NHTSA Complaint #10360417 — 2005 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO A 2004-2005 AWD CHRYSLER PACIFICA. THERE IS TSB 21-020-05 OUT ON THE TRANSFER CASE (PTU). THIS VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE PROBLEMS STARTED OCCURRING. CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE PTU IF MAKING NOISE. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED ON THIS PROBLEM BY THE CONSUMER, AND WAS DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM. THEY SITE IT AS NORMAL 'WEAR AND TEAR' OF A VEHICLE. WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON A MAJOR COMPONENT ON A VEHICLE, THIS SEEMED TO BE AN EASY WAY OUT FOR CHRYSLER TO PASS THIS PROBLEM OFF TO THE CONSUMER. CHRYSLER ALSO STATES THAT UNLESS YOU ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THE 75,000 MILE WARRANTY IS VOID. CONSIDERING HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE ON A LEASE, THIS WOULD BE A VERY LARGE NUMBER. THIS LEAVES MANY PEOPLE IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT CHRYSLER HAS SHRUGGED OFF. THERE ARE 767 POSTS ON WWW.EDMUNDS.COM REGARDING THIS SITUATION WITH OTHER PACIFICA OWNERS. NOT TO MENTION THOSE THAT HAVE NOT POSTED ANYTHING ON THIS, AND HAVE JUST ACCEPTED THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. THIS PART IS INTEGRAL TO THE POWER TRAIN SYSTEM, AND OVERALL DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. AT ANY TIME, A VEHICLE CAN BECOME INOPERABLE AND MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. THIS VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE CROSSING THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY AS THE TRANSMISSION/PTU SUDDENLY BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN VERY CATASTROPHIC AS OTHER VEHICLES COULD HAVE SUDDENLY RUN INTO THIS INOPERABLE VEHICLE. TO CORRECT THE FAILURE, A NEW PTU UNIT NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED THAT HAS THE DEFICIENCY THAT CHRYSLER ADMITS IS THERE, TO BE REPLACED. THESE REPAIRS CAN EXCEED $2000. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR