NHTSA Complaint #10130928 — 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

1) OUR FOG LIGHTS HAD BEEN GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. 2) MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN A LOCAL STREET COMING HOME WHEN SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN, FILLING THE CAR WITH SMOKE. SHE HAPPENED TO BE AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (IT'S ON THE WAY HOME FROM HER WORK) AND PULLED IN THEIR PARKING LOT. THE CAR WAS LEFT AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS BEING A SHORTED FOG LIGHT SWITCH. INSTEAD OF A FUSE BLOWING THE WIRE HARNESS ACTED AS A FUSIBLE LINK AND BEGAN MELTING DOWN. WE ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF A $2500.00 WIRE HARNESS. I ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER WHY A FUSE HAD NOT BLOWN AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE CIRCUIT IS PROTECTED BY A FORTY (40) AMP FUSE. BEING AN ELECTRICIAN I KNOW THAT A FORTY AMP FUSE OR BREAKER PROTECTS AN ELECTRIC RANGE OVEN AND IS ON 8 AWG WIRE. TO REPAIR THE FAULT, WE HAVE TO BUY THE HARNESS WHICH CHRYSLER WILL CUT OFF THE CONNECTOR THAT MELTED DOWN AND WILL SPLICE ON THE NEW ONE. ALL OF THE CONTROLS ON THE STEERING COLUMN PASS THROUGH THIS HARNESS WHICH MELTED DOWN AND THE WIRES ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT PROTECTED BY FUSES. IF THEY WERE A FUSE SHOULD BLOW WITH A SHORT. OUR VEHICLE HAS HAD 4 WARRANTIES AND 3 RECALLS SINCE WE HAVE OWNED IT. THE CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED AFTER A WEEK AND A HALF. *NM