NHTSA Complaint #757531 — 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORDE

SENSOR ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED FOR SECOND TIME. IN EACH CASE, WHILE AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH, CAR DOWNSHIFTED HARD AND IN MOST RECENT EPISODE, STALLED IN TRAFFIC. FIRST REPLACEMENT OF SENSOR COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ON 9/5/00 AT 23,885 MILES. PART REPLACED WAS 4800878. SECOND INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 1/25/02 AT 45,910 MILES. PART REPLACED SHOWN AS 4800879 BUT SERVICE MANAGER AT DEALERSHIP (EDDIE ACCARDI, POMPANO BEACH, FL) INDICATED HE REPLACED BOTH AN INPUT AND OUTPUT SENSORS (THIS IS NOT REFLECTED ON MY INVOICE HOWEVER). IN EACH CASE, FAILURE CAME ON WITH OUT ANY WARNING. CAR IS DRIVEN BY MY WIFE (56 YEARS OLD) WHO IS AN ADEQUATE OPERATOR. SHE SAYS IN MOST RECENT INCIDENT, WHEN CAR DOWNSHIFTED HARD, IT ALSO STALLED IN TRAFFIC. SHE HAD SOME DIFFICULTY RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THEN PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ME. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND 4000 RPM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SPEEDOMETER DID NOT OPERATE. WOULD NOT SHIFT TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR. VEHICLE STALLED EACH TIME I STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC LIGHT. ATTEMPTS TO DISCUSS THIS WITH CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SERVICE MANGER AT ACCARDI DID NOT RECEIVE WHAT I CONSIDER, A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR THE POTENTIAL GRAVITY OF SUCH A LOSS OF POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. IN FACT, A "MANAGER" THERE TOLD MY WIFE AND I THAT THESE THINGS HAPPEN, WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND IF PEOPLE DIE, WELL THAT'S WHY CHRYSLER KEEPS A TEAM OF LAWYERS WORKING. *AK