country. the contact stated that something under the vehicle was making a grating sound. she could feel and hear a popping sound when the accelerator and brake pedals were depressed. she believes the vehicle is unsafe to drive. the current and failure mileages were 111,501.
07/04/2002584562
 Nar 06/19/2003. *mr soon after the consumer purchased the vehicle he noticed the parking brake did not work. the vehicleh had a flat tire before entering the interstate. the car was taken to the service dealer to have the brakes repaired, but it was evident that the parking brake was defective. along with the parking brakes several other problems existed with the vehicle. a belt tensioner and tune up was needed. there were two recalls were issued for the fuel rails and clocks springs. however the dealership failed to recognize other malfunctions like the parking brakes in which the consumer felt a recall needed to be issued. please investigate and give prompt response. *cb the consumer was told the reason the parking nrake did not work was because the vehicle needed disc pads, brake shoes rotors and drums because they were glazed and could not be resurfaced. the fuel injector and throttle body needed to cleaned. *jb
09/15/20030
 The most recent brake failure was the most potentially deadly. without warning, we had total brake failure due to rear wheel cylinders seizing up. we contacted chrysler, offered to send them the defective parts. after numerous calls to customer service and the recall center, we were told chrysler was not interested. chrysler contacts were very rude. we pulled up a recall from nhtsa id number 96v215000. our concern was the remark in the corrective summary. the master cylinders in 1997 minivans made in st. louis were defective. our minivan was manufactured in st. louis. according to chrysler recall center, the recall was on vehicles with traction control. we have traction control. people at customer service will not talk to us about the recall notice to help us. our van is handicap accessible. safety for our family and out disabled son is of utmost concern. since chrysler is no help, who is?
97077104/12/1999
 Consumer said that the brake rotors had little deep indentations, like holes that didn't go all the way through. the passenger's side and driver's side calipers cracked and a chunk of metal was missing on the passenger's side caliper. the consumer believed this was a manufacturer's defect and that the metal was not strong enough. *ak the holes in the rotors ranged from a couple of mm to 15 mm. *ph *nm
07/28/1998
 Serious grinding in brakes at 38000 miles. 45000 miles dealer noted discs wore corroeded and warped. brakes now rattle during braking.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK
09/01/1998200
 As head of engineering development at temic automotive, n.a., now owned by continental teves, i was involved in the investigations into hundreds of cases of 'thermal incidents' on abs controllers on nearly every program. the incidence was highest, on those vehicles with the greatest exposure of the connector to the elements. our investigations showed that a direct battery to ground short would develop in the presence of moisture and contamination, and even a 'sealed' connector design would not prevent this. the highest failure rate was on the chrysler minivan. an interim fix using a raychem gasket was employed, and even used as a silent recall fix on many customer vehicles. it is my opinion now, that this should have been a recallable issue, should such an direct short situation develop that it might lead to a vehicle fire. i am not aware of any vehicle fires directly traceable to this. i would think the probability would be very low, but i'm sure it is not zero. i think the actions taken, and the vehicles effected, and the lack of warranty coverage for a known defect in many customer cases should be investigated by nhtsa. the time period of interest would be from my 1997 up until 2000 or 2001. the main platforms effected would be chrysler minivan, jeeps and ford explorer. *nm
11/16/20021180001
 The abs light came on and stayed on when the temperature was warm. *nlm *scc *jb
03/12/20031
 The brakes locked up, which caused the vehicle to experience extended stopping distance. *jb
06/08/2001109/01/2096
 1. steering system locked up while making turns making control of vehicle difficult. van also made screeching noises while turning. was told rack and pinion needed replacing per service bulletin. it was, but did not solve problem. dealer recommended drive belt and tensioner be replaced. this finally helped. 2. air bag light and abs lights came on, and traction control went off at hwy speeds. air bag light remained on constantly. dealer says that both air bag clock spring and abs controler must be replaced. dealer stated that if these controlers were not replaced, neither the air bags, the horn, the cruise control nor the abs braking system would work. please reopen nhtsa action investigation #ea01007 for the air bag clock spring in this vehicle. it is important for people to know that if their air bag light won't go off it means that the system is not operational!
04/11/2001110/01/2000
 This morning when i put the car in drive, i heard a loud constant squealing noise. i attempt to turn the steering wheel to the left, but the van took off striaght ahead and would not turn and crashed into a parked car, which was totalled afterwards. although my foot was on the brakes at all times, my van continued to propel forward. it then knocked over a tree approx. 12 ft. tall and finally stopped when it ran into a neighbors shrubs. fortunately, no one was injured or walking in front of the van at the time or perhaps someone may have been killed. upon investigation, there was visible skid marks from where my van was parked to where it finally stopped, which was over 60 feet away. ironicallly, my van was still drivable after all the damaged it had done. i had it towed to a local chrysler dealership, they conducted a test drive and found nothing out of the ordinary. i have serious reservation about ever driving my van again. if there have ever been any similiar complaints, please let me know. i can be contacted at 011 49 6202 29935 or email russobey@yahoo.com.*ak
12/26/2000106/01/1997
 Sudden acceleration of vehicle while foot on brake and about to put car in gear resulting in accident. *ak
04/01/20001
 Vehicle experiences a delayed stopping distance whenever brakes are applied. vehicle taken to an independent shop, and informed consumer that problem was due to front brake rotors, being rusted/corroded and pitted. *slc
09/30/2000112/01/1996
 Fire while driving, brakes, power steering completely failed.
07/23/20001
 Consumer was traveling about 30- 35mph on the service ramp, she went to apply brakes, and there were no brakes, and no prior warning. in order to avoid hitting another vehicle, vehicle has deliberately crashed into metal barrier. vehicle was totaled. *ak
05/24/2000102/01/1997
 The rear brakes locked up while the vehicle was being driven. this caused the brakes to burn up and ruin all the rear components. the wipers would activate without being turned on. this would happen intermittently without warning. the dealer knew exactly what was needed to repair so i believe this is a factory defect they knew about.*ak
09/21/1999
 When slamming on the brakes to stop in an emergency, brake pedal went to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance, and the vehicle crashed into the rear end of vehicle in front. there was no deployment of the driver's side or passenger's side air bags. owner waiting for help from chrysler about the crash. prior to crash brake service light can on and dealer turned it off and said nothing was wrong. *ak
10/01/1997101/01/1997
 While driving 65 mph consumer had to make a sudden stop, the vehicle continued to travel. consumer depressed the brake pedal again . *ak consumer had to swerve to avoid an accident. *slc
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
306/01/1997
 Front and rear brakes became weak and could not stop the vehicle resulting in accident. yh
4
 The vehicle shakes when braking at higher speeds. yh
08/01/1997210/01/1996
 Brakes failed. nlm
10/25/1998109/01/1997
 On my minivan (like most cars) there is a sensor for the front brakes so that when the front brakes pads are wearing thin, the sensor causes a high pitched shrill to be sounded. my sensor failed to function at all-hence i continued to use my brakes for a significantly longer time than i should have. as a result, by the time i was alerted to any damage to the brakes whatsoever, both the front and back brakes were so destroyed my van required an entire brake overhaul. fortunately, once i heard a dreadful 'metal against metal' sound (my very first warning), i was able to drive directly to the dealership. unfortunately, the dealership basically called me a liar when i told them about the defective sensor and they refused to pay any portion of my bill.
07/01/1997
 The braking system malfunctioned, causing extended stopping distance which almost caused accidents. been to dlr 5 times. dealer replaced rotors/pads. dealer cannot determine problem. please provide further information. *ak
108/01/1996
 Brakes are very difficult to press down and are noisy.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC
07/12/20032
 Right front inside brake shoe sticks. no warnings. until brake shoe is distinigrates and hard to stop car. - 2nd occurrence. *ak
04/12/2000530001
 Right front inside brake shoe sticks. no warnings. until brake shoe is distinigrates and hard to stop car.*ak
07/01/1997
 Car has 35,ooo miles and have had to replace front brake pads 3 times. front, right caliper replaced 1 time. right side: break pad closest to piston, hardly worn, exterior pad worn bare to point where rotor had to be replaced. left front: pad closest to piston hardly worn. exterior pad severely worn. calipers checked on last break job and appear ok. mechanic expressed disbelief at seeing such uneven wear on pads. he believes this vehicle model has a design or part malfunction, as he sees them frequently for similar service. *ak
10/05/1999107/01/1997
 No summary.
07/01/1997
 The braking system malfunctioned, causing extended stopping distance which almost caused accidents. been to dlr 5 times. dealer replaced rotors/pads. dealer cannot determine problem. please provide further information. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER
07/12/1999
 Right front caliper sticks inside brake pads.no warning indicator. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS
06/13/20011
 The day after dealer replaced front brake pads, applied brakes for approaching stop light, vehicle continued on into the intersection, luckily no vehicles were coming, vehicle was taken back to dealer for inspection. ak *yd
01/20/1997
 While attempting to come to a stop the brakes would grind like metal to metal. brakes had to serviced five (5) times in the past year. dealer has been notifed. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR
04/01/20001
 The front brake rotors on both sides rusted causing failure of one side leading to brake failure, also one of the guide pins failed causing premature wear. nlm
04/01/20001
 Vehicle experiences a delayed stopping distance whenever brakes are applied. vehicle taken to an independent shop, and informed consumer that problem was due to front brake rotors, being rusted/corroded and pitted. *slc
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM
06/16/200341696403/14/1998
 The evaporator heater coil and expansion valve malfunctioned. prior to this, the air conditioner was not cooling the van. this happened since january 2002. the consumer was told by the manufacturer there was no recall on the above parts. *ak the battery had been replaced on four occasions, the rear brake drums, the serpentine belt and tensioner had been replaced. *scc also the horn, driver seat rack and grill were replaced. *jb
06/08/2000108/01/1997
 No summary
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - WHEEL CYLINDERS
04/01/1998103/01/1997
 The failure of brake shoes drums and wheel cylinders caused the right rear wheel to be locked up. yh
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER
09/22/20031
 Nhtsa recall 96-v-215-000, the master cylinder rear seal, between the hydraulic fluid and the vacuum reservoir, may not seal adequately, allowing hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the power assist vacuum reservoir. consumer had the same problem while driving at 30 mph applied brakes and brake pedal went down to the floor, and did not brake at all.*ak
 Master cylinder totally failed without warning which could havecaused a crash. recall was issued #96v215000 for same defect, but this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak
 Recall 96v215000; dealer has no parts, and keeps making the owner come in to get vehicle serviced, still does not have parts. *ak
04/28/1997
 Receivedd recall letter (#96v215000) 3 weeks ago; called dealer for appointment; was informed they had no parts; called manufacturer & informed no parts also. *ak
04/25/1997
 Consumer contacted the dealer to have the recall work preformed for the master cylinder 96v215000, repairs were done. after leaving the dealership and upon making a stop, the vehicle continued to move. consumer also stated that the emergency brake was engaged, causing the consumer to hit a bike rider. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST
03/25/1998101/01/1997
 Having owned maney cars and trucks since 1965 i feel these brakes are the worse ones i have owned to date and feel that they were resonsible for the accident.the brakes require too much foot pressure to apply. i have driven other chrysler vans, and feel it is the 1996 and above model year that have the greatly increased foot pressure requirments to stop. it seems like the vacuum booster is too small. the 1994 dodge minivan we vanpool to work in has far better brakes in terms of brake power to foot pressure response. i have driven several different ones at the dealers and it seems to just be the late models that are efected. it requires too much foot pressure for a small person during a panic stop. regular braking seems to be ok, but i would prefer a lighter pedal. *ak