Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
02V143002DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION V (Vehicle)900012/02/2002ODICHRYSLER GROUP LLC05/14/200206/03/2002
Defect SummaryOn certain passenger vehicles built by mitsubishi motor corporation for daimlerchrysler, a condition exists that allows oil to leak from the all-wheel drive transfer case.
Consequence SummaryLow oil levels in the transfer case could cause bearing damage and result in drive train lockup, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect the transfer case for indications of oil leakage. vehicles that have no oil leakage will have the transfer case oil changed. vehicles that have oil leakage will have the transfer case resealed or replaced if necessary. owner notification is expected to begin december 2, 2002. 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 daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NotesDaimlerchrysler recall no. b17.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
21109303/01/199339536Shift control solenoid valve revision. *tw11/01/1995

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
05/24/2002104/01/2000
 Failure in the transmission of male output splines (striped) of shaft leading to the transfer case (awd unit).*ak
10/13/2000111/01/1999
 All 4 wheels lock up upon transmission failure. transmission is prone to leaking.transmission cannot be rebuilt, total replacement is necessary due to unavailability of parts. this is a consistant problem with mitsubishi 3000gt vr4s and dodge stealth r/t turbos, which have the same drivetrain.*ak
04/11/2000101/01/1997
 I contact you the first time the transmission went out and you said that there was no recall, i went and paid $2,200 to have it fix .the same thing happen again i was standing still the the car first jerk in reverse while it was in drive then it just stop moving. i was wondering is the dodge stealth is part of the mitsubishi motors corp cover up thats going on in tokyo. thank you david earl cummings. *ak
08/07/1999208/01/1999
 1st transmission and transfer case shelled at 74k miles. 2nd developed problems (grinding, notchy shifting, whining, bad syncrhos) after less than 25k miles. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES
12/16/2001203/01/2001
 The original transmission started to leak in dec. 2001, i took it in and found there was a leak and in order to fix it the whole transmission would have to be replaced. this was done under ext warranty, luckily, got the car back 2-2-02, and the re-man carried a 3yr/36k warranty. now as of feb. 2002 the transmission leaking again, i have once again taken it back to my local 5 star dealer, carlin dodge, and they are forced to order another re-man, due to the fact that, parts cannot be replaced on this tranny, the whole unit must be replaced. this is an outrage, and the manufacturer knew these trannies would fail when they were put in, ie: mitsu and getrag, something needs to be done, these trannies could go with no warning and cause injury or death while driving down the road, it is a lawsuit waiting to happen. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT
12/15/2001
 When putting vehicle in gear there's a hard clunk sound. consumer feels transfer case is defective. please provide any further information.*ak
08/22/2002
 While driving at any speed and with no warning transfer case has cracked and fluid was leaking out.this could cause steering wheel or all four tires to lock up while driving. dealer notified.*ak
10/01/2000208/01/2000
 The transfer case of my 1992 dodge stealth r/t turbo has seized up at highway speed causing a 4 wheel lockup/slide through traffic. the car was serviced regularly with all fluids replaced with oem or better fluids. replacement of the transfer case solved the problem, but serious injury if not death could have occurred. there was no warning of the incident. in addition, the transmission is known to be faulty with these cars. the synchros can wear within several thousand miles. there are no replacement parts for the transmission available due to a contract between mitsubishi and getrag (manufacturer of the transmission). therefore, replacement transmissions must be purchased from mitsubishi for over $5000. after buying the car used, i found out that this is the third transmission in this car. three months after purchasing the car, the 2-3 synchro wore out. now replacing the transmission is beyond cost effective for the car.
