NHTSA Complaint #10808026 — 2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAY, APPROACHING THE CITY, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. WEATHER CLEAR AND SUNNY. HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. MY SPEED WAS AT AROUND 70 MPH. THE DRIVER APPARENTLY DECIDED TO EXIT THE RAMP AS IT WAS LINED WITH VEHICLES. THE DRIVER PULLED OUT OF RAMP AND STEERED TO LEFT LANE ON HIGHWAY, IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY TO AVOID COLLISION. MY CAR SUDDENLY SKIDDED AND SPUN AROUND ONCE, WITH RUBBER BURNING FROM TIRES. MY VEHICLE NEARLY CRASHED AGAINST THE RAIL AS MY CAR SKIDDED FOR 2ND TIME TO STOP. NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGES. INSPECTED MY CAR LATER AT GAS STATION. DID NOT DETECT ANY VISUAL PROBLEMS. COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY MY CAR SKIDDED AND SPUN AROUND ON HIGHWAY. AFTER THE SHOPPING TRIP, I DROVE HOME WITH NO INCIDENTS. AS I PULLED IN HOME, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF UNDER HOOD. MY CAR WAS INSPECTED BY TWO MECHANICS, FROM SEPARATE TIME AND LOCATION, AND I WAS TOLD MY COOLING FAN BROKE. POSSIBLE THAT THE INCIDENT LEADED THE FAN TO SHUT DOWN DUE TO MECHANICAL ERROR, THE FIRST MECHANIC SAID. COST TO REPLACE THE COOLING FAN AND LABOR CAN RUN AS HIGH AS $400. ALSO, THE AIRBAG LIGHT, ON DASHBOARD, STAYS ON MOST OF TIME.