1994 Dodge Shadow

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLT ON THE DRIVER SEAT CAN FAIL AND SEPARATE.

Risk. IF THE BOLT FAILS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT WITH A HIGHER STRENGTH BOLT THAT INCLUDES A SELF LOCKING NYLON PATCH.

WHILE DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON I-85 IN CARNESVILLE, GA, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK RIGHT OF MY CAR. I LOOKED BACK AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF MY BACK RIGHT TIRE. I BEGAN TO SLOW MY CAR BY LETTING OFF THE GAS. AT THIS TIME MY CAR BEGAN TO SWERVE OUT OF CONTROL, FIRST VEERING RIGHT. I TRIED TO REDIRECT THE CAR BACK TO THE ROAD AS IT WAS HEADING TOWARDS SOME TREES. THE CAR THE SWERVED OUT OF CONTROL TO THE LEFT CAUSING MY CAR TO GO TOWARD THE MEDIAN OF THE INTERSTATE. IT HIT A PATCH OF MUD AND GRASS, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO FLIP. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED IT WAS FACING THE NORTH BOUND LANE. THE BACK RIGHT TIRE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE TIRE WAS PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2010 AND WAS NEW. I HAD ONLY DRIVEN ABOUT 3,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SEATBELT DOES NOT LOCK INTO A SECURE POSITION. WHEN FRONT PASSENGER DOOR IS OPENED, SEATBELT MECHANISM DOES NOT MOVE SHOULDER BELT TO THE FULL OPEN POSITION. WHEN FRONT PASSENGER DOOR IS CLOSED WITH IGNITION KEY TURNED ON, FRONT PASSENGER SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT TRAVEL TO THE LOCKED POSITION. FRONT PASSENGER ONLY HAS USE OF MANUAL LAP BELT FOR ACCIDENT PROTECTION. THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT MOVE INTO THE ANCHORED LOCATION FOR PROTECTION. EACH TIME VEHICLE IS TURNED ON OR TURNED OFF, AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT MECHANISM HAS LESS MOVEMENT AND IS BARELY MOVING THE SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE COMPLETELY OPENED POSITION AND THE COMPLETELY LOCKED POSITION. *TR

94 DODGE SHADOW AND SOME OTHER YEARS AROUND MY AREA ARE GOING BAD HAVING TO REPLACE THE COMPUTERS AND THEY ARE COSTLY. *NM

CHRYSLER CORPORATION REFUSES TO MAKE AVAILABLE REPAIR PARTS FOR THE SHIFT LINKAGE CABLES IN THE DODGE SHADOW AND SIMILAR VEHICLES. WHERE THE SHIFT CABLE ATTACHES TO THE TRANSMISSION THERE ARE PLASTIC "SNAP" GROMMETS THAT HOLD THE END OF THE SHIFT CABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION. SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN USED FOR YEARS ON SIMILAR APPLICATIONS BY VARIOUS AUTO MAKERS. WHEN THAT GROMMENT WEARS OUT, DODGE DOES NOT MAKE IT AVAILABLE AS A SEPARATE REPAIR PART AND INSTEAD WANTS TO SELL A $130.00+ (I LAST CHECKED SEVERAL YEARS AGO) COMPLETE SHIFT CABLE TO REPLACE A 50 CENT PART. I AM PERSONALLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE ON TWO CARS (A 93 & A 94) BUT HAVE HEARD OF IT ON OTHER CARS. CHRYSLER MAKES MANY OTHER LINKAGE SNAP GROMMETS AVAILABLE AND I SEE THIS AS PURE GREED ON THEIR PART TO NOT MAKE THESE SIMPLE REPAIR PARTS AVAILABLE. I WOULD HAPPILY PAY SEVERAL $$'S APIECE FOR THESE OVER HAVING TO BUY A VERY EXPENSIVE CABLE AND ITS ASSOCIATED LABOR TO CHANGE. DISCUSSIONS WITH VARIOUS DEALER PARTS PERSONNEL SIMPLY RESULTS IN A SHRUG OF THE SHOULDERS. THE DESIGN OF THE SHIFT SYSTEM KEEPS THE PARTS FROM COMING APART BUT LEADS TO VERY SLOPPY/DIFFICULT SHIFTING WHEN THIS PART IS WORN. THERE ARE TWO OF THESE ON EACH VEHICLE. I CAN NOT TELL YOU IF THEY ARE IDENTICAL OR NOT, BUT I SUSPECT THEY ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SIZES TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING CROSSED DURING ASSEMBLY. *JB

VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING THROUGH A LIGHT AT 10 MILES PER HOUR WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT IMPACT COLLISION, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

CAM SHAFT BROKE AT 60,000 MILES ON A VACATION TRIP.... COST OF ON ROAD REPAIRS... $600. *LA

PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS ON DODGE SHADOW BECOME TRANSLUCENT WITH AGE. LAMPS CAN BE SEEN BY ONCOMING CARS BUT DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD AHEAD. OKAY ON WELL-LIT CITY STREETS BUT HEADLIGHTS HAVE ALMOST NO EFFECT IN THE COUNTRY. THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, AND CLEARLY IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE MANUFACTURER TO LET IT HAPPEN. *CB

ELECTRICAL, TAIL LAMP, BRAKE LAMP WIRING, AND WIRING HARNESS. *JB

THE RIGHT BLINKER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED.*YH *TS

WHILE DRIVING THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF THE VEHICLE DUE TO BROKEN LUGS AND STRUCK THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM

ON THE BELT PULLY, I WAS JUST PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVE AND THE BELT BLEW APART, AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON NOW, THE LIGHTS, I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS BUT THAT DOES NOT FIX TH E PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY STALL. THERE IS NO PRIOR WARNING. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH, GOING DOWN A HILL, AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE HIT A BUSH AND A TELEPHONE POLL, AND STOPPED ON IMPACT. DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HIT A TELEPHONE POLE AT ABOUT 30-35MPH CAR ROLLED AND THE AIR BAG NEVER CAME OUT

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR ,CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

INTERMITTENT STALLING - ENGINE STALLS WHEN GAS PEDAL IS RELEASED. *AK

THE CAR HAS PLASTIC LENS COVERS OVER A SEALED UNIT ON THE HEADLIGHTS. MOISTURE COLLECTS ON THE INSIDE OF THE PLASTIC ENCLOSURE AND THE PLASTIC HAS BECOME CLOUDED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THE PROCEDURE TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS I AM TOLD WILL TAKE ALMOST 2 HOURS IN LABOR THEREBY NECCESSITATING AN UNREASONABLE CHARGE DUE TO DESIGN FLAWS. ALSO THE ADJUSTMENT DEVICE TO AIM HEADLIGHTS DOES NOT FUNCTION DUE TO POOR DESIGN. TO CURE MY PROBLEM WILL REQUIRE ME TO BUY COMPLETELY NEW HEADLIGHTS AND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REPLACEMENTS. HAS THIS ISSUE BEEN ADDRESSED BEFORE? IF SO DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE? THANK YOU, JOHN BAUGH. *AK

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS RECEIVING RECALL REPAIR 99V212 WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT, THE SEAT WAS BROKEN AND WAS IN A RECLINING POSITION WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE, CONSUMER TRADED THE CAR IN AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. *SLC

LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLTS BROKE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT WHICH COULD CAUSE SEAT TO RELEASE FROM THE UPRIGHT POSITION. VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER SEAT. RECALL NUMBER 99V212000. .*AK THE RECALL WAS FOR THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT FAILURE BUT MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT FAILURE. *YH