1991 Eagle Talon

VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOUND RECALL NOTICE 98V069002 REGARDINNG TRANSFER CASE FAILURE. ALSO, CAMSHAFT FAILED. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED PARTS. LATER PROBLEM WITH CAMSHAFT BELT AND TRANSFER CASE REAPPEARED, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. MECHANIC CONTACTED MANUFACTURER , AND WAS INFORMED THAT MANUFACTURER WAS WILLING TO REPAIR TRANSFER CASE /CAMSHAFT BELT, BUT NOT OTHER DAMAGE DONE TO VEHICLE. INFORMATION FURNISHED BY MECHANIC WITH PERMISSION FROM OWNER. *AK

I AM INVESTIGATING PRIOR FAILURES AND/OR ACTIONS TAKEN IN REGARD TO FAILURE OF THE TIMING BELT AUTO-TENSIONER ASSEMBLY. THE TIMING & BALANCER BELTS WERE REPLACED UNDER A MANUFACTURER RECALL: 09594183 RECALL-594-TIMING BELT. THE WORK WAS PERFORMED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING WEEK AT NO-COST, AFTER REPORTING "MORE THAN USUAL ENGINE VIBRATION." I SUSPECTED THAT THE "BALANCE SHAFT" WAS INDEXED 180 DEGREES OUT-OF-PHASE, AS THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY PROBABLE CAUSE FOR "INCREASED ENGINE VIBRATION." THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE NOTES IN THE SECOND INVOICE STATING: "ADJUSTED BALANCE SHAFT; LABOR-2.5 HOURS." MY OTHER QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO THE DEALER'S LIABILITY FOR GOODS AND SERVICES. IF DUE CARE WAS NOT GIVEN, THEN PROPER SERVICE OF A DIRECTLY RELATED COMPONENT CANNOT BE REASONABLY ASSUMED. THEREFORE, THE SUBSEQUENT PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE TIMING BELT AUTO-TENSIONER ASSEMBLY, COULD BE LINKED TO THAT SERVICE. ANY INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO OTHER CASES OF SIMILAR FAILURES AND ANSWERS TO THE LEGAL QUESTIONS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. *AK

1ST THE TIMING BELT WENT AND I NEEDED TO HAVE ENGINE REBUILT. 1000 MILES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND MECHANIC SAID THE OIL PUMP IS CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO GO AND I NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. DEALER SAYS THAT RECALL WAS ALREADY PERFORMED ON MY CAR BY PREVIOUS OWNER AND I AM OUT OF LUCK. 86,000 MILES IS WAY TO PREMATURE FOR AN ENGINE REPAIR, ECSPECIALLY WHEN MANUFACTURE KNOWS THIS PROBLEM EXISTS. THEY SHOULD PAY FOR CAR REPAIR. PLEASE HELP!!! *AK

AFTER TAKING MY 1991 EAGLE TALON TO THE DEALER ON 10/6/99, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD AN ENGINE OIL LEAK THAT REQUIRED A NEW TIMING BELT, I ALSO NEEDED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, SPARK PLUGS, AIR FILTER, TUNE-UP, ECT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW OXYGEN SENSOR. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF 2 RECALLS I HAD PERFORMED ON MY CAR. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALER ABOUT ALREADY HAVING THE O2 SENSOR RECALL DONE, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD "NO RECORD" OF HAVING THAT RECALL DONE ON MY CAR. THEY SAID THE ONLY RECALL RECORDED BY THEM WAS FOR THE TRANSFER CASE, WHICH WAS DONE 10/98, AND TOOK ABOUT 5 MONTHS TO GET THE PARTS TO COMPLETE IT. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME $675.00 TO FIX EVERYTHING. WHEN THEY CONTACTED ME ON 10/13/99, THEY SAID THAT MY CAR WAS FINISHED, BUT WHEN I ASKED WHAT WAS COMPLETED, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE OIL LEAK AND TIMING BELT WAS NOT FIXED OR REPLACED, AND THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE OXYGEN SENSOR, SINCE THEY HAD "NO RECORD" OF IT BEING RECALLED OR REPLACED BEFORE!!!! I WAS TOLD THAT IF SOMETHING IS RECALLED, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, EVEN IF IT NEEDS FIXED OR REPLACED AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. COULD YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AND LET ME KNOW IF I CAN REFUSE PAYMENT FOR THIS? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS BEFORE I GO TO PICK UP MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.