08/07/1999208/01/1999
 1st transmission and transfer case shelled at 74k miles. 2nd developed problems (grinding, notchy shifting, whining, bad syncrhos) after less than 25k miles. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
02/09/2003600001
 The axle sheered off which caused the to separate from the vehicle.*jb
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT
01/17/200395000105/22/2002
 18 spline output shaft on a 92 dodge stealth awd breaking.*ak
02/24/2003740001
 The vehicle's axle shaft broke, without warning.*jb
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
01/15/2004129000212/17/1995
 I have experienced two incidents of stripped splines on the transmission output shaft [that goes to the transfer case]. the bevel cut gear in the transfer case has also stripped in both instances. this has resulted in considerable expense having the transmission torn down to replace the shaft [not to mention rental car needed during the repair]. once the shaft splines strip out - the car will not move and presents a clear and present danger to the driver who is out on the road! *nm
02/03/2006105000208/15/2003
 Output shaft in transmission has broke twice, once when i bought the car and the whole transmission was replaced, no more than a few hundred miles later the shaft snapped again. the shop that replaced everything the first time stated that the shaft is very weak under pressure. the vehicle has been babied and taken well care of, never driven very hard, but a few times of taking off and the shaft has broken on me 2 times. this time, the car has been sitting for months because i cant afford to buy another $4000 dollar transmission, which would probably break again. its not much cheaper to install a performance output shaft, which costs around $600 for the shaft alone. *nm
03/29/200490000102/15/1994
 Dodge stealth (1992 rt awd model) transmission failed on highway. failure mode was loss of power. car was driven off road safely, but posed a potential safety hazard due to lack of power. *ak there is a recall against the getrag transfer case (possible bearing seizure due to defective seal and subsequent loss of lubricant). based on initial research (web, dealer and transmission repair shop statements), it appears the getrag transmission in the stealth and mitsubishi 3000gt models are not properly designed for the application. this car has had exquisite care and is driven in a responsible manner. i believe the transmission design/construction is fundamentally defective and should be considered for a recall. daimler-chrysler and mitsubishi do not admit to a design defect with the part. furthermore, they and getrag have created a lucrative business on this part since replacement parts are not offered; requiring replacement of the entire transmission assembly.
07/16/2003114000203/04/2002
 18 spline transmission output shaft in my 1992 twin turbo dodge stealth broke twice. first time was june 2002 and the car had approx. 91000 miles. second time was july 2003 and the car had approx. 114000 miles.*ak
1
 The transfer case on the vehicle is leaking oil with possible wheels locking due to no fluid passing through mechanism. please describe details.*jb
06/20/2000
 It cost over $4000.00 to get the transaxle replaced. if you need exact dates, mileage or the vin # please contact me. i am associated with the 3si club. many of them said they received a confirmation of some kind when they filed there report. this is the second report i have filed concerning this problem.the first report should have all info you requested earlier on this form. (vin, mileage at failure and date of failure)i filed it because of the recent developments in the corrospondence between members of 3si ,getrag and mitsubishi motor company. p.s. i still have the complete transaxle with all broken parts if that will help in an investigation.it sure would be nice to get it replaced. the current transaxle that i purchased to replace the broken one has always ground shifting from 4th to 5th. and while you are looking into all this ask them about the $1000.00 3 piece driveshaft with universal joints that cannot be replaced. nlm
110/01/2001
 The transmission locked, and had to be replaced, could not be rebuilt.*ak
08/18/2001303/01/2001
 I feel these transmissions are not strong enough, and should be recalled. *ak
10/01/2000208/01/2000
 Dealer refused to replace transmission even under extended warranty. *ak
11/01/1999406/01/1993
 This will now be the 5th transmission i have had to put into this vehicle. the warranty has now expired and chrysler has refused to cover the $5000 it will cost to repair the car. they claim no prior record of transmission problems with this model vehicle. between failure, i have returned to the dealership many times complaining about the way the transmission shifts . it has never shifted smoothly but they could not find anything wrong until it came time to replace the unit when it completly failed.*ak
08/25/200005/01/1994
 Transfer case and transmission in learning are notorious for this failure had vehicle checked prior to warranty expiration (time vehicle still within mileage) chrysler unwilling to help
05/04/2000105/01/1999
 No summary
04/01/200001/01/2000
 The male output splines were prematurly striped inside the transmission that leads to the transfer case. this is caused by clutch particals and weather getting into the transmision case, and wearing the splines down prematurely. this happenes on all models of this car , and it happenes inevitably. and the car cannot drive at all unless this problem is fixed, and the repare is a $7,000 transmission. this is a problem from when the car was made, and there are hundreds of people who have it. *ak
04/29/199908/01/1994
 I have had endless problems with this car ever since i bought it. abs, air bag,rotors(5 times at least), fuel line, power steering leaks, transmission, rear end leaks, engine leaks, doesn't drive safely around corners, grinding noise for the past 2 years, ringing noise, tires, etc! probably close to $15,000 in repairs over the past 5 years!
10/01/199810/01/1998
 The 4th gear synchronizer in the manual transmission has not worked since i bought the car last fall. i can't get any solid answers about how to fix this problem from the dealers. *ak
11/22/199810/01/1997
 The transmission and transfer case failed on the car just 1,000 miles after the powertrain warrenty expired. i have heard that dodge/mitsubishi had a lot of failures on these cars and in 93 built them with stronger parts. i feel some if not all of the repair costs should be covered and was wondering if the nhtsa dot had any other complaint/recall requests or class action suits that i should know about?
05/01/199811/15/1996
 While traveling at 10 mph the transmission locked up and the vehicle went sideways.
