NHTSA Complaint #701385 — 1996 PLYMOUTH BREEZE

LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR FAILURE. SUGGESTS FACTORY DEFECTS AND/OR DESIGN DEFICIENCIES. SLOW OIL LOSS FROM SMALL HOLE IN OIL PAN OVER PERIOD OF AT LEAST 6 DAYS FAILED TO ACTIVATE WARNINGS PRIOR TO ENGINE SEIZE UP. EST 3/4 QT OIL REMAINING AFTER ENGINE SEIZED BUT WARN LITE DID NOT COME ON UNTIL ENGINE STOPPED. VEH WAS IN BUSY TRAFFIC WHEN ENGINE UNEXPECTLY AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. OIL PAN FAILURE RESULTED FROM SCRAPING CONTACT OVER TIME WITH ROAD SURFACES ON DIPS DUE TO PAN DESIGN AND LOWNESS OF VEH THE PAN HAS A LOWERD DETENT JUST BEFORE DRAIN PLUG WHICH APPEARS TO BE FIRST POINT OF IMPACT WHEN DIPS ARE ENCOUNTERED. REPEATED CONTACTS DID NOT DAMAGE OVERALL PAN BUT LEFT UNPROTECTED THE DETENT WHICH SCRAPED OR WORE THRU METAL AND ALLOWED OIL LEAKAGE. OIL PAN SHOULD BE STRENGHTENED OR PROTECTED AT THAT POINT TO PRECLUDE REOCCURRANCE. THIS FAILURE IN CONCERT WITH OIL WARNING LITE FAILURE CAUSING VEHICLE ABRUPT STOPPAGES IN TRAFFIC COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WITH ACCOMPANING P