NHTSA Complaint #10227601 — 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA. IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS, MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS STARTED MALFUNCTIONING. THE AIR VENTS HAVE "STUCK" WHERE AIR WILL ONLY BLOW THROUGH THE DASH VENTS KEEPING THE DEFROST VENTS FROM WORKING WHICH MAKES IT UNUSABLE TO DRIVE IN RAIN OR COLD WEATHER. THE DASH DISPLAYS AND LIGHTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING TOTALLY. THE FUEL GAUGE WILL SUDDENLY SWING FROM THE CORRECT POSITION TO EITHER FULL OR EMPTY, THEN GO BACK TO NORMAL AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. THE HEADLIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND GO OFF WITH NO NOTICE. WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT, DURING RAIN AND WHENEVER THE TEMPERATURE GETS BELOW ABOUT 50 DEGREES. IT HAS ALSO STARTED INTERMITTENTLY SHUTTING OFF DURING DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THIS VEHICLE IS NOW TOTALLY UNSAFE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO 5 DIFFERENT DEALERS TO BE LOOKED AT. ONE REPLACED A COMPUTER MODULE, WHICH DID NOTHING. ANOTHER REPLACED AN ELECTRONIC MODULE FOR THE HEADLIGHTS, WHICH AGAIN DID NOTHING. TWO COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT AFTER EACH HAVING THE VEHICLE AT LEAST 1 WEEK EACH. THE FIFTH SAID THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (WIRING HARNESSES, COMPUTERS AND MODULES) WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $4000! HE STATED THAT THE ELECTRONICS ON THE EARLY MODEL PACIFICAS IS KNOWN TO START SHORTING OUT BY THE DEALERS AND THAT THEY "PIECE MEAL" IT TOGETHER BY REPLACING PART AFTER PART UNTIL MOST OR ALL OF IT IS REPLACED. FROM THE ODI SITE I SEE THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUING WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE EARLY PACIFICAS AND WONDER WHY CHRYSLER CAN CONTINUE TO IGNORE THIS PROBLEM. PAYING QUITE A BIT OF MONEY FOR A VEHICLE AND BEING UNABLE TO USE IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT SOMEONE TO GET HURT OR KILLED SEEMS LIKE A BIG ENOUGH ISSUE THAT CHRYSLER WOULD BE ORDERED TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE. I WOULD TRADE THE CAR IN BUT NO DEALER WILL TOUCH IT NOW. ONE OFFERED ME $500 FOR THE SAME VEHICLE HE SOLD ME A YEAR AGO FOR $14,000. *TR