Chrysler refuses to issue recall

[Mike DC]

   
What is "safe enough"?  The goalposts keep being pushed back as time goes by. 

That was pretty straightforward back when most cars were junked within a decade of being built.  But now 20yo cars are no longer unusual in a middle-class neighborhood.  I agree that people are starting to retroactively apply modern standards to older stuff.
 
 

[Steve P.]

I think it is great that the American people are starting to once again demand GREAT products. But to go after 20 year old vehicles is a joke. Never before did they have a count of vehicles to call for a RECALL and I am afraid there is something more behind it today.

I am another like Troy with not buying today's mopar. They have just allowed too much below the grade for me to buy it. I need to know it will last and I can depend on it. Most of all I need comfort and capability for my disfuncional back. Mopar has some hot looking cars with plenty of power, but too many issues and lack of comfort for me.

[ACUDANUT]

I think it is great that the American people are starting to once again demand GREAT products. But to go after 20 year old vehicles is a joke. Never before did they have a count of vehicles to call for a RECALL and I am afraid there is something more behind it today.

I am another like Troy with not buying today's mopar. They have just allowed too much below the grade for me to buy it. I need to know it will last and I can depend on it. Most of all I need comfort and capability for my disfuncional back. Mopar has some hot looking cars with plenty of power, but too many issues and lack of comfort for me.

I agree.

[JB400]

That there is the issue.  There are too many 20 year old cars on the road.  That is why these manufacturers are building crap today.  That way, they're guaranteed higher future car sales.  Throw in gov. subsidies like Cash for Clunkers, we'll all be stuck driving new crap that gets 50 mpg but falls apart in 5 years.

[ACUDANUT]

I don't know. My last new car buy was a 2001 Blazer. I got 300k miles out of it (all original).  It was a good SUV.  I bought a new 2012 Ford F-150 last year and hope to wear it out too 

[Mike DC]

 
Crap gets built because people keep buying it.  It's nothing more sinister or farsighted than that. 

[Dino]

 
Crap gets built because people keep buying it.  It's nothing more sinister or farsighted than that. 

You're a smart and sober man Mike, would love to meet you some day.  As I do many others btw, this is quite the place.

[Cooter]

 
Crap gets built because people keep buying it.  It's nothing more sinister or farsighted than that.  

I been saying that for years now. Too many people are willing to settle for whatever's put in front of them and they are happy if it does ONE thing for them.

WAY too many say their "Dream car" is my GL, or Christine, or whatever, but once I ask them if they are ready for the Uber hot days without A/C, NO NAV system, NO creature comforts of any kind, they look at me like I'm crazy. That's the way it was back then. These early musclecars weren't for some candy ass riding around with every gaget known to mankind. You had to DRIVE these cars. Today, A new Challenger gets people killed because at 125 MPH, you will fall asleep it's so smooth. Try that  with one of these cars with suspension from 1960's. I bet you couldn't get a needle up their ass it would be so tight. People have become complacent nowadays. They think the cars are so smart they will tell you everything. They do not. Relying on technology is stupid. Trusting it to do the job most of the time is smart. Too many today rely on it.

[Steve P.]

MIKE DC hits it on the nose, but I would take it a step beyond that and say: Because we stopped fighting for better. We stopped picketing and striking and telling big business that we would NOT buy their shit. And we accepted the crap coming into the country that was absolutely throw away crap...

[69wannabe]

I'm not fortunate enough to afford a new car but if I was it would probably be a ford product. I have several of the jeeps mentioned in this recall, two 98 grands, a 93 grand and a 04 grand. Only two are mine and the other two are the wife and daughters. They are modern mopar but have for the most part been good vehicles. The 4.0 six's are durable and long lasting engines. Of course they quit making them certain engines I figure cause they were too good. All the older cars that I have put gas tanks in from chevy's to mopar's have the gas tanks in the very back of the car too but they were steel and not plastic tanks tho... My mom has a Toyota tacoma that has been a very good vehicle and purchased a Rav 4 that only had 40,000 miles on it with a year warranty left on it and she brought it to me the first day she bought for me to drive. She said it had a whine to it. Drove it and yes there was differential noise in it which is in the transmission on this vehicle. Took it back next day and tried to let them have it back but nope, it was a done deal. So ok its under warranty just fix it, nope that was too  expensive and the tranny wasn't completely out of it. Hired a lawyer and fought with them for two months with no luck. Finally I stuck it on craigslist and sold it. I hated to but my mom is in her 70's and didn't deserve to be crapped on by this car company. I passed that POS to someone else and that is the end of Toyota's for this family. My parents always pay their way and live right and didn't deserve what a problem Toyota gave them. It was a pretty car too. If they would have fixed it she would still be driving it. Lesson learned I guess. We got rid of that junk and she went and bought her a new Lincoln MKZ. Talk about a nice vehicle and so far super nice folks to deal with.

