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The eBearing News
December 22, 2004
DaimlerChrysler's Recalls 2005 Sebring
and Stratus for Knuckle Failures
copyright © 2004 eBearing Inc.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation (Germany) announced it is recalling 26,354 of its brand new
model year 2005 cars.
Affected Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus sedan and convertible cars were potentially built with defective
right (passenger) side steering knuckles. The forged knuckle assembly holds the wheel bearing
unit and locates the lower ball joint, upper ball joint, and steering arm.
The company said the steering knuckle has a potential manufacturing defect which can cause
it to crack and separate from the upper control arm. If that happens, the driver loses control
of the vehicle, possibly causing a crash. So far, no field failures have been reported.
Vehicles affected by the recall were built at the company's Sterling Heights
Assembly Plant between September 8, 2004 and November 5, 2004. The problem was identified when
a fractured knuckle was found on a just-produced vehicle at the Sterling Heights plant.
The knuckles were manufactured by Hayes Lemmerz International. In its investigation, Hayes Lemmerz
found all of the suspect knuckles were from one particular casting cavity.
DaimlerChrysler's investigation
found, "a small number of cavity #2 castings exhibited a rocking condition when machined in the
cavity #2 trim die. Depending on dimensional properties of the casting, this could result in initiation
of a stress crack when the casting was loaded during the machining operation."
In the recall scheduled to begin in January 2005, dealers will inspect the right side knuckles and
replace any found with the #2 casting number mark.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall Campaign ID Number is 04V579000.
Text of the recall notice:
Summary:
ON CERTAIN SEDANS AND CONVERTIBLE MODEL VEHICLES, THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE MAY HAVE
BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE COMPONENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS.
Consequence:
THIS COULD CAUSE THE STEERING KNUCKLE TO CRACK AND SEPARATE FROM THE UPPER CONTROL ARM, WHICH
COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE.
THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2005.
OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Notes:
DAIMLERCHRYSLER RECALL NO. D55.
CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
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- by Bruce A. Carr
from individual research,
tips and commercial sources.
Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
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eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright 1999-2008, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered
trademarks of eBearing Inc.
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eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright © 1999-2008, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered trademarks of eBearing Inc.
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