- Vehicles
- 685,000
- Built between
- Jul 1994 – Jan 1998
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 26 October 1998
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1994 and January 1998. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1995-1998 Chrysler CirrusBuilt July 1994 to January 1998
- 1996-1998 Chrysler SebringBuilt August 1995 to January 1998
- 1995-1998 Dodge StratusBuilt July 1994 to January 1998
- 1996-1998 Plymouth BreezeBuilt July 1994 to January 1998
What the defect is
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The adjustment of the cable connecting the console shifter mechanism to the ignition key can cause a trapped key condition which can result in a low force required to depress the shift button. A combination of applying a mis-adjusted release button with a low force attempt to shift out of park with the key in the locked position, can break the connecting pin in the shifter.
What could happen
If this happens, the "ignition-park" interlock system will be nonfunctional.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR PROPER OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM. ANY VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL AFTER THE INSPECTION WILL HAVE THE SHIFT MECHANISM AND CABLE REPLACED WITH A "SELF-ADJUSTING" DESIGN.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1994 to January 1998
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 August 1998
- Owners notified26 October 1998
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 August 1998.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- CHRYSLER CORPORATION
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owner notification began october 26, 1998. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chrysler at 1-800-992-1997.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.