1987 CHRYSLER LEBARON — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR FROM RIGHT DRIVER SIDE, ONCE THE TURN WAS MADE MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO BUILD UP. VEHICLE PULLED INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY WERE FLAMES BEGAN TO BECOME APPARENT ON DRIVER SIDE, FLAMES BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARDS PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO ASSIST IN EXTINGUISH FLAMES. ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS SEEN ON DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE WHERE A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM(ALTERNATOR POWER REGULATOR, BATTERY) IS LOCATED, FIRE PROGRESSED TOWARD ALT, POWER STEER, COMPRESSOR WHERE IT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BUT NOT EXTENSIVE NEAR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. PRIOR TO FIRE/SMOKE, ENGINE OPERATIONS WAS NORMAL, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO CHECK OIL LIGHT, NO OVERHEATING, NO POWER LOSS, VEHICLE PERFORMED WELL UP INTO THE FIRE BEGAN TO SPREAD AND FURTHER DAMAGE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOUD POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD AT THE START OF THE FIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR

VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR FROM RIGHT DRIVER SIDE, ONCE THE TURN WAS MADE MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO BUILD UP. VEHICLE PULLED INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY WERE FLAMES BEGAN TO BECOME APPARENT ON DRIVER SIDE, FLAMES BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARDS PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO ASSIST IN EXTINGUISH FLAMES. ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS SEEN ON DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE WHERE A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM(ALTERNATOR POWER REGULATOR, BATTERY) IS LOCATED, FIRE PROGRESSED TOWARD ALT, POWER STEER, COMPRESSOR WHERE IT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BUT NOT EXTENSIVE NEAR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. PRIOR TO FIRE/SMOKE, ENGINE OPERATIONS WAS NORMAL, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO CHECK OIL LIGHT, NO OVERHEATING, NO POWER LOSS, VEHICLE PERFORMED WELL UP INTO THE FIRE BEGAN TO SPREAD AND FURTHER DAMAGE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOUD POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD AT THE START OF THE FIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR

ON MONDAY, JULY 22, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 6:00PM, AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM LIMA, OHIO RETURNING TO MY HOME IN LAKEVIEW, OHIO, I PROCEEDED TO UNLOAD MY 3 GRANDCHILDREN AND TWO CHILDREN AND MYSELF INTO THE HOUSE. WHEN PUTING AWAY THE GROCERIES, WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS, WE ALL HEARD TWO BOOMS AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW OF THE KITCHEN AND SAW MY 1987 CHRYSLER LEBARON ENGOLFED IN SMOKE, COULD NOT EVEN SEE ANY FLAMES AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF ALL THE SMOKE. ALL THE CHILDREN (5) AND MYSELF HAD TO EVACUATE MY HOME BECAUSE OF ALL THE SMOKE AND FUMES, RAN DOWN THE STREET, SOMEONE DOWN THE STREET CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WHEN I COULD GET TO A PHONE, I DID. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF INDICATED THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A CAR THAT WAS ABOUT TWO BLOCKS OVER, WAS THE SAME YEAR AND EVERYTHING. THE CHIEF ALSO SAID THAT HE HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. PLEASE E-MAIL ME BACK ASAP ABOUT ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, AND PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS AND CALL ME AT THE HOME NUMBER INDICATED OR EMAIL MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS INDICATED.*JB

CONSUMER CAN SMELL FUMES.THERE'S MANUFACTURER'S RECALL # 480 FOR FUEL INJECTOR FAILURE. *AK THE DEALER POINTED OUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE BUT COULD FIX THE PROBLEM IF THE CONSUMER PAYS. *YH

DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT LATCHES WILL NOT GO INTO THE BUCKLE ASSMEBLY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK