NHTSA Complaint #762236 — 2000 CHRYSLER CIRRUS

AFTER THE CAR IS DRIVEN FOR 30 OR 40 MINUTES, A SHARP TAPPING SOUND CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SOME SORT OF "KICK" CAN ALSO BE FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE LONGER THE CAR IS DRIVEN, THE LOUDER THE SOUND AND THE MORE PRONOUNCED THE KICKBACK IN THE STEERING WHEEL, AT TIMES FAIRLY VIOLENT. THE TAPS/KNOCKS OCCUR AS MANY AS SEVERAL TIMES PER SECOND, THEN STOP FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN RETURN. THE OCCURRENCE IS NONROTATIONAL (IE, HAPPENS AT EQUAL INTERVALS WHETHER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR IN A PARKING LOT) AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ROAD SURFACE CONDITIONS. CHRYSLER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) 19-02-99 REV A, DATED 10/99, DESCRIBES THIS PROBLEM. I'VE BROUGHT THE CAR TO TWO CHRYSLER DEALERS A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES, WHO MOSTLY CLAIM THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. ON ONE OCCASION, TENAFLY JEEP... CLAIMS TO HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN (PART #4690543-AM) UNDER WARRANTY PURSUANT TO THE TSB, BUT THE NOISE AND KICK RETURNED WITHIN THE FIRST 2 HOURS I DROVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. NOTE THAT THE TSB APPLIES TO 69 DIFFERENT CHRYSLER/PLYMOUTH/DODGE CONFIGURATIONS FROM 1995 TO 2000. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE REPLACEMENT STEERING COLUMN THEY INSTALLED CARRIES THE SAME PART NUMBER AS THE OLD, MEANING THEY CONTINUE TO INSTALL KNOWN FAULTY REPLACEMENT PARTS, PERHAPS HOPING THE CAR WILL BE SOLD BEFORE THE PROBLEM REAPPEARS. BOTTOM LINE: I'M STUCK WITH A CAR THE DEALER WON'T FIX UNDER WARRANTY AND WHICH I CAN NEITHER SELL (WITHOUT DISCLOSING THE MATERIAL DEFECT) NOR DRIVE COMFORTABLY (I DON'T WANT TO BE KILLED WHEN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY FLIES APART ONE DAY).*AK