2000 Plymouth Breeze

CAR OWNER REPORTED FUEL SMELL. WE INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAD FAILED AT THE AFT MUFFLER EXIT TO PIPE, WELDED JOINT. THIS CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO MELT AND LEAK FUEL. THE HEAT SHIELD WAS INSTALLED BUT THE MELTING OCCURRED OVER THE TOP OF THE SHIELD. WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAMAGE AVAILABLE. WE WILL PRESERVE THE FUEL TANK FOR ANY INVESTIGATION THROUGH 12/31/2014. IF WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU WE WILL DISCARD IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH BREEZE. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH WATER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE WIRE HARNESSES, BATTERY, AND POWER STEERING CABLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,998.

WE HAD BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WE THOUGHT IT WAS OIL LEAKING. WE STOPPED AND MY HUSBAND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. HE DIDN'T FIND ANY OIL BUT THERE WAS SOME POWER STEERING FLUID ON HIS HAND. HE THOUGHT HE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND WE COULD MAKE IT TO OUR DESTINATION WHERE HE WOULD TRY TO FIX IT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION, THE CAR WAS SMOKING SOME. I PARKED IN ONE LOCATION, BUT THEN DECIDED TO PARK IN ANOTHER. AS I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL TO PARK IN THE OTHER LOCATION, SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AS I COMPLETED PARKING, THE SMOKE GOT HEAVIER AND HEAVIER UNTIL FLAMES BEGAN TO APPEAR BY THE WINDSHIELD FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND YOU COULD SMELL RUBBER BURNING. WE IMMEDIATELY EXISTED THE CAR. MY HUSBAND OPENED THE HOOD A LITTLE TO TRY TO STOP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING. EVENTUALLY HE PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH WATER. MOST OF THE WIRING AND HOSES NEAR THE POWER STEERING AREA WERE BURNT OR DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE UNTIL WE COULD BUY ALL THE PARTS THAT WERE DESTROYED IN THE FIRE.

ON 1/25/13 I HAD SOME MINOR REPAIR WORK DONE ON MY VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT I HAD A LEAK IN MY POWER STEERING HOSE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME OF A RECALL THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED IN 2006 #06V001000. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE 2004, AND AM IN POSSESSION OF THE TITLE THAT VERIFIES THAT. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, SECURITY DODGE ON LONG ISLAND, NY TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. I WAS INFORMED BY THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT SHOW ANY OPEN RECALLS. THEY TOLD ME THIS RECALL WAS REMEDIED IN 2007 IN COTTONWOOD, AZ. THEY ALSO GAVE ME THE NAME OF THE OWNER, WHICH IS NOT ME. MY CAR WAS NEVER SERVICED IN COTTONWOOD, AZ. AT THE TIME THAT WAS 2 HOURS FROM WHERE I LIVED. I OPENED A CASE WITH DAIMLER CHRYSLER WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SECURITY DODGE. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS FAR FROM HELPFUL OR INTERESTED IN THE CONFUSION WITH THIS SITUATION. I HAVE JUST READ ALL OF THE INCIDENTS OF FIRE RESULTING FROM THIS HOSE AND I NEED HELP IN GETTING THIS RECTIFIED. IT APPEARS THERE MUST BE A CLERICAL ERROR WITH MY VIN NUMBER IN THEIR SYSTEM. I FEEL THIS IS BACKED UP BY THE FACT THEY GAVE ME THE INCORRECT NAME OF THE OWNER AS WELL. I AM NOW VERY FEARFUL TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. I NEVER HAD THIS RECALL REPAIR MADE IN COTTONWOOD, AZ IN 2007 OR AT ANY OTHER TIME. CAN YOU ASSIST ME IN GETTING THIS RECTIFIED? *TR

I PARKED THE CAR AND WENT INTO THE POST OFFICE. I HEARD PEOPLE STATING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NEEDED FOR A CAR ON FIRE. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THE BREEZE WITH SUBSTANTIAL SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WALKED OUTSIDE AS THE POST OFFICE CALLED 911. HAVING A CLEAR VIEW OF THE CAR, THERE WERE BITS OF MATERIAL WITH FLAMES DROPPING FROM UNDER THE CAR. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE MARSHALL INDICATED THE FIRE STARTED AGAINST THE FIRE WALL IN THE CORNER OF THE ENGINE NEAR THE DRIVER SEAT. THE CAR WAS TOWED FROM SITE AND IS CONSIDERED A LOSS. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH BREEZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED AND THEY ADVISED HE CONTACT THAT THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE POWER STEERING HOSE FRACTURING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH BREEZE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR LESS THAN ONE MINUTE WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. THE SMOKE THEN TURNED INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT USED A BLANKET AND A WATER HOSE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED $1,900 WORTH OF DAMAGES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V191000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS) THREE WEEKS AFTER THE FIRE. PLYMOUTH SENT A CONTRACTOR TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT RELATED TO THE SAFETY RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A MECHANIC. AFTER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED A LEAK FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE DIRECTLY ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, WHICH WAS THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THE HOSE LEAK UNLESS THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING UNDER PRESSURE. WHEN THE PLYMOUTH REPRESENTATIVE INVESTIGATED THE VEHICLE, IT WAS NOT RUNNING. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 81,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH BREEZE. WHILE THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER DRIVE. THE VEHICLE IDLED AND HE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND (A MECHANIC) STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS WITH THE FUEL PRESSURE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT IF SHE COULD NOT PROVIDE A RECEIPT FOR THE FUEL PUMP RECALL REPAIR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06E088000: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP) THAT WAS PERFORMED IN 2006, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,000.