NHTSA Complaint #10036781 — 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

I OWN A 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER. RECENTLY, OUR AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, THE HORN WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY AS WELL. WE HAVE A FRIEND THAT OWNS A 1998 VOYAGER AND SHE TOLD US THAT SHE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AND IT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CLOCK SPRING. SHE HAD HER VAN REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE BY THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, AS THEY HAD HAD SO MANY COMPLAINTS AND INCIDENTS OF THIS PART FAILING THAT THEY ACTUALLY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY OF THE CLOCK SPRING ON THE 1998 MODEL TO A LIFETIME WARRANTY. WHEN WE TOOK OUR 1999 VOYAGER IN FOR REPAIR, WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT OUR CLOCK SPRING WAS NOT WORKING. HOWEVER, THE WARRANTY WAS NOT BEING EXTENDED FOR THE 1999 MODELS, SO THE REPAIR COST US $198.00. WE WERE TOLD TO KEEP OUR RECIEPT "IN CASE" CHRYSLER EVER ISSUED A RECALL OR CHANGED THE STATUS OF THE PARTS WARRANTY IN THE FUTURE, SO WE COULD GET A REFUND. OF COURSE, I FEEL THERE IS VERY LITTLE CHANCE OF THAT EVER HAPPENING. MY MAIN COMPLAINT IS THAT IF CHRYSLER KNOW THAT THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE, WHY THEY ARE NOT RECALLING THE PARTS INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS THAT THEY SECRETLY EXTEND THE WARRANTY, WHICH GETS THEM OUT OF THE NORMAL NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES THEY HAVE TO DO DURING RECALLS. THIS IS A CLEAR CASE OF KNOWING A PROBLEM EXISTS BUT DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.