NHTSA Complaint #10143981 — 1995 CHRYSLER LHS

I WAS HAVING SOME UNEVEN AND PREMATURE FRONT TIRE WEAR PROBLEMS. I THOUGHT THAT THE INNER TIE ROD BUSHINGS WERE SIMPLY WORN OUT. I FOUND OUT INSTEAD THAT ONE OF THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE INNER TIE ROD ENDS TO THE STEERING RACK HAD ACTUALLY SHEARED/ BROKEN, AND THIS WAS ALLOWING THE EXCESSIVE SLOP IN THE STEERING. OBVIOUSLY, IF THE BOLT WOULD HAVE SHEARED ALL THE WAY OFF, SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC (POSSIBLY DEADLY) LOSS OF STEERING WOULD HAVE OCCURRED, WITHOUT WARNING. IN ORDER TO REMOVE/EXTRACT THE BROKEN BOLT, THE STEERING RACK HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO THE BROKEN BOLT WITH AN EXTRACTOR. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE 6 HOURS OF LABOR JOB, TO REPAIR A SIMPLE BROKEN BOLT. NOT ONLY IS IT RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR, THIS IS AN ITEM (THE TIE ROD TO STEERING RACK BOLT) THAT SHOULD NEVER BREAK FROM NORMAL USAGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND FROM ON-LINE RESEARCH THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM IN THE CHRYSLER LH PLATFORM CARS. ALSO, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, AND SEVERAL LAWSUITS DUE TO ALLEGED DEFECTIVE DESIGN, INSUFFICIENT SERVICE/INSPECTION PROCEDURES, OR MATERIALS, RELATING DIRECTLY TO THE LH PLATFORM STEERING, INCLUDING SEVERE ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THIS IDENTICAL FAILURE. ALSO COMPLAINTS OF CHRYSLER OFFERING NO ASSISTANCE TO THE CONSUMER (INCLUDING ME) IN REGARDS TO THIS VERY DANGEROUS (AND EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR) DEFECT. *JB