Chrysler Recalls 645,000 Minivans and Jeeps

http://www.abcnews.go.com ^ | April 2 2002 | REUTERS

[Poohbah]

Did you have clean underwear? :o)

As Bill Cosby says about this kind of situation, "First you say it, and then you do it!"

[rwfok]

GM and Ford make better vehicles...

GM recalls 1.9 million vehicles

[Capitalist Eric]

“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.

[rimmont]

I have had a Jeep Cherokee that has been running great for nine years. I bought it to replace a Japanese car from a manufacturer which shall remain nameless except in the fact that its name starts with an "M". This Japanese "M" car had so many problems that oil leakage was the very least of them. Overall it was a total sh..t heap!

[rwfok]

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.