11/01/1998107/01/1998
 The transmission in question is made by getrag. the manufacture listes this as unserviceable. the amount of problems associated with this trany are incredable. what can we do as consumers to protect ourselves from a faulty manufactured part?
POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
07/11/2005128000112/13/1995
 Tl*the contact owns a 1992 dodge stealth. the transfer case failed while driving approximately 55mph. the contact was able to avoid a crash. the contact maintained control of the vehicle and shut the engine off. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the transfer case was replaced at the owners expense. the manufacturer was notified since the failure is directly related to nhtsa campaign id number is :02v143002. the total cost to repair the vehicle was $1,709.01. the failure mileage was 128,000 and the current mileage was 130,001. updated 02/15/08. *lj
05/14/2005162000105/14/2005
 Dt: consumer states that transfer case locked up while going around a corner, which caused the wheels to lock. it felt like the clutch was slipping. when he took the vehicle to the service dealer, they initially thought it was part of a recall for the transfer case, they ordered the parts. the service dealer states that because the vehicle isn't locked up right now it isn't part of the recall. it occurred because the transfer case was low on fluid. the service dealer refused to fix the recall for free. consumer called daimler-chrysler, and was told according to vin this vehicle was part of the recall.*ak
07/16/20041546862
 Had goeke dodge in noblesvil, in do the recall 02v143002 when i first brought it in with a leak they took three hours and came back and told me it would be ten hours labor but they would charge me eight. i then asked about recall b17 for nthe leaking tranfer case on 91-96 tt stealths, they siad what recall. went awy for another 1/2 hr and came back and asked if i wanted a new transfer case. i said sure if they can. they ended up keeping my car for 7 days, they ordered the wrong transfer case. after i picked it up i parked on a clean piece of cardboard. the next day it was full of oil. i went back they kept the car 4 more days and then refused to check the leak because i wouldn't pay if it was the tranny. i told them i checked the fluid level in the xfer and it was almost empty, twice. so now i have a car i can't drive, don't want to have it lock up and cause an accident, and they wont fix it. *ak
07/21/2004831561
 Consumer stated dealer refused to honor recall 02v143002 concerning transfer case failure. consumer's vehicle experienced the same problem. consumer was concerned that transfer case will lock up without warning. *ak
05/12/20042
 When driving at any speed the driver would have problems shifting the gears. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the owner that the transfer case had failed. *nm
01/01/19011
 1992 dodge stealth r/t twin turbo.*mr the consumers vehicle was listed under a recall issued for 1991-1996 model year dodge stealths. the problem was that oil leaked from the transfer case. the consumers was disappointed about how long it took the dealership to fix the problem. which caused the consumer to spend money on a rental car because the dealership did not repair the vehicle in a timely matter as stated. *cb *jb
06/01/2004101/28/2003
 Safety recall b17- dodge stealth transfer case. *mr the dealer claimed they found no leaks from the transfer case and failed to perform the transfer case oil change that was stated in the recall. the transfer case ended up failing while being driven on the highway. the transfer case had no oil in it when it failed. recall#02v143002 *sc *jb
01/01/2001
 Failure of transfer case on 1992 dodge stealth.*mr the vehicle's transfer case leak fluid prior to recall notice 02v-143-002. the consumers claim was denied because the requirements of the recall were not met. *nlm
08/11/20031350004
 The recall was on the leaking transfer case. the dealer gave the consumer the run around about repairing a vehicle under the recall. six week have passed since the dealer was contacted and the consumer had the problem repaired at another dealer. *nlm
08/03/2003105000109/02/2002
 Vehicle experienced a catastrophic 4-wheel lockup at 70mph on the interstate 5 freeway. because all four wheels locked up, and de-clutching the vehicle did not alleviate the condition, i believe the awd transfer case failed. this failure at highway speeds could have caused a multiple car accident, but luckily, in my case, did not. however, the amount of vehicle damage to the drivetrain is currently unknown, but it is presumably substantial...
1
 While driving, the wheels locked and damaged the transmission. there was a recall (# 02v143002) on the vehicle which involved the transfer case leaking which could cause the wheels to lock. *jb
06/25/200275000203/29/2001
 While in motiontransfer case locked up causing loss of control. five months prior transfer case was leaking. *jg *jb *nlm. *ak
06/01/2002103/30/2002
 The consumer states that the transfer case is leaking, and has to check it daily to prevent lock up. the vehicle feels as if it is locking up-all 4 wheels. *scc
08/02/2002103/30/2002
 Transfer case on the vehicle is leaking fluid while driving. contacted dealer, the vehicle felt like the transfer case started locking up all 4 wheels while accelerating. *mr *yh