Chrysler (FCA US, LLC): Safety Recalls in 1977

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE HOOD SECONDARY CATCH SYSTEM MAY BE MISALIGNED WHICH MAY CAUSE THE SECONDARY CATCH TO MALFUNCTION. CONSEQUENTLY, THE HOOD MAY NOT BE SECURELY LATCHED.

THE WHEEL HUB NUTS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY STAKED TO THE WHEEL SPINDLE. AS A RESULT, THE STAKED NUTS MAY LOOSEN WITH LOSS OF CLAMPING LOAD ON THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING AND LOOSENING OF FRONT WHEELS.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE CARBURETOR ACCELERATOR PUMP SEAL CAN BECOME DISTORTED DUE TO CONTACT WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF GASOLINE. NORMALLY, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE ACCELERATOR PUMP IS ACTIVATED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GASOLINE REQUIRED FOR ACCELERATION. A DISTORTED SEAL HOWEVER, MAY PREVENT THE PUMP FROM DELIVERING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES INTERFERENCE MAY EXIST BETWEEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WIRING HARNESS AND THE CLUTCH LINKAGE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INTERFERENCE, THE HARNESS MAY BECOME CHAFED BY THE CLUTCH LINKAGE DURING NORMAL CLUTCH OPERATION. THIS CONDITION COULD LEAD TO AN ELECTRICAL FIRE SHOULD AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE OCCUR.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MAY DEVELOP CRACKS. THESE CRACKS WILL REDUCE THE STRENGTH OF THE ARM.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUEL TUBE MAY HAVE BEEN MISROUTED WHICH MAY ALLOW FOR TUBE ABRASION AND SUBSEQUENT UNDERHOOD FUEL LEAKAGE.

THE FUEL TUBES (FUEL TANK TO PUMP) ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BE ROUTED SUCH THAT TUBE TO UNDERBODY REINFORCEMENT FLANGE INTERFERENCE MAY RESULT DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. TUBE ABRASION CAUSED BY SUCH INTERFERENCE MAY RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE.

THE COLUMNS MAY CONTAIN STEERING SHAFTS IN WHICH THE STEERING COLUMN COUPLING ROLL PIN RETAINING NOTCH WAS MACHINED TOO DEEP. THIS MAY CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL SHAFT TO BECOME DISENGAGED FROM THE REST OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 106, "BRAKE HOSES". THESE FRONT HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSES MAY FAIL UNDER PRESSURE OF BRAKE APPLICATION DUE TO USE OF IMPROPERLY PROCESSED MATERIAL. PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY AND INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCES WILL RESULT.

AN INTERRUPTION OF THE MAIN ELECTRICAL POWER FEED CIRCUIT FROM THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR MAY OCCUR DUE TO SEPARATION OF A TERMINAL CONNECTION IN THE WIRING CIRCUIT. THE TERMINAL END OF THE POWER FEED WIRE COMING FROM THE COMPARTMENT MAY SEPARATE FROM ITS MATING TERMINAL ON THE WIRE GOING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AT THE MULTIPLE CIRCUIT CONNECTOR (KNOWN AS THE BULKHEAD CONNECTOR) LOCATED ON THE LEFT (DRIVER"S) SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREWALL.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, DAMAGE TO THE FRONT WHEEL BRAKE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM COULD OCCUR DUE TO FRONT WHEEL BRAKE LINE TUBE CORROSION. FRONT WHEEL BRAKE HOSES MAY BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACK DUE TO PROLONGED OPERATION IN COLD TEMPERATURES.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A FUEL SUPPLY TUBE, ROUTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT INTERFERES WITH THE FRAME CROSSMEMBER BRACKET. THIS TUBE IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL FILTER.

THE STEERING COLUMNS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MISASSEMBLED, RESULTING IN THE MASTER SERRATION FOR STEERING WHEEL INDEXING BEING MISLOCATED BY 180 DEGREES. THE TIE ROD MAY HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED IN ATTEMPTING TO OVERCOME THIS CONDITION AND THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED INSUFFICIENT TIE ROD THREAD ENGAGEMENT TO THE SLEEVE ATTACHMENT.

ENGINE COOLING FANS INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BE SUBJECT TO BLADE SEPARATION DUE TO VIBRATIONS GENERATED DURING NORMAL OPERATION.

THE PLASTIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE BUSHINGS INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BECOME HEAT DAMAGED BECAUSE THEY ARE LOCATED NEAR THE MINI-CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS CONDITION COULD ALTER THE ADJUSTED RELATIONSHIP OF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE IN A GEAR POSITION OTHER THAN THAT INDICATED BY THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR.

INCORRECT REAR BRAKE LININGS WERE INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS". THE EXISTING BRAKE LININGS COULD ALLOW BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK, CAUSING PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING.

THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PEDAL PUSHROD PREVAILING TORQUE NUT ATTACHMENT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED DURING ASSEMBLY AND MAY LOOSEN IN SERVICE. THE NUT COULD DISENGAGE FROM THE PUSHROD BOLT ALLOWING THE PUSHROD TO SEPARATE FROM THE PEDAL. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.

ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE MAY HAVE AN OVERLY LONG PLASTIC SLEEVE AT ITS CARBURETOR END. THIS COULD ALLOW THE SLEEVE TO BECOME STUCK IN THE END-FITTING WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO STICK IN THE OPEN POSITION.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS". THE SELF-LOCKING LATCH THAT RETAINS THE DRIVER"S SEAT IN ITS UPRIGHT POSITION UNDER VEHICLE IMPACT CONDITIONS MAY FAIL DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT-TREATMENT.

THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER ATTACHING BOLTS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY LOOSEN. LOOSE BOLTS MAY BACK OUT AND INTERFERE WITH THE DISC BRAKE ROTOR, RESULTING IN FRONT WHEEL LOCK UP.

THE REQUIRED MUFFLER TO FLOOR PAN HEAT SHIELDS WERE OMITTED FROM THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THESE HEAT SHIELDS ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT INTERIOR MATERIALS, INCLUDING SEAT BELT WEBBING, FROM HEAT DAMAGE.

THE FRONT DRIVING AXLE WHEEL HUBS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY FAIL DUE TO IMPROPERLY MACHINED SPINDLES. THIS ERROR MAY PREVENT THE WHEEL HUB AND BEARING FROM SEATING PROPERLY, CAUSING BEARING FAILURE AND EVENTUAL HUB FRACTURE. ALSO, THE FRONT WHEEL COULD DETACH DUE TO HUB FRACTURE.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS". THE TIRE PRESSURE PLACARDS INCORRECTLY SPECIFY THE FRONT TIRE PRESSURE FOR MAXIMUM LOAD CONDITIONS. AS A RESULT, TIRES COULD FAIL DUE TO OVERLOADING.