NHTSA Complaint #10159022 — 2003 DODGE NEON

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE NEON SRT-4 AND WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF MY STEERING COLUMN. I GOT TO WORK AND PULLED THE STEERING COLUMN APART AND FOUND THAT THE CONNECTOR FOR THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS & TURN SIGNALS) HAD MELTED INTO THE SWITCH. UPON DISCOVERING THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN HAD WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE DRIVING NEONS FROM THE SAME MODEL YEAR, I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT SWITCH AND WIRING HARNESS. I SPLICED THE WIRES BACK INTO PLACE AND EVERYTHING WORKED BUT MY HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE FUSE FOR THE HEADLIGHTS HAD BEEN BLOWN AND NEEDED REPLACING AS WELL. QUESTIONS POSED TO DODGE/DAIMLER-CHRYSLER RESULTED IN DEAD ENDS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO VISIBLE FLAMES. *JB