NHTSA Complaint #748753 — 1996 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR FIVE YEAR OLD PLYMOUTH VOYAGER MINIVAN IN TOWN AND ANOTHER DRIVER WARNED HER THAT GASOLINE WAS SPRAYING FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT AND LOOKED UNDER THE MINIVAN. GASOLINE WAS GUSHING FROM THE GAS TANK AT A VERY HIGH RATE. HAD THIS IGNITED, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXPLOSION THAT WOULD HAVE ENVELOPED THE WHOLE VEHICLE. MY WIFE CALLED ME AT WORK. BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS SAFETY AND EXPLOSION HAZARD, I TOLD HER NOT TO RESTART THE CAR AND I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO OUR LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER (NAYLOR CHRYSLER IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN). THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD COLLAPSED AND DEFORMED SEPARATING THE FUEL PUMP AND GASKET FROM THE FUEL TANK AND CREATING A LARGE GAP. THE VEHICLE IS A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE WITH ONLY NORMAL HIGHWAY USAGE AND WITH NO MODIFICATIONS, NO ACCIDENTS OF ANY KIND, AND WITH ALL THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED FUEL SYSTEM PARTS. THE NAYLOR CHRYSLER SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK AND ASSOCIATED PARTS. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $610. I CALLED CHRYSLER CORP. AT (800) 992-1997 AND STATED THAT IF A SAFELY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE, THE MANUFACTURE MUST FIX IT AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. THE CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE VERIFIED WITH THE DEALER THAT THE TAKN HAD COLLAPSED AND SEPARATED FROM THE FUEL PUMP AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNMODIFIED AND ORIGINAL AND NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CHRYSLER REPORT FILED IS FILE NO. 8907052, DATED JUL 25, 2001. CHRYSLER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS SAFETY REPAIR BECAUSE THA VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE 3 YR., 30,000 MILE WARRANTEE AND THERE WAS NO RECALL. I DO NOT EXPECT A FIVE YEAR OLD, WELL MAITAINED, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, ACCIDENT FREE VEHICLE TO HAVE A SERIOUS FUEL SYSTEM FAILURE THAT COULD EASILY CAUSE A FATAL EXPLOSION. I REQUESTED THE DEALER TO SAVE ALL DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED PARTS AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY CHRYSLER CORP. CHRYLSER CORP. DECLINED TO INSPECT THE PARTS.*AK