NHTSA Complaint #10088738 — 1995 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

WE OWN TWO 1995 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VEHICLES, ONE WITH ~103,000 MILES, THE OTHER WITH ~98,000 MILES. EACH SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF LEFT TIE ROD END WITHOUT WARNING WITHIN THE PAST THREE WEEKS. FORTUNATELY FOR US, EACH FAILURE OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED, RESUMING TRAVEL FROM FULL STOP. CURIOUSLY, EACH FAILURE OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER A MASSACHUSETTS SAFETY INSPECTION IN WHICH CASE TIE ROD ENDS WERE CHECKED AND PASSED INSPECTION. IN ONE CASE THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN FIVE MILES AND 5 HOURS OF THE INSPECTION; IN THE OTHER CASE, WITHIN 3 WEEKS AND 1000 MILES OF INSPECTION. COUPLED WITH THE LACK OF WARNING SIGNALS TO OWNER/OPERATOR, EACH OF THESE SUDDEN FAILURES COULLD HAVE PROVEN FATAL TO THE DRIVERS AND OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR AS AS WELL AS TO VEHICLES IN PROXIMITY. THE FACT THAT RECENT SAFETY INSPECTIONS AT TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS DID NOT IDENTIFY A PROBLEM INDICATES THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNPREDICTABLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DRIVER OF THE SECOND CAR TO EXPERIENCE FAILURE IS A FORMER MECHANIC, AND WAS ALERT TO TIE ROD END PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE FIRST VEHICLE AND THE FACT THAT THE TWO VEHICLES WERE AGING IN SIMILAR WAYS. POLICE WERE INVOLVED IN THE SECOND INCIDENT BECAUSE THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN A BUSY INTERSECTION. IN EACH SITUATION, THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED FOR REPAIRS. *JB