Ever since Toyota’s massive recalls earlier this year, automakers are skittish when it comes to customer concerns. It no longer takes a long time nor a large amount of complaints before a recall is announced, which is why you see a lot of recall notices here on Road Reality. Chrysler and the NHTSA have released a new recall affecting almost 27,000 2010-2011 model year vehicles due to a faulty power steering hose. Click past the jump for more details and the press release.
Cars with electronic power-assist steering (EPAS) are starting to outnumber those with hydraulic power steering. While EPAS doesn’t usually give as nice a feedback as hydraulic, it saves at the gas pump, which is why more and more automakers are using it in their vehicles. It also re-routes some of the components underneath a car’s hood, which seems to be leading to a learning curve, as we’ve seen half a dozen recalls this year because of EPAS.
Chrysler is not immune to this learning curve, as they’ve just recalled a slew of their new products. A faulty end on a power steering hose can come apart, leading to power steering fluid spraying on a hot engine, which can lead to an engine fire.
Definitely not good, but no word on how many complaints were made or if any actual engine fires were reported.
Here’s the list of affected vehicles:
| Make / Model | Model Year |
|---|---|
| Chrysler 300 | 2010 |
| Chrysler Sebring | 2010 |
| Dodge Avenger | 2010 |
| Dodge Challenger | 2010 |
| Dodge Journey | 2010 |
| Dodge Ram | 2011 |
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER SEBRING, 300, CHARGER (LX) AND DODGE CHALLENGER (LC), AVENGER (JS), AND JOURNEY (JC), AS WELL AS MODEL YEAR 2011 DODGE RAM LIGHT DUTY PICKUP (DS) VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A SEPARATION AT THE CRIMPED END OF THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE ASSEMBLY.by John Suit
Source: NHTSA
My 2010 dodge Avenger just caught on fire wed march 16 2011 after owning it for only 6 months. Only speculation so far from the fire chief called out to put the fi out but he says it looks like it was caused by the power steering hose coming loose and spraying the engine.
My 2010 Dodge Journey caught on fire, March 11, 2011…while I was DRIVING, 2 months after purchasing it NEW off the lot!!!!! The investigations came back with this exact diagnosis….however, our VIN was not included in the recall!!!! Chrysler is being terrible, and is doing next to nothing to rectify the situation!! They don’t care at all about their loyal customers! Trying to get the word out about how dangerous this vehicle, and other Chrysler products are….it could easily have cost the lives of me and my children!!! So much for a ‘safe’, ‘family’ vehicle!!!
I heard that all Jeep Grand’s from year 1993 to 2004 have a problem with the gas tank and will explode upon impact.
Why hasn’t Chrysler called for a recall?
MY 2013 DODGE AVENGER CAUGHT FIRE ON MARCH 14TH 2013 JUST 5 MONTHS AFTER BUYING BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT 14 MILES ON IT WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT THE FIRE CHIEF WHO PUT THE FIRE OUT STATED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT STARTED BEHIND THE CONSOLE MY WIFE MY 6 YR OLD SON AND MY NIECE WERE IN THE CAR THANK GOD NO LIVES WERE LOST IM GOING THRU THE PROCESS NOW WITH CHYSLER SO I DONT KNOW YET HOW THEY ARE GOING TO TREAT ME BUT I WILL KEEP EVERYONE UPDATED…..
Still happening see below article
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/fire-and-steering-fault-hit-two-chryslers-in-a-row-for-melbourne-family-20140901-10aw7l.html
OUR 2009 DODGE CHARGER CAUGHT FIRE IN OUR GARAGE AND OUR ENTIRE HOUSE WAS RUINED WITH SMOKE & WATER DAMAGE.