1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER Steering Problems

LOSING POWER STEERING FROM BUMPY ROADS AND DURING BAD WEATHER. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES WITHIN A 30 DAY PERIOD... ...FIRST, WHILE CHANGING LANES IN CITY I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS HARD WHEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN, HAD TO KEEP GOING WITH TRAFFIC, WHEN I MADE THE SECOND RIGHT TURN I REALIZED THAT THE STEERING WAS OUT...PARKED AT DESTINATION...WHEN I CAME OUT NOTICED SOMETHING HANGING UNDER THE VAN, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A BELT HANGING BUT IT WAS NOT BROKEN...WHEN THE TOW ARRIVED HE STATED THE POWER STEERING BELT CAME OFF...AT THE AUTO SHOP HE CHECKED ALL PULLEYS AND REPLACED THE BELT AS HE SAID IT LOOKED TO BE NEW STILL...I WAS ON MY WAY, NO PROBLEM... ...SECOND, WHILE RAINING WE WENT A GOOD DISTANCE, 2 HOUR DRIVE, RETURNED AND WHEN PARKING NOTICED THE HARD STEERING, LOOKED AND YES BELT OFF, SINCE WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS BROTHER PUT BACK ON... ...THIRD, ON THE I-90/94 EXPRESSWAY IN THE SNOW, AFTER STOPPING FOR GAS ABOUT 15 MINS ON EXPRESSWAY STEERING GOT HARD AGAIN, I RODE TRYING TO GET TO EXIT TO STOP, CAR BEGAN TO REEVE WHEN I WENT OVER 40MPH...FINALLY CAR BEGAN TO GIVE OUT, ALL LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING, MOTOR JUST STOPPED...PULLED OVER UNDER A BRIDGE CALLED 911 THEY SENT TOW...AT THE SHOP HE SAID BELT CAME OFF PROBABLY WHEN I WENT OVER SNOW AT GAS STATION (DEC. 20, 2012 BLIZZARD IN WISCONSIN AT THIS TIME)...ALL PULLEYS LOOKED FINE, HE PUT BELT BACK ON...I RODE STRAIGHT 4 HOURS WITHOUT STOPPING FOR FEAR THIS MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT WAS GETTING COLD AND DARKER OUTDOORS...FINALLY AT HOME TO SCARED TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE......WILL HAVE IT LOOKED AT BEGINNING OF NEW YEAR 2013... ...WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY THIS IS NOT A RECALL WHEN THE STEERING CAN GO OUT AT ANYTIME...THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US THAT TRAVEL ON EXPRESSWAYS OFTEN...12.29.2012 [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 133,000

I HAVE A 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER WITH A 3.3 L ENGINE. EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR SNOW THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER VEHICLE. I HAVE 5 CHILDREN THAT I TAKE FROM PLACE TO PLACE. THE ALTERNATOR STOPS CHARGING AS WELL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I LOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND I CANNOT STEER THE VEHICLE OR CONTROL THE VEHICLE. *TR

Mileage: 130,000

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING DURING LIGHT RAIN, AT 50 MPH., THE POWER STEERING BELT DETACHED CAUSING THE STEERING TO BE DIFFICULT. THE INDEPENDENT SERVICE MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPONENT. THE POWER STEERING BELT DETACHED AGAIN UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. THE INDEPENDENT SERVICE MECHANIC ALERTED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON SIMILAR ISSUE FOR OTHER MODELS OF THE SAME MANUFACTURER.

Mileage: 156,980

ON 12/03/2005, MY 1999 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER MINI VAN'S TIE RODS FAILED AND MY WHEELS WENT WALL-EYED. MY CAR SLID INTO AN UNOCCUPIED PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. MY SON-IN-LAW LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND TOLD ME THAT MY TIE RODS BROKE. I WAS DRIVING AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. THE REPAIRS WERE: REPLACED RIGHT FRONT AXLE, LOWER CONTROL ARM AND POWER STEERING RACK, ALIGHMENT AND COLLISION AND BODY WORK. THIS ACCIDENT COST $2809.33 PLUS MY $500.00 DEDUCTIBLE. MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT BECAUSE MY CAR SLID INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE CHRYSLER WOULDN'T HONOR MY WARRANTY. MY VEHICLE WAS 5 YEAR OLD. I BELIEVE THAT TIE RODS SHOULD NOT FAIL FOR THAT SHORT A TIME. THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 49,000 MILES ON IT. I CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEFECT. MY FRIEND IN NEW JERSEY INFORMED ME THAT HIS 2000 DODGE DORANGO WAS RECALLED FOR DEFECTIVE TIE RODS. CHRYSLER STOPPED MANUFACTURING MY VEHICLE AROUND THE SAME YEAR. I TALKED TO AN EMPLOYEE OF CHRYSLER, MATT, SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY BECAUSE THEY HAVE FULL SUBJUGATION RIGHTS TO TRY TO RECOVER THE COST OF REPAIRS ALONG WITH MY DEDUCTIBLE. I DID THAT ON JANUARY 18, 2006. I WROTE TO MS. ELIZABETH BEACH & MS. JENNIFER JONES OF AAA MID-ATLANTIC INSURANCE GROUP. I GOT NO SATISFACTION FROM CHRYSLER OR FROM MY OWN INSURANCE COMPANY. MY INSURANCE COMPANY DIDN'T WRITE BACK TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL INVESTIGATE THE MATTER. MY INSURANCE RATES WILL PROBABLY GO UP BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. IF I WERE ON A HIGHWAY DOING 55 MILES AN HOUR AND THE CAR TIE RODS FAILED AT THAT TIME I WOULD HAVE MORE THAN LIKELY BEEN INJURED OR KILLED ALONG WITH MY FAMILY MEMBERS AND MAYBE MY GRANDCHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE VEHICLE WITH US. I'M ANGRY AND DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO ADMIT TO. *NM

Mileage: 49,065

DURING A RIGHT TURN FROM SLOW SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO AVOID A HEAD ON ACCIDENT WITH TRAFFIC ON THE STREET BEING TURNED INTO. SERVICING DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING RACK, AND THE FAILURE OF THE FRONT ANTI-SWAY BAR BUSHING. WITH LESS THAN 35000 MILES ON THE CAR, THESE PARTS ARE NOT NORMAL WEAR ITEMS. *JB

Mileage: 33,500

DURING A RIGHT TURN FROM SLOW SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO AVOID A HEAD ON ACCIDENT WITH TRAFFIC ON THE STREET BEING TURNED INTO. SERVICING DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING RACK, AND THE FAILURE OF THE FRONT ANTI-SWAY BAR BUSHING. WITH LESS THAN 35000 MILES ON THE CAR, THESE PARTS ARE NOT NORMAL WEAR ITEMS. *JB

Mileage: 33,500

DT: ON 12-15-2003 IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN, CAUSING THE STEERING COLUMN TO LOCK-UP. CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM, IT WAS FIXED BY THE DEALERSHIP IN 12-2003. CONSUMER HAS PROBLEM CONTINUING, STILL IN 06-2005, CONSUMER COULD NOT START VEHICLE OR DRIVE IT. *AK

POWER STEERING PUMP CASE "RUSTED" THROUGH CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT, REPLACED PUMP AND PULLEY,NEW FLUID. GARAGE PERFORMING WORK HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE. *JB

Mileage: 110,909

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AS MENTIONED IN NHTSA RECALL 02V293000; CLOCKSPRING FAILURE; THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN. *NM STARTED WITH THE CLICKING SOUND ON THE STEERING COLUMN, THEN FOLLOWED BY THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. AFTER A DAY OR SO, CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN WERE NOT WORKING. CLOCK SPRING WAS REPLACED AND NOW ALL IS WORKING. *LA

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED. *AK CONSUMER ALSO HEARD RUBBING, WHISTLING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. DEALER SAID THAT VEHICLE IS OK TO DRIVE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER REGARDING THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT CLOCKSPRING WAS SHORTED. CLOCKSPRING WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. CONSUMER CALLED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S NO RECALL ON CLOCKSPRING ON THE VEHICLE. *LA

CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AND DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS WERE BROKE. DRIVER LOST CONTROL AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

FEB 2003, VEHICLE IS APPROX. 4 YEARS OLD, SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF PULLEY, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. DIFFICULTY TURNING WHICH ALMOST RESULTED IN 5 ACCIDENTS - HEAD ON COLLISION. RESULTED IN 3 ACCIDENTS BY BEING UNABLE TO TURN VEHICLE, HITTING SNOW BANKS, FACTOR INVOLVED IS HEAVY SNOW STORM, APPROX 3 FEET. REPLACED BELTS AND PUMP. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, I PAID NEARLY $600.00.*JB

Mileage: 46,000

WHILE DRIVING POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED. OWNER WAS INFORMED PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A CLOCKSPRING FAILURE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH, STEERING FAILED. DEALER REPLACED STEERING PUMP/ BELT AND STEERING GEAR.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH, STEERING FAILED. DEALER REPLACED STEERING PUMP/ BELT AND STEERING GEAR.*AK

OCT. 2000 DURING RAINSTORM THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF ALL PULLEYS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND OVERHEATING. TOOK TO DEALER, THEY REPLACED TENSIONER AND BELT. JAN. 10, 2001 DRIVING IN RAIN AGAIN, SAME THING HAPPENED: LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND OVERHEATING. TOWED TO DEALER, AGAIN REPLACED TENSIONER AND BELT, OTHER VANS IN FOR SAME PROBLEM. WHAT IF DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND/OR CURVING ROAD IN RAIN ? COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND LIVES ! AM NOW UNABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE IN RAIN DUE TO OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW.

STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN BROKE. *AK