NHTSA Complaint #10490460 — 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

LOSING POWER STEERING FROM BUMPY ROADS AND DURING BAD WEATHER. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES WITHIN A 30 DAY PERIOD... ...FIRST, WHILE CHANGING LANES IN CITY I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS HARD WHEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN, HAD TO KEEP GOING WITH TRAFFIC, WHEN I MADE THE SECOND RIGHT TURN I REALIZED THAT THE STEERING WAS OUT...PARKED AT DESTINATION...WHEN I CAME OUT NOTICED SOMETHING HANGING UNDER THE VAN, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A BELT HANGING BUT IT WAS NOT BROKEN...WHEN THE TOW ARRIVED HE STATED THE POWER STEERING BELT CAME OFF...AT THE AUTO SHOP HE CHECKED ALL PULLEYS AND REPLACED THE BELT AS HE SAID IT LOOKED TO BE NEW STILL...I WAS ON MY WAY, NO PROBLEM... ...SECOND, WHILE RAINING WE WENT A GOOD DISTANCE, 2 HOUR DRIVE, RETURNED AND WHEN PARKING NOTICED THE HARD STEERING, LOOKED AND YES BELT OFF, SINCE WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS BROTHER PUT BACK ON... ...THIRD, ON THE I-90/94 EXPRESSWAY IN THE SNOW, AFTER STOPPING FOR GAS ABOUT 15 MINS ON EXPRESSWAY STEERING GOT HARD AGAIN, I RODE TRYING TO GET TO EXIT TO STOP, CAR BEGAN TO REEVE WHEN I WENT OVER 40MPH...FINALLY CAR BEGAN TO GIVE OUT, ALL LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING, MOTOR JUST STOPPED...PULLED OVER UNDER A BRIDGE CALLED 911 THEY SENT TOW...AT THE SHOP HE SAID BELT CAME OFF PROBABLY WHEN I WENT OVER SNOW AT GAS STATION (DEC. 20, 2012 BLIZZARD IN WISCONSIN AT THIS TIME)...ALL PULLEYS LOOKED FINE, HE PUT BELT BACK ON...I RODE STRAIGHT 4 HOURS WITHOUT STOPPING FOR FEAR THIS MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT WAS GETTING COLD AND DARKER OUTDOORS...FINALLY AT HOME TO SCARED TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE......WILL HAVE IT LOOKED AT BEGINNING OF NEW YEAR 2013... ...WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY THIS IS NOT A RECALL WHEN THE STEERING CAN GO OUT AT ANYTIME...THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US THAT TRAVEL ON EXPRESSWAYS OFTEN...12.29.2012 [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR