NHTSA Complaint #10047690 — 1994 DODGE SPIRIT

FOR OVER A YEAR, WE KEPT HEARING A METAL ON METAL THUNKING NOISE. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT. TWO DAYS AGO, WHEN RETURNING HOME, WE HEARD A LOUD METALLIC THUNKING NOISE THAT WAS MUCH WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY HEARD. IT SOUNDED LIKE WE WERE DRAGGING A TAIL PIPE OR MUFFLER. YET, WE FOUND NOTHING UNDER THE CAR. WHEN WE GOT HOME, WE JACKED UP THE CAR TO SEE IF WE WOULD FIND THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE. THE DODGE SPIRIT IS A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE THAT USES A SOLID REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY THAT CONSISTS OF A METAL "V" SHAPED CHANNEL CROSSMEMBER WITH A TORQUE TUBE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF IT. THE TORQUE TUBE IS RIGIDLY WELDED TO END PLATES AND IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE AXLE ASSEMBLY AND CANNOT BE INDIVIDUALLY REPLACED. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE TORQUE TUBE HAD BROKEN THE WELD AT THE END PLATE AS WELL AS SNAPPING COMPLETELY IN HALF ABOUT 6" FROM THE END PLATE. THE NOISE WE HEARD WAS THIS TUBE SLAPPING UP AND DOWN IN THE "V" CHANNEL CROSSMEMBER. IT BECAME VERY APPARENT THAT THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DODGE DEALER AS WELL AS CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR DODGE. CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NO HELP AS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS ITEM. THE DODGE DEALER WASN'T MUCH HELP EITHER. THEY EXAMINED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THAT THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING (OBVIOUSLY) AND WOULD COST NEARLY $800 FOR THE PART. WE LIVE IN ARIZONA WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT IS DRY AND NON-CORROSIVE. THERE IS NO RUST ON THIS CAR, NOR ARE THERE SIGNS OF ABUSE OR DAMAGE. THE WELD FAILED ON THIS MAJOR COMPONENT. THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR! SO, NOW, WE HAVE AN UGLY CAR (PAINT FAILED-SEPARATE COMPLAINT FILED) WITH A SLIPPING TRANSMISSION (COMPLAINT FILED) THAT IS SITTING LAME IN THE DRIVEWAY. THIS IS HORRIBLE FOR A 9-YEAR-OLD CAR THAT HAS RECEIVED ALL MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE REGULARLY, INCLUDING WHEEL ROTATIONS. *LA