2000 Plymouth Breeze

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HIS 2000 PLYMOUTH BREEZE (FAILURE MILEAGE: 98000) AT 55 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FIRE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND BURNED THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 06V001000 FOR STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS IN NOVEMBER 2006, THREE(3) MONTHS AFTER THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. *JB

SAFETY RECALL 23-HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE DID SPRING A LEAK AND BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO MY MECHANIC TO CHECK IT OUT, I DID HAVE AN UNDER THE HOOD FIRE THAT MELTED MOST EVERY PLASTIC PART BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THIS HAPPENED IN FRONT OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT DISMISSAL TIME...LUCKILY I HAD PARKED THE CAR, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, AND STEP OUT BEFORE FLAMING UP AND THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL PROVIDED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO MINIMIZE THE FLAMES WHILE I CALLED 9-1-1 ON MY CELL PHONE. I FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY BUT THE POLICY HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND I WAS UNAWARE AT THAT TIME OF THIS SO THE CLAIM WAS DENIED; SINCE THAT TIME I HEARD FROM ANOTHER MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM OF THIS TYPE SO I RESEARCH ONLINE THEN CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER WHEN MY VIN WAS NOT SHOWING A PROBLEM. THEY TOOK THE REPORT AND SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO MY HOME AT WHICH TIME HE TOOK LOTS OF PICTURES SHOWING THE ONLY DAMAGE TO BE UNDER THE HOOD, THE HOOD, AND ONE FUSE/BOX INSIDE. AT THAT TIME THE LIGHTS, BRAKES, RADIO, ELECTRIC WINDOWS AND THE A/C WERE ALL STILL RUNNING ALONG WITH THE MOTOR ATTEMPTING TO TURN OVER (EVEN THOUGH IT WOULDN'T).WEEKS LATER I MADE TELEPHONE CALLS TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF THE CLAIM AND EVENTUALLY RECEIVED A LETTER POLITELY TELLING ME TOUGH LUCK'CLAIM DENIED. NO EXPLANATION GIVEN. POST MARKED JUN 14 ''06, I RECEIVED THE SAFETY RECALL 23-HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE LETTER AND PROCEEDED TO START ALL OVER AGAIN THE CLAIM WAS DENIED IN A LETTER DATED JULY 12, 2006 AND POST MARKED 07/14/06 DET MI #1 STATING I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN YOUR FILE AND I MUST ADVISE YOU THAT I HAVE GLEANED NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WOULD CAUSE US TO ALTER OUR PREVIOUS DECISION. ON APPROXIMATELY 01-04-07 I RECEIVE ANOTHER COPY OF THE SAFETY RECALL E23 LETTER NOW CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS HOPELESS TO CONTACT DAIMLER CHRYSLER AGAIN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE. THE CONTACT ASSUMED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES BLEW, SO THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE TIRES. TWO OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICERS IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND YELLED AT THE CONTACT TO RUN FROM THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE. AS SOON AS THE CONTACT RAN OFF, THE VEHICLE EXPLODED. FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE FIRST RECALL LETTER ABOUT RECALL NUMBER 06V001000. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED OF THE EXPLOSION BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY INFO ON HOW TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALERTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ON JUNE 17, 2006 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V001000; STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSISTS: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INFORMED. THE CONTACT REPORTS HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.

MY SON BOUGHT A PLYMOUTH BREEZE 2000 AND ONLY HAD IT THREE AND A HALF WEEKS. HE NOTICED THAT POWER STEERING SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE HARDER TO STEER. I NOTICED H CAR SMELLED HOT TWO NIGHTS BEFORE THE FIRE. HE DROVE THE CAR TO A BASKETBALL GAME AND ARRIVED ABOUT 7:20PM. HE PARKED AND LOCKED THE CAR IN THE HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT. WITHIN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES THEY WERE ANNOUNCING THE OWNER OF A CAR FROM G AND G AUTO IN MERRILL NEEDED TO REPORT TO THE PRINICIPAL. WE DID NOT YET HAVE OUR NEW LISCENSE PLATES YET. MY SON WENT OUT FIRST TO THE PARKING LOT AND I FOLLOWED A FEW MINUTES LATER WHEN THEY WERE STILLL ANNOUNCING A PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THE ENGINE AREA OF THE CAR STARTED ON FIRE AND THE CUSTODIANS AT THE SCHOOL NOTICED IT AND CALLED BOTH THE POLICE LIASON AND THE FIRE DEPARTMETN. THEY SENT FOUR TRUCKS. THEY NEEDED TO EXTRICATE THE HOOD SINCE THE CAR WAS LOCKED. THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. WITNESSES SAID THE FLAMES WERE UP SIX FEET. THE ENGINE WAS IN RUINS AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED PLUS THE PAINT PEELED AWAY. I DO KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING COMPONENT AND CRYSLER HAS SENT AN INVESTIGATOR OUT TO THE CAR. I AM AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE. I AM GLAD THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN MY CHILD WAS IN THE CAR OR THAT IT HAPPENED IN MY GARAGE WHERE I WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED IT UNTIL TOO LATE.*AK