NHTSA Complaint #10455079 — 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

I OWN A 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER. AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST INCIDENT THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT A NUMBER OF WARNING LIGHTS SUDDENLY APPEARED AND THAT ALL OF THE GAUGES WERE NOT OPERATING ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO SCAP JEEP/PLYMOUTH/DODGE DEALERSHIP IN FAIRFIELD CT. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT HE HAD NO CLUE WHAT IT WAS AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO TRACE EACH WIRE AND IT WOULD INCLUDE NUMEROUS MAN HOURS. HE ALSO SUGGESTED REPLACING THE MAIN COMPUTER. IF I WANTED TO HAVE THEM FIX IT I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. I FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED JUST FINE, JUST COULD NOT TELL MPH, MILEAGE, AUTO DOOR LOCKS FAILED AND AIRBAG, ANTI LOCK BRAKES, IN ADDITION TO ALL OTHER GAUGES. THREE DAYS LATER ALL RETURNED TO NORMAL FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THEN A REPEAT. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED WITH NO PATTERN FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS. DEALERSHIP CLAIMED IT WAS COMPUTERS. IN SPEAKING WITH MY LOCAL MECHANIC, HE HAD ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH SAME TYPE VEHICLE AND SAME PROBLEM. THIS CUSTOMER SPENT IN EXCESS OF $2000 AT THE DEALERSHIP AND PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. THE LOCAL MECHANIC OPENED THE DASH AND IMMEDIATELY FOUND A WIRE THAT WAS PARTIALLY BROKEN FREE FROM A HARNESS. HE PUSHED THE WIRE COMPLETELY INTO RECEIVER AND PROBLEM SOLVED. DUE TO WIRE BEING FRAYED, HE WENT TO LOCAL JUNK YARD TO GET A USED HARNESS END AND REPLACED SAID PIECE. SAME PROBLEM WAS FOUND WITH OUR VEHICLE. WIRE WAS FIXED AND THE ENTIRE JOB WAS LESS THAN 1 HOUR OF LABOR. HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. PLYMOUTH HAS ISSUED NO RECALLS OR EVEN ANY ALERTS OF THE PROBLEM TO ITS DEALERSHIPS. IN PHONE CALLS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT TWO VEHICLES IN THE SAME TOWN ARE THE ONLY ONES TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AND HOPE THAT YOU LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND ORDER ANY RECALLS NECESSARY. *TR