Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||||
| 2300800B | 11/24/2000 | 230800A | 615688 | Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt | 01/28/2001 |
| 230800 | 03/03/2000 | 233599A | 610635 | Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt | 05/09/2000 |
| 233599 | 09/03/1999 | 607963 | Information on child seat tether anchors. *tt | 10/21/1999 | |
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - SEAT HEATER/COOLER | |||||
| 43 | 02/01/2005 | 10012800 | The front seat electric heater elements may fatigue and cause localized overheating and/or discoloration of the seat cover surface. customer satisfaction notification d43 - heated seat elements. *tt | 03/30/2005 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - SEAT HEATER/COOLER | ||||||
| PE04017 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 02/18/2004 | 06/21/2004 | OVERHEATING OF SEAT HEATERS | ||
| Odi opened this investigation based on 24 complaints alleging that the electrically heated driver or passenger seat sparks/overheats.daimlerchrysler believes the failure is due to one of two factors:the stitching operation on the seat cover may cause the sewing needle to sever some strands of the wire heating grid in the seat, or a poor solder joint/wire connector fails due to improper processing or long term overstressing.the ignition switch and the seat heater switch must both be turned on to power the seat heater.complainants report that when overheating occurs, switching the heater off also stops the overheating.the failure cannot occur in an unattended vehicle with the ignition switch off.odi finds that the 33 fire allegations are reporting very localized overheating(photos of damaged seats show holes the size of a pencil or less).there are no reports of sustained combustion and no reports of other fire damage to the vehicle.the injury allegations are reporting minor injury.no consumers required medical treatment (physician care).there are no allegations of loss of vehicle control due to failure of a heated seat.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||
| 11/30/2004 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was equipped with seat heater and it burned through the fabric, burning the passenger. manufacturer was contacted, but they will not repair the seat. *ak | |||
| 01/24/2003 | 67027 | 1 | 05/09/2001 |
| I own a 1999 town & country lxi. on jan. 24, 2003 i had taken it to my local garage for a broken seat . i was informed that the seat track at the motor assembly was broken. chrysler's position is that this is my responsibility. it is my contention that a seat should be able to withstand the impact of a crash, and not fail due to normal wear and tear. to me , this is a very serious safety issue.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The removable second seats do not have a positive locking mechanism for attaching the seats to the floor, resulting in the seat coming loose while turning corner. *mjs | |||
| 1 | 12/15/1998 | ||
| Passenger seat broken. nlm | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||
| 12/21/2004 | 117300 | 1 | 09/04/1998 |
| This vehicle was involved in a chain effect crash which was not related to this equipment failure. the failure occurred during the crash. when hit from the rear and pushed into another vehicle, the seat of the car broke in two ways; the back of the seat collapsed and the bottom part of the seat twisted slightly. the car was drivable from the scene of the accident. of four vehicles involved, this vehicle was the only one which sustained seat damage. the other three vehicles had to be towed from the scene. *jb | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - SEAT HEATER/COOLER | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 178000 | 1 | 01/06/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 chrysler town and country. the contact stated that the heated passenger side seat caught fire. the vehicle sustained approximately $10,000 worth of damages. the failure began while the contact was driving at an unknown speed, and the seat began smoking. he pulled off the road and the vehicle became engulfed in flames. the fire department arrived at the scene. a police report was filed. chrysler stated that there were no defects and the failure was due to how the vehicle was driven by the owner. there were no injuries. the current and failure mileages were 178,000. | |||
| 09/14/2007 | 100 | ||
| 1999 chrysler town & country limited: problem(s) worsening - becoming more frequent over last 3 yrs: start van, runs 5-10 secs, then shuts off, disconnect battery-wait 3 mins, cranked in beginning, now only 50/50: security system activates and shut system down 24 hrs, disconnect battery but no startl 24 hours, had new key made at dealership use vin, problems persists: rear vent windows stopped working, changed motors and switches, problem continues: heater in seats recalled, dealer replaced; heaters on recall but would not replace bottom cover(leather)has hole from where heater burning through, now heaters come on/off at will: gauges go off with engine running, back on when they get ready: radio and power windows intermittent: transmission will not shift from first when exiting interstate after traveling in od for 100 miles, happened 3-4 times, not continuous: alarm sounds in middle of night and when standing in street 25ft+ behind the van; manufactured on 4/17/98 so 1999 has mostly 1998 parts, real problematic when purchasing parts: note: have two 1999 t&c limiteds, one having these problems the other (red) only paint clear coat peeling; had to tow van several times. now having the instrument cluster and lock switch in driver's door replace. next step change bcm: i am throwing $1s at van, dealerships (more than one) say no idea causation. dealer has replaced battery, cables, belt, maintenance on transmission +). your url from chat rooms and forums. many others having same or similar problems. no luck with their local dealerships either. have owned many chrysler and dodge products, these may be last! thank you. pastor steve randall *tr | |||
| 11/15/2006 | 40 | 1 | 09/20/2001 |
| My 1999 chrysler town and country limited mini van driver seat caught fire when the seat warmer was on. the seat got very hot about 1 minute before and then smoke came up in front of me while i was driving and i looked down and saw flames. i put it out and turned off the seat. we purchased the vehicle in 2001. at the time of the purchase, the driver's seat warmer was not working and as part of our sale the dealership replaced the entire seat with a brand new one to correct the problem. also, at the time of incident my passenger sliding door will not open from the inside. so, had the fire spread my passengers in the back would not have been able to open the door from the inside of the car. someone would have had to let them out from the outside of the car. we have had the locks replaced in the past 2 years due to the car locking itself and locks not working from both outside and inside. *jb | |||
| 01/18/2005 | 70160 | 1 | 05/27/2001 |
| Our 1999 chrysler town & country's heated driver's seat developed a hot spot last winter. i took it to the dealership 6/23/04 to have a number of problems addressed, including the heated seat. they told us it checked out ok and that they couldn't find a hot spot, even though we knew there was. they said it was safe and that anyway the seat wasn't a warranted part. because they said it would cost approx. $900 to replace, we decided not to do it. also, because they said it was safe, i started using the heater again when the weather turned cold, although i had to keep turning it off when it got too hot. on january 18, 2005, i drove about 20 miles on the freeway, and when i got out of the car i noticed a burn hole in the seat--about 3/8 across--just in the location that had always felt too hot. i felt lucky that it hadn't burst into flames while i was on the freeway! i was really upset and took it into the dealership. they told me that there was no problem with these seats, but they offered to share the cost of replacement. the cost of the seat has now gone up to $1100, and they want us to pay $700 of that. i'm going to get the seat replaced because it's a safety issue, but i don't think we should have to pay for a faulty part. after the most recent incident, we started to do some research and discovered that quite a few other complaints have been made to nhtsa. i downloaded report #pe00-034 which was quite informative. i contacted chrysler's recall department today and was told that the situation is under investigation. then i spoke to customer assistance, where i was told that they couldn't do any better that the $700 co-pay. chrysler should not get away with not addressing this problem, just because there haven't been major injuries yet. also, it does not seem right that customers should have to pay to replace what is quite obviously a defective component. i will ask the dealership to give me the burned seat when they replace it. *jb | |||
| 01/15/2005 | 105000 | 1 | 06/20/1998 |
| Complaint received via e-mail.the driver side front heater seat malfunctioned and burned a 3/8 diameter hole in the center of the bottom cushion. never been smoked in. *jb the consumer was told by the dealer a notice had been received from the manufacturer but a recall was never issued. *er *jb | |||
| 09/05/2004 | 1 | 02/12/1999 | |
| I have a 1999 chrysler town and country van. it has all the options and i puchased this vehicle brand new. i have taken excellent care of it. the problem is that the drivers seat, leather with heat, is overheating in one area. it gets so hot that it burns the back of my leg. if i leave the heat on for more than 1 minute, i can smell burning leather. i know that if i left it on, it would probably catch fire. i can see a small spot on the seat where the leather has actually burned. unfortunately, i cannot use this feature anymore. it is too dangerous. i am courious as to other incedents of this same thing hppening. *ak | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 2 | ||
| After the vehicle started up driver's automatic seat heater overheated, causing driver to sustain minor burns. consumer was able to drive vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic could not determine the cause of the problem. *ak | |||
| 12/09/2003 | 75000 | 2 | 12/01/2003 |
| The heated seats continue to get hot after turning the temperature down. consumer stated it made it hard to drive when the seat continued to get hot. consumer could turn them off altogether, but could not use the seat heater. *ak....*ak | |||
| 12/06/2004 | 2 | ||
| 1) use of heated seat. 2) twice, heated seat overheated. each time it burnt a hole through the leather, and the last time it was smoldering. 3) contacted chrysler, but safety from possible fire was not their concern. they were not interested in dealing with this problem because of the the age and milage of the vechile. they responded that my concern, especially in light of the expense and inconvience involved in this issue, was understnadable, but that my request for considerationin this matter must be declined. imagine that ... expense and inconvience (their's of course) outweighs in their minds the issue of safety. as i review other complaints to the nhtsa i recognize a common thread with there heated seats. it obviously takes more than burning someone, or even burning a hole in the seat and then smoldering to address the issue of this fire hazard. i certainly hope that someone doesn't have to die from a car fire before action is taken. *ak | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Heating system on passenger seat caused fire that burned seat. *jb | |||
| 09/20/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving 15 mph driver's heated seat burned the driver, causing minor injuries. consumer will contact the dealer in the near future. *ak | |||
| 06/20/2004 | 69000 | 2 | 02/25/2001 |
| On two separate occasions driver's seat heater burned through the seat. dealer replaced the seat on the first occasion. currently, the problem has recurred. the dealer was notified again. dealer informed consumer that the seat will be replaced at consumer's expense. *ak | |||
| 10/17/2004 | 47114 | 4 | |
| The vehicle was equipped with heated seats'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>heated seats'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>heated seats'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>heated seats. the owner took the vehicle to the dealer to have the seats checked. the problem was not detected. now, the passenger seats are over heating also. the owner had the seats replaced on two seperate occassions. provide further details. *jb the consumer stated that all four seats failed. both front seats had burn holes in them. the consumer heard a noise coming from the front of the vehicle when going over bumps. the consumer was told that the strut tower went bad and had it replaced. the consumer complained that a vibration is felt while driving as if the vehicle drove on four flat tires. the consumer heard a whining noise when using the am radio which only happed when using the brake. *tc | |||
| 03/18/2003 | 95000 | 1 | 01/04/1999 |
| Last year while i was driving the driver's seat went on fire. it burned a small hole in the seat and caused a severe blister on my leg before i switched it off. the dealer said it would be over $1100 to fix it. i today read all the reports on line about this problem, so i am now reporting it. i do not understand why something as dangerous as this is not the subject of a recall.*ak | |||
| 02/13/2004 | 58000 | 1 | 09/09/2001 |
| While driving with the seat heater on consumer saw that the seat heater had burned a hole through the bottom of the passenger seat. *ak when the consumer touched the seat it was very hot and smelled of noxious fumes. *tc | |||
| 01/25/2004 | 37400 | 01/15/1999 | |
| Driver side heated seat would become very hot after 3 to 4 min. i would often have to suddenly locate the switch while driving to prevent being burned. on 1/25/04 i had just started driving with the seat heater on but got out of the car to talk to my sister. after about ten minutes i returned to my car (still running) to find it full of smoke. i also noticed a hole burned through the leather seat and a smoking wire showing through. this area is at a seam near the middle of the seat. i feel that this is a major safety hazard. the heat switch is located on the side of the seat and is often knocked on without my knowledge. i fear the passenger seat may also burn up since it is often not occupied but in the on position. i noticed in my 2003 version of the same van, the seat heat switches are on the dash instead. the chrysler parts dept. tells me it will be over $800 each just for the seat cover/heater unit. i have read about similar seat fires in other 1999 town & country vans. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Front driver's seat warmer caught on fire and burned through the seat and part of driver's clothing. consumer was able to extinguish the fire. *ak | |||
| 11/28/2003 | 78551 | 1 | 08/02/1999 |
| Re: 1999 chrysler minivan seat heater overheat failure. vin: 1c4gp64l3xb808505. on 11/28/03, the subject passenger seat heater overheated, producing smoke and significant odor. as soon as it was evident that the seat heater was the cause, the heater was manually switched off before the heater failure had an opportunity to reach its' natural conclusion. afterwards, a burn hole was visibly evident in the top center portion of the seat cushion, approx. 10mm in size. damage internal to the seat was not examined by myself. upon contacting service at siemens car service and purchase point for the vehicle 11/28/03 and 12/1/03 (bridgman, michigan), i was referred to chrysler corp. upon contacting chrysler corp 12/1/03 (ph. 800-992-1997, spoke with emelia, complaint no. 11862265) i was told that, because the vehicle was beyond its' warranty period, there is nothing chrysler would do regarding the overheat failure; they simply documented my concern. my family (wife nancy and three children), present during the overheat failure, were signficantly concerned by the smoke and odor. *ak | |||
| 09/27/2003 | 137000 | 1 | 03/01/1999 |
| The passenger side heated seat burned through the cushion. *ak *ph | |||
| 12/01/2002 | 56000 | 1 | 02/01/1999 |
| Passenger seat became extremely hot and pruduced smoke and burnt through the leather because the seat heater shorted out.*ak | |||
| Driver began to smell smoke while traveling with seat heater on. driver's legs began to burn from the seat, and turned the seat heater off. manufacturer was contacted. *ak | |||
| 02/24/2003 | 30000 | 07/10/1999 | |
| Van purchased new in 7/99. now has 30,000 miles on it and final payment is next month. in dec. 02, drivers side heating element went out. in feb. 03, passenger side went out. noticed a small burn hole in seat, took it to dealer, they would order new elements, but we'd have to live with the hole. feb 24, dropped son off at school, driving to work, kept smelling something. looked over and smoke was coming out of the hole in the passenger seat. pulled over, put it out with snow. got to work, called the dealer, they told me to bring it in the next day!! when leaving work, seat motor kept running. took it to the dealer immediately, asked them to pull the fuse so there would be no power to the seats. they said there was no way it disconnect the seats. when husband got home, he reached under the drivers seat and pulled the fuse. took it in the next morning, said they would check it and order new element. one hour later they called and said they would have to order new seats for both driver and passenger side. that was 2/25/03. today is 6/19/03, still not fixed. dealer says they have passenger side seat but not the drivers side. it is still at factory. after 2 months of calling, they have said the factory shipped it out 6/17 and should be here in about 2 weeks. i refuse to let them put the passenger side in without the drivers side being fixed because i am afraid it will catch fire also. chrysler customer assistance is no help what so ever. they refuse to give me the district reps number. the service dept at the dealer is no help, they just keep saying it is ordered. if it wasn't for the parts manager, we'd probably never get the seat at all. from the looks of the number of complaints on this site, these seats should have been recalled. this is only one of the problems i have had with this van and definitely will not be purchasing another chrysler product. they do not stand behind their 5 star rating. *nlm | |||
| 36071 | 1 | ||
| The driver's heated seat malfunctioned, and burned through the leather seat. *jb | |||
| 02/17/2003 | 1 | 03/27/1999 | |
| While driving to work, i smelled something burning. i looked over and my passenger side seat was smoking. i turned off my seat heaters and when i stopped the van, i noticed there was three holes in the front part of the seat. the heat coil had burned through.*jb | |||
| 12/27/2002 | 52000 | 1 | |
| The seat heater caught fire.*jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The seat heater was to hot, which caused the heater to burn a hole into the driver seat.*jb | |||
| 1 | 05/01/2001 | ||
| The passenger side seat heater had burned a whole in the seat. scc *jb | |||
