NHTSA Complaint #10215230 — 2000 JEEP WRANGLER

RADIATOR ON 2000 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) JUST RECENTLY I WAS INFORMED BY THE JEEP DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED MY JEEP THAT THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PURSUANT TO CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHERS WHO KNOW ME, THEY TOLD ME IT COULD PROBABLY BE REPAIRED INSTEAD OF REPLACED COSTING ME LESS. A RADIATOR SHOP CONFIRMED THAT THE RADIATOR, HAVING A PLASTIC TOP, HAD TO BE REPLACED INSTEAD OF REPAIRED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT NORMALLY RADIATOR PROBLEMS OCCURRED ON MUCH OLDER VEHICLES AND THAT MOST OLDER VEHICLES HAD ORIGINAL RADIATORS IN THEM EVEN IF THEY WERE REPAIRED. MY COMPLAINT IS SIMPLE. I THINK THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD NEVER HAVE PLACED A RADIATOR IN A VEHICLE WITH PLASTIC PARTS THAT CAN NOT BE REPAIRED ESPECIALLY ON A RADIATOR. CHRYSLER'S USE OF RADIATORS WITH PLASTIC ON TOP ARE CAUSING THE RADIATORS TO LEAK EASIER/QUICKER THAN NORMAL AND THEY CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. THEY MUST BE REPLACED. THIS SEEMS TO BE JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR THEM TO GET CASH FROM CONSUMERS BY MAKING THEM REPLACE INSTEAD OF REPAIR. MY JEEP HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE I PURCHASED IT AND THE RADIATOR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED THIS SOON SINCE I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF IT AND TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND REPAIRS. I THINK HAVING PLASTIC ON RADIATORS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE PLACED IN ANY VEHICLE. IT WEARS OUT QUICKER AND CANNOT BE FIXED. REPLACEMENT COST IS MUCH GREATER THAN A REPAIR COST. THANKS, CHRYSLER! I WILL NEVER LOOK AT ANOTHER JEEP AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO USE RADIATORS WITH PLASTIC PARTS. *TR