NHTSA Complaint #769552 — 2001 DODGE STRATUS

THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A TOP PRIORITY INVESTIGATION. THE FRONT AXLES BEARINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES ON RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT. THE FRONT BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE ALL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BY MANUFACTURER. AXLE BEARING FAILURE OCCURED AT 21,000 MILES VEHICLE WAS 6 MONTHS OLD. THEN AGAIN 6 MONTHS LATER WITH 38,000 MILES ON IT , AT THAT TIME IT WAS DISCOVERED THE BALL JOINTS ON THE UPPER AND LOWER ON BOTH SIDES WERE WORN OUT, MANUFACTURER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. RECENTLY A POWER STEERING LINE WHICH RUNS FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO THE POWER STEERING RESEVOIR STARTED LEAKING, UPON INSPECTION I FOUND IT HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR A WHILE BUT FINALLY OPENED UP. THE CASUE IS THE DESIGN OF THE POWER STEERING LINE, IT RUBS AGAINST THE A/C LINE WHICH IS METAL AND WORE A HOLE IN THE LINE. I PURCHASED THE LINE FRONT THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER. THE LINE HAS BEEN SUPERCEEDED 3 TIMES, A OBVIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM. I AM ASE CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN, THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS I LISTED ARE VERY SERIOUS AND DODGE IS AWARE OF THEM. COMMENT TO ME WAS THE AXLE BEARINGS AND BALL JOINTS ARE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, THIS CAME FROM THE DEALER IT SELF. THE DEALERS ALSO CAN NOT KEEP THE POWER STEERING LINES IN STOCK. POTENTIAL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FAILURES ARE AS FOLLOWS, BALL JOINT AND AXLE BEARING FAILURE SHOULD THEY BREAK WHILE OPERATING ON THE HIGHWAY CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING LINE WHEN IT FINALLY RUPTURES AFTER IT HAS WORN THROUGH CAN CAUSE A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND ALSO LOSS OF POWER STEERING. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE HAS 64,000 MILES ON IT, IT IS ONLY 15 MONTHS OLD AND IS DRIVEN EXCLUSIVELY ON THE HIGHWAY. THESE FAILURES ARE NOT NORMAL ON ANY VEHICLE WITH THE MILEAGE I LISTED AND SHOULD PROMPT AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED. THE SUPERCEEDED POWER STEERING LINE CAN BE CONFIRMED AT ANY DODGE OR CHRYSLER DEALER. THANK YOU KEVIN GILMORE DT