NHTSA Complaint #717930 — 1994 CHRYSLER LHS

THE PIVOT BOLT ATTACHING THE CAMSHAFT DRIVE BELT IDLER ASSEMBLY TO THE ENGINE BLOCK BROKE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY WHILE WE WERE IN AN INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC ENDANGERED. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE TENSIONER PULLEY AND THE TIMING BELT AND TO THE VALVE TRAIN. MAJOR SERVICE WAS CONDUCTED ON THE VEHICLE AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES WHEN THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP AND OTHER COMPONENTS. THE OFFICIAL SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT EVEN SUGGEST REPLACING THE IDLER ASSEMBLY OR PIVOT BOLT (INTEGRAL TO THE REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY), AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH DAIMLERCHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AT THEIR HEADQUARTERS THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY ALSO HAVE NO SERVICE BULLETINS SUGGESTING THAT ITEM BE SERVICED. I STILL HAVE THE BROKEN PARTS AVAILABLE.