Chrysler Recalls 645,000 Minivans and Jeeps

— DETROIT (Reuters) - The Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler AG will recall 645,000 vehicles, including 545,000 minivans and 95,000 Jeeps, in two separate recalls, a federal safety agency said on Tuesday.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Chrysler would recall Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town & Country minivans built between June 1996 and October 1998 to fix a piece of sound insulation that can fall into the rear seat belt assembly. The agency said the insulation could cause the seat belts to not work properly.

The other Chrysler recall involves 95,000 Jeep Wrangler sport utility vehicles built between June 2000 and December 2001. NHTSA said the Wrangler's ignition switch can short out if exposed to water and dirt, creating the chance of a fire.

The agency also said General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. would recall 11,100 brand-new vehicles to fix bolts holding the rear wheel hubs to the axle.

The recall covers 8,483 2003 Toyota Corolla sedans and 2,701 front-wheel-drive 2003 Pontiac Vibe wagons, both of which are built at a plant in California.

NHTSA said the bolts were not tightened enough during assembly. If one came loose, it would make an odd noise, and if all four came loose the wheel could separate from the axle.

“The ignition switch may deteriorate if the engine fails to crank and the driver holds the key in the ‘start’ position for an extended period. High current flows through the ignition switch and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts,”

Funny thing- GM is voluntarily recalling the cars, even though stupidity is not covered under warranty...

I stand by my previous post.

Having worked for Chrysler dealerships for close to 20 years, I’ll be the first to admit that they’ve had some quality control problems. I certainly agree with your position on their “crappy transmissions” as we have replaced more than I care to admit. I find the “nightmarish wiring” statement a little broad. While I’ve seen a number of vehicles that exhibited problems that can be termed electrical in nature, nothing has lead me to believe that Chryslers experience any across the board deficiencies related to the wiring.

I applaud GM for their voluntary recall pertaining to the ignition switches, but seriously, when has owner stupidity ever stopped NHTSA or any of the other consumer protection agencies from threatening action in our increasingly litigious society. Is it possible that they are simply trying to avoid a forced recall, whether justified or not, that could cover many more vehicles and cut even deeper into corporate profits?

I’ve owned Ford, GM, and Chrysler products. As far as quality and workmanship are concerned, the best was a ’66 Ford LTD. I attribute that to the fact that “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to”. I currently own a ’95 Jeep Cherokee and have been very happy with its dependability.

Every automotive manufacturer produces inferior products from time to time. While I certainly won’t argue with your opinion that GM and Ford make better vehicles, I am curious if perhaps you were the victim of a “lemon”.

Obviously, I’m biased towards Chrysler products, as they are my bread and butter. Not to mention the fact that my maintenance and repair expense is considerably less than it would be if I drove any other model. I simply wondered why this article was posted while an article that showed 3 times the number of GM vehicles recalled was neglected.

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