Issues

CAS Oil Sludge Letter # 2 to Chrysler CEO Zetsche

October 13, 2004

October 12, 2004

Dieter Zetsche
President & Chief Executive Officer
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
1000 Chrysler Drive
Auburn Hills MI 48326-2766

Dear Mr. Zetsche:

Troy Couple’s Car [Mercury Grand Marquis] Known for Catching Fire when Hit

September 21, 2004

The Record,

Troy NY

by James V. Franco

September 21, 2004

TROY – Officials identified the two people killed Sunday after being struck from behind on the Berkshire Spur of the state Thruway as Constantino L. LaPietra, 76, and Michelina LaPietra, 64.

Ford Says to Check Steering on Trucks

September 21, 2004

Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Christopher Jensen
Plain Dealer Auto Editor

Ford has sent letters to millions of owners of its most popular trucks emphasizing the importance of regularly inspecting the tie rods, crucial steering components investigated in 1998 by the federal government for a possible safety defect.

Valve Problem on ’99 Camrys Has Plenty of Suspects

September 13, 2004


Buildup in the throttle body can affect the mechanism, and Toyota points to bad gasoline as the cause.

1998-01 Mercedes FSS Engine Damage

September 8, 2004

Attorney fees of $4.9 million OK’d

Shannon P. Duffy
The Legal Intelligencer
04-10-2003

A federal judge has approved a settlement worth more than $32 million in a class action products liability suit against Mercedes Benz brought by owners of cars manufactured from 1998 to 2001 who said they were never warned that use of non-synthetic motor oils would cause premature engine wear.

Honda SUV Fires Continue

September 7, 2004

Warning to Dealers Hasn’t Stopped Oil-Change Errors

By Greg SchneiderWashington
Post Staff WriterTuesday, September 7, 2004; Page E01

Owners
of new Honda CR-V sport-utility vehicles continue to report vehicle
fires shortly after initial oil changes, and a federal agency is
keeping an eye o­n the problem two months after closing an
investigation.

Monitors Could Combat Oil Sludge

September 7, 2004

Issue heats up at VW, Chrysler

By Richard Truett
Automotive News / September 06, 2004

DETROIT — An inexpensive device that checks the condition of engine oil and warns the driver when it's time for an oil change could help Volkswagen of America Inc. and the Chrysler group avoid future troubles with oil sludge.

Both companies have come under pressure after reports were published of engine failures caused by sludge buildup.

General Motors says about 95 percent of its 2005 models will come with an oil life monitor.

TRW Sodium Azide Explosions

September 5, 2004

TRW to cease sodium azide production – 6/30/2003 An Explosive Mix At TRW – 12/18/1995 Man Dies from TRW Airbag Blast – 9/26/1994

Chrysler Urged to Act on Engine Complaints

August 31, 2004

8/28/04
Christopher Jensen
Plain Dealer Auto Editor

A consumer group is demanding that Chrysler Group extend the warranty on hundreds of thousands of its 2.7-liter V-6 engines and start reimbursing consumers whose engines have failed.

"The 2.7-liter engine introduced by Chrysler in 1998 is a nightmare for consumers. It doesn’t cause accident and injury, it causes severe economic damage," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, in a statement.

Consumer Advocacy Group Says Chrysler V-6 Has Sludge Problems

August 31, 2004

By Mary Connelly
Automotive News / August 30, 2004