Investigations
STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY
NHTSA Recall Query RQ97004 - closed, opened 1997-03-20 and involving the CHRYSLER CHRYSLER.
NHTSA investigation RQ97004 is a Recall Query opened on 1997-03-20 and currently closed. The subject of record is CHRYSLER CHRYSLER, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for CHRYSLER. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1998-09-18 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Recall Query like RQ97004 evaluates whether a previously issued recall is actually fixing the problem. NHTSA opens an RQ when owners continue to report the original defect after the recall remedy is installed, or when completion rates fall short of the agency's expectations for that risk tier.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ON JANUARY 25, 1994 CHRYSLER CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY IN MODEL YEAR 1993 GRAND CHEROKEE AND GRAND WAGONEER. THE RECALL POPULATION WAS 115,000 VEHICLES. THE DEFECT WAS THE MOLDED PL..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related CHRYSLER files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
ON JANUARY 25, 1994 CHRYSLER CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY IN MODEL YEAR 1993 GRAND CHEROKEE AND GRAND WAGONEER. THE RECALL POPULATION WAS 115,000 VEHICLES. THE DEFECT WAS THE MOLDED PLASTIC PIN WHICH CONNECTS THE UPPER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT AND THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN SHEARED/DAMAGED PRIOR TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY INTO THE VEHILE. IF THIS OCCURRED, THE UPPER STEERING SHAFT WILL SEPARATE FROM THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AS A REMEDY, CHRYSLER INSTALLED A RESTRAINING SLEEVE TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF STEERING SHAFT MOVEMENT AVAILABLE.
About This Investigation Type
A Recall Query (RQ) evaluates the effectiveness of a previously issued recall. NHTSA opens an RQ when consumer complaints suggest that a recall remedy may not be adequately addressing the safety issue, or when the recall completion rate appears insufficient.
Other CHRYSLER Investigations
Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
Recall 19V-293 Post Remedy Failures
Engine Stall With Intermittent Restart
Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.