1979 DODGE B300 Recalls, Complaints & Safety

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

CONDENSATE WATER MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER HOUSING; THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THIS WATER WILL CAUSE THE BLOWER MOTOR TO FAIL. BLOWER MOTOR FAILURE WOULD DISABLE THE AIR CONDTIONING UNIT AND THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO DEFROST OR DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD.

Remedy: DEALER WILL DRILL A 1/4 INCH DRAIN HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER HOUSING TO PREVENT WATER ACCUMULATION, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

68,000 vehicles affected

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY FRACTURE IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE LOWER BALL JOINT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT FROM THE ARM.

Remedy: DEALER WILL INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS BY INSTALLING WELDED REINFORCEMENTS.

27,000 vehicles affected

I HAD TRAVELLED FOR ABOUT 25 MILES @C.45 MPH WITH A LOAD OF C.3000 LBS IN THE BACK OF A DODGE MAXIVAN (SCHOOL BUS CONVERSION) WHEN THE MARSHALL 9.50R16.5LT TIRE WITH THE DOT H2XLYC3E276 MARKING ON IT EXPLODED AFTER BRIEFLY ACCELERATING TO C.60 MPH. WHEN THIS TIRE (ON THE LEFT REAR) EXPLODED IT LEFT THE ENTIRE TREAD LAYING IN THE PASSING LANE OF I90. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS BESIDE THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME AS I BRIEFLY LURCHED INTO THE PASSING LANE BEFORE SAFELY COMING TO A STOP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AFTER WHICH I IMMEDIATELY RETRIEVED THE TREAD. ODDLY, THIS WAS THE NEWEST TIRE ON THE VEHICLE (PURCHASED C. OCT. 1996) WHILE ITS MATE ON THE SAME AXLE (ALL POSITION M&S) WAS HEAVILY CHECKED AROUND THE BEAD. WITH NO MORE THAN 20,000 MILES ON THE TIRE THE TREAD IS STILL VERY DEEP. GIVEN THE AGE OF THE TIRE I AM NOT EXPECTING ANY COMPENSATION BUT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A DEFECT IN THE TIRE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION THAT PRODUCED THIS TREAD SEPARATION. A SEARCH ON THE DOT WEBSITE REVEALS ONLY ONE OTHER TREAD SEPARATION ON A TIRE OF THIS DESCRIPTION BY MARSHAL TIRE CO.. MY ONLY MOTIVE IS TO LET THE MFG KNOW THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS OCURRED WHICH MIGHT AFFECT THEIR QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES IN THE FUTURE. I STILL HAVE THE REMAINS OF THE TIRE IF ANY PICTURES ARE NEEDED.

LT31X1050X16.5 FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX ON 6 OCCATIONS IN PAST YEAR HAVE BLOWN OUT WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.HAVE STOPPED DRIVING VEHICLE AND HAVE NOT GONE BACK TO DEALER AS I MUST PAY FOR PART OF THE TIRE LIFE FOR NEW ONES AND STILL HAVE BLOW OUTS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31105016.5 )