1999 Dodge Avenger

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 DODGE AVENGER ES WITH 17" SILVER 5-SPOKE ALUMINUM RIMS. I LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT 3 OF THE 4 RIMS ARE BENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE. IN ADDITION, THE CLEAR COAT BEGAN PEELING OFF ALL THE RIMS IN 2000.*AK CAR BEGAN VIBRATING AND DRIVING STRANGELY FEBRUARY OF 2005. I HAD THE PASSENGER LOWER CONTROL ARM, PASSENGER HUB ASSEMBLY AND PASSENGER DRIVESHAFT REPLACED. CAR DRIVES BETTER NOW, BUT VIBRATION CONTINUES. BROUGHT CAR TO A WHEEL SHOP THIS WEEK TO REPAIR A 5TH BENT RIM I GOT FOR USE AS A FULL SIZE SPARE. WHEEL SHOP BALANCED THE 4 WHEELS ON THE CAR AND NOTIFIED ME THAT 3 OF THE 4 ORIGINAL WHEELS ARE "OUT OF TRUE" WHICH IS THE REASON FOR THE VIBRATION. THEY ATTRIBUTE THIS TO EXTREMELY SOFT ALUMINUM USED IN THE RIMS' CONSTRUCTION. UPON CHECKING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 17" WHEELS MADE BY ENKEI? AND FOUND ON THE MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE, DODGE AVENGER AND CHRYSLER SEBRING BETWEEN 1997 AND 2001. SOME WEBSITES REFERRING TO THIS ISSUE WERE: HTTP://WWW.SSHWLAW.COM/PRESS.PHP?CID=0172 AND HTTP://WWW.MITSUBISHISUCKS.COM/CARS/CLASS/RIMS/ECLIPSE/ . *AK

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FROM 800 RPM'S TO 4500 RPM'S WITHIN SECONDS. THE CONSUMER HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE INPUT/OUTPUT SENSOR REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION RECURRED. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS ON MY 1999 DODGE AVENGER WEAR OUT VERY QUICKLY (LESS THAN 10,000 MILES). I HAVE READ TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS: A MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE SENSOR IS KEEPING THE BRAKES ENGAGED SLIGHTLY AND CREATING EXCESS HEAT AND WEAR; THE ROTORS WERE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR THE MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE (A SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER AND LIGHTER CAR THEN THE AVENGER) AND ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE BRAKING NEEDS OF THE AVENGER. IT IS CLEAR FROM THIS AND MANY OTHER AUTOMOBILE COMPLAINT SITES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SEBRING AND AVENGER MODELS. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT COVER UPS MITSUBISHI IS ACCUSED OF PERPETRATING REGARDING RECALLS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS ISSUE BE MADE PUBLIC AND THAT BOTH DODGE AND MITSUBISHI WORK TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *LA

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK BROKE AND WENT BACKWARDS. THE SEAT ONLY LOCKED ALL THE WAY BACK OR ALL THE WAY FORWARD. *AK THE CONSUMER LEANED BACK TO RETRIEVE HIS DEBIT CARD FROM HIS FRONT POCKET, AND THE DRIVER SIDE FSB RECLINE BROKE AWAY FROM THE GOLD BOLTS AND ALSO THE WELD TO THE FSB TUBE ASSEMBLY. (TIRE-GT-H M-S) *SCC