NHTSA Complaint #10032691 — 1999 DODGE AVENGER

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRONT SEATS IN MY 1999, DODGE, AVENGER, PROBABLY DEALING WITH FAULTY WELDS IN THE FRAME.*AK ON JULY 1, 2003, AFTER HAVING THE SEAT LEANED FORWARD TO ACCESS THE BACK SEAT, I RETURNED THE SEAT TO ITS NORMAL UPRIGHT LOCKED POSITION. HOWEVER, THE SEAT CONTINUED TO RECLINE FARTHER THAN ITS PROPER LOCKED POSITION (I KEEP IT AT ROUGHLY AN 80-DEGREE ANGLE, AND IT IMPROPERLY RECLINED TO ROUGHLY A 65-DEGREE ANGLE). I CHECKED WITH THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE SERVICE PERSONNEL SAID THE FRAME LIKELY BENT, AND THAT IT WOULD BE AT LEAST $450 (FOR PARTS) PLUS LABOR TO REPLACE IT. HE SUGGESTED INSTALLING A USED SEAT AS A REPLACEMENT TO SAVE MONEY, WHICH I RECENTLY PURCHASED AND AM HOPING TO INSTALL SOON. WHEN I WROTE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T FIX IT OR REPLACE IT BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF ITS THREE-YEAR WARRANTY (THE CAR IS JUST UNDER FOUR YEARS OLD AND HAS ROUGHLY 54,000 MILES ON IT). NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THEIR RESPONSE. TODAY, I WAS IN MY CAR AND REACHED FOR MY WALLET. A POPPING SOUND CAME FROM THE SEAT, AND IT RECLINED FULLY. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. I HAVE CHECKED THE INTERNET AND HAVE COME UP WITH AT LEAST TWO OTHER INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM, ONE WHERE A GENTLEMAN REACHED FOR HIS WALLET AND THE SEAT RECLINED (HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/DODGE_AVENGER.HTM) AND ONE WHERE A GENTLEMAN WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HIS SEAT RECLINED (HTTP://MEMBERS.AOL.COM/_HT_A/GRNCAMARO/OWNERSE8.HTM). I AM CONCERNED THAT SINCE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM, IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AND I WANT CHRYSLER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.