NHTSA Complaint #10845722 — 2000 CHRYSLER VOYAGER

WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY CITY STREET WITH NO SHOULDER OR NEARBY PULL-OFF, IN ORDER TO PROCEED WITH TRAFFIC I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE THROUGH STANDING WATER. THE ENGINE SERPENTINE BELT IMMEDIATELY FELL COMPLETELY OFF THE PULLEYS. POWER STEERING WAS THEN UNAVAILABLE, AND I HAD SOME DIFFICULTY GETTING TO THE NEXT SAFE EXIT AND TURNING INTO IT. THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING BY THEN (BECAUSE WATER PUMP WAS INACTIVE), AND THE BATTERY LIGHT ACTIVATED (BECAUSE ALTERNATOR WAS ALSO INACTIVE). I DISCOVERED LATER THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH CHRYSLER MINIVANS OF SIMILAR MODEL YEARS. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MORE SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. THUS IT SEEMS AT LEAST CONSIDERING A RECALL WOULD BE VERY APPROPRIATE. I INSTALLED A CUSTOM PULLEY AND BELT KIT (AT MY OWN COST OF ABOUT $200) TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.