[Ghoste]

They all make vehicles with faults and they all try to avoid the expense of fixing if they can and fans of a brand will defend them.

[Mike DC]

Steve, Dino, Cooter, thanks for the compliments. 

[Cooter]

Many times with used vehicles (Especially since all those 'floaters' will be hitting the markets/auction blocks soon from Jersey/New York/etc.), People figure that Aftermarket 'Extended' warranties will cover what the factory warranties did. This isn't the case. Many times, those 'extended' warranties are not worth the paper they are written on, and IF one does get a 'good' warranty that will actually pay for 'some' repairs, it takes the shop/dealer about 3 months  and numerous attempts to get paid. Some even want to see the old part, have their guy/guys/shops/etc. 'inspect' it to see if actually bad, want the shop to pull just ONE cylinder head if blown head gasket on a V style engine. WTF? Nobody installs just ONE head gasket when doing a V6/V8/V10 etc. engine. But, that's the way some of these companies expect people to operate.
Of course, all this goes out the window if that little box that says "As is, no warranty" is checked and you sign the line anyway.

[Ghoste]

For sure.  Those aftermarket warranties are really just repair insurance and like any insurance policy their goal is to never have to pay out. 

[ACUDANUT]

Heck even the original warranty is tough, to get something fixed.

[Silver R/T]

I'm a member of another forum, Lexus forum. There is an owner who thinks NHTSA should make Lexus recall 90s Lexus cause his gauge cluster lights went out. Just shows you how many idiots are out there. People are not willing to work out simple problems with their cars, just way too lazy and want everything given to them on a plate.
Every car has problems, some more than others.

[Mike DC]

I'm a member of another forum, Lexus forum. There is an owner who thinks NHTSA should make Lexus recall 90s Lexus cause his gauge cluster lights went out. Just shows you how many idiots are out there. People are not willing to work out simple problems with their cars, just way too lazy and want everything given to them on a plate.
Every car has problems, some more than others.

There's the problem.  

[69wannabe]

I completely understand the whole warranty from these car lots and fly by night car places. The thing about the Rav4 is they bought it used from the Toyota dealership and it supposedly had a year of the factory warranty left or up to 60,000 miles which it only had 42,000 miles on it. I feel like they should've fixed this vehicle or offered them a trade or something to make it right but nope, they told her it was a done deal and it was between her and the bank now. The dealership in mention is Riverside Toyota in Rome Georgia and the salesman told her to just go trade it for a ford or a dodge since the same guy own's the chevy place he didn't say go trade it for a chevy. Not complaining bout the brand but the people that run the riverside dealerships are crooks!!!! The Tacoma that they bought from the same dealership in 02 has been a great truck and it hasn't gave any trouble. My mom and dad are in their late 70's and I feel like this could've been handled better other than them taking advantage of older folks. They were trying to dump that vehicle on anyboby they could to get away from it to keep from having to fix it. It's just sad these days that everywhere you turn someone is trying to burn you.

[JB400]

Here's a little more info on the story plus some of Chryslers' arguments against the recall

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/page/8

[DC_1]

Allpar

"In other news, NHTSA administrator David Strickland was quoted by Detroit News as saying that the Jeep recall request was about "seeking the truth," and seemed to be backing off of the recall demand. He said owners of the older Jeeps (1993-2004 Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Liberty) could make their own choices.  He did say he believed the cars had an "unreasonable risk," and said there had been 51 deaths from 32 crashes so far. Chrysler has been working with NHTSA on this investigation since 2010.

Two years ago, Ford fought an NHTSA request over F-150 trucks whose airbags, NHTSA said, could inflate without warning and cause accidents. The media coverage of that event was far smaller"

[1974dodgecharger]

so the tank sits behind the rear axle is the reason for the recall.......

[Cooter]

So does any Dodge Charger 1st,2nd,or 3rd Gen....Wonder if we can get a recall as well. Oh wait, that wouldn't be prudent now would it?

[Ghoste]

Well, I'm seeing reports now that Chrysler is going to voluntarily perform the campaign.

[JB400]

According to Allpar, that's what it seems like.  http://www.allpar.com/news/ 

It seems that they are just doing an inspection.  If reinforcements need to be made, they'll do it, but only on models 04 and newer.  The older Jeeps will get fixed at owners expense.

[Ghoste]

That's basically the same thing.  I think the only difference is that in the original recall sought by the safety folks they wanted them all replaced no matter what and Chryslers compromise is to just do the ones that need it.