| 02/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| The driver and passenger seats overheated.*jb | |||
| 1 | 09/01/2002 | ||
| The seat warmer did not perform as designed.*jb | |||
| 02/10/2003 | 41000 | 11/05/2002 | |
| Driver's seat on our 1999 chrysler town and country ignited as a result of the seat heater malfunctioning. it burnes a hole through the leather seat and singed my wife's pants. | |||
| 01/30/2003 | 58000 | 10/30/1998 | |
| Front seat heaters become uncomfortably hot. unable to safely use heaters, afraid of seats catching fire. local dealer states nothing they can do under warranty even though this is a $36,000+ vehicle with an extended factory warranty. | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 81000 | 03/07/1999 | |
| Both driver side and passenger side seat heaters get too hot. the driver's side heating element burned through the leather seat. the heater cannot be used safetly. we are concerned about it starting on fire. | |||
| 12/29/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that the seat heater is to hot causing the heater to burn a hole into the driver seat causing and distraction to the consumer. dealer notified. ts | |||
| Electric seat warmer burned passenger's seat. please provide any additional information. ph | |||
| 10/17/2002 | |||
| While driving the vehicle at the 40mph, passenger seat caught on fire; seat heater got a short circuit. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts | |||
| 03/06/2002 | 1 | 06/22/1998 | |
| Consumer stated the drivers seat heater becomes so hot that it is unusable, it was turned on for awhile, and after 10-15 minutes the vehicle smelled like smoke, and the seat was too hot to sit on and it burned 2 holes in the leather seat.*jb | |||
| 01/18/2002 | 4 | 10/01/2001 | |
| This is a corrected complaint from odi#759939. we purchesd the van with 38,600 miles. we believed we had a 3,000 mile or 3 month warranty. the driver's side seat heater shorted and caused the seat to catch fire. not a smolder, a real fire with flame and smoke etc. my 4 children were in the vehicle. fortunately my wife was standing near the van and was able to put the fire out with snow. we notified scott morris at morris motors and he said he would check into the situation. we have waited patiently and only called every couple of weeks. he kept telling us chrysler would call us. no-one ever called. today scott said he will do nothing and should have let the van burn up. no kidding, he said that. we called chrysler ourselves. they told us they would do nothing and not to call back and that we could not speak with any supervisors. what if the van burned with my children in the vehicle and we couldn't put the fire out? what if the van burns while parked in my garage and causes a huge catastrophe? we need help and no-one is willing to help us. they are, in fact, rude and sarcastic. all we are asking is for a new seat that is working properly and safely. that is all we want. please help. thank you. nlm | |||
| 11/15/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Wiring in driver's side seat heat malfunctioned. overheated on left side when switched on. service dept at dealer disconnected, stating that it was getting so hot that it was a hazard. so hot it could melt wiring. possible fire hazard. replacement and repair estimated at $1500!!*ak | |||
| 07/28/2000 | |||
| Seat warmer heating element caused seat on t passenger's side to catch on fire. this happened while driving the van. driver was able to put out the fire. no one was seating in the seat at the time. dealer has been called about the problem. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 2 | 06/14/1999 | ||
| Seat heater on the driver and passenger's seats became too hot and scorched seat. mjs | |||
| 01/18/2000 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| The electrical heating of the leather covered seats was being used due to cold winter climate. the passenger was dropped off but the seat heating was left in the on position. while driving down the road, a burning odor was noticed, then sparks and the leather cover and padding ignited. while stopping the vehicle to extinguish the flames, a hole the size of a quarter was burned into the seat back.the burn hole exists in the middle of the seat back in the threaded seam. smoke damage exists on the upper portion of the seat back. the heated seat has stopped working. *ak | |||
| 12/24/1999 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| Both the driver and passenger seat warmers are extremely hot, the driver side seat warmer apparently shorted out or burned the seat as there was a bad smell as if something was burning within 5 minutes after starting the van, then the seat warmer did not work and when i got home and inspected the seat a small 4cm hole was burned through the leather with apparent blackened seat material beneath. *ak | |||