1990 Chrysler Lebaron

DT: THE CALLER SAID HIS FRIEND WAS TURNING INTO DRIVEWAY AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. SHE WAS GOING ABOUT 15 MPH. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. A REPORT WAS FILED. NO OTHER PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE, BUT THE CALLER SAID IT STARTED TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE. DEALER SAID THEY WILL HAVE TO CHECK OUT THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY COULD SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. CALLER SAID THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE AIRBAGS AND ON A OIL LEAK.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKS INTO SECOND GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP AND WILL NOT UPSHIFT. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME. (LIMP MODE). THERE ARE AT LEAST 32 TSB'S COVERING VARIOUS PROBLEMS ON THE A604/41TE TRANSMISSIONS. I CALLED CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY. ESTIMATED REPAIRS TO DATE ARE $1950 - $2100. THE CAR IS LIKE NEW OTHERWISE, BUT USELESS AS IS.*AK

CAR TOTALLY SHUTS DOWN WHEN DRIVING. HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES (MORE THAN 20+) OVER LAST 8 MONTHS. SOMETIMES IT WILL RESTART IN APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES, OTHER TIMES IT WON'T. SPEED DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A FACTOR AS IT HAS HAPPENED AT 30 MPH AS WELL AS 65. WEATHER DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A FACTOR. THIS PROBLEM IS SPORADIC - SOMETIMES IT WILL HAPPEN 3 TIMES IN ONE DAY OVER A DISTANCE OF 5 MILES, OTHER TIMES IT WILL RUN FINE FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND THEN SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. I HAVE HAD IT IN TWO DIFFERENT GARAGES SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT PROBLEM IS DUE TO IT NOT ACTING UP WHEN THEY HAVE IT. I CALLED THE CHRYSLER GARAGE IN PLYMOUTH, IN AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP ME UNLESS THEY ACTUALLY SEE THE PROBLEM HAPPEN. I CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AND HAVE NO WARNING AHEAD OF TIME. THIS IS ESPECIALLY SCARY WHEN DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH SEMIS.*AK

A REAR BRAKE LINING SEPARATED FROM THE SHOE. I FOUND THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME WHILE GREASING THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. THE LOOSE SHOE WAS STILL IN PLACE CAPTURED BY THE CALIPER. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MY DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL: CAMPAIGN NUMBER 92V017000, BUT MY 1990 VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL SINCE IT EFFECTED 1989 MODELS. HOWEVER, I CONVINCED THE DEALER I DID HAVE THE PROBLEM SINCE I HAD A LINING THAT SEPARATED FROM THE SHOE. THE DEALER REPLACED MY REAR BRAKES AT THAT TIME. I HAVE NO RECORD OF THE SERVICE DATE, AND THE DEALER CLAIMS HE HAS NO RECORD, ALTHOUGH HE ALSO HAS NO RECORD OF THE RECALL SERVICE THAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH WATER COLLECTING IN A REAR WHEEL WELL EITHER. TWO DAYS AGO, I WAS AGAIN GREASING THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON THIS VEHICLE AND I DISCOVERED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM! ONE OF THE BRAKE LININGS WAS SEPARATED FROM THE SHOE AGAIN! I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, THE ORIGINAL RECALL DID NOT CORRECT ALL THE DEFECTIVE BRAKES. MY 1990 CHRYSLER LEBARON OBVIOUSLY HAD THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH CHRYSLER INSISTED IT EFFECTED ONLY 1989 MODELS AND MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. SECOND, PARTS USED AFTER THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED, STILL EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE!