NHTSA Complaint #10334637 — 2005 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

WE PURCHASED OUR 2005 CHRYSLER PACIFICA IN MAY 2005. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 15,000 MILES WE STARTED TO NOTICE A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN CORNERING WHILE BRAKING, OR STARTING OUT FROM A STOPPED POSITION. WE WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL MOVEMENT FOR THE PACIFICA. WE HAD THE PACIFICA LOOKED AT BY THE DEALERSHIP OVER 5 TIMES WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. THE ISSUE PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND NOW THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN CHANGING GEARS, CORNERING, STOPPING, STARTING, OR HITTING POTHOLES. WE WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AFTER MOVING AND IN MARCH 2010 WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BAD AND WERE CAUSING THE ISSUE WE ARE EXPERIENCING. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO REPLACE THEM ALL FOR $2500, WHICH WAS OUT OF OUR BUDGET SO WAS NOT COMPLETED. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THE SWAYBAR ENDPOINTS MIGHT BE BAD AS WELL AND COULD BE REPLACED FOR ADDITIONAL COST. WE DRIVE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM SHOULD NEVER SURFACE ON A VEHICLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE MOTOR COULD SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME IN AN ACCIDENT AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. I FEEL IT IS UNREASONABLE TO HAVE THE CONSUMER PAY FOR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT SUCH AS THIS. THERE WERE SEVERAL THOUSAND MOTOR MOUNTS ON BACK ORDER IN 2009 LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDER SPREAD THAN JUST A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS. HOPEFULLY THIS INFORMATION WILL PROMPT RESEARCH AND ACTION ON BEHALF OF THE SAFETY OF DRIVERS AS WELL AS END CONSUMERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR