Viper Recall

[Paul S Lacey]

Help,

How many of you in the US have had the mods done? How many needed the rear axle work?

One of our members assures me that Viper Tecs from Woodhouse are either just about or have left for Europe to modify the affected vehicles................is this true.

It appears that in the UK you will only have your mods done free of charge if the car was supplied by Chrysler UK. Others would have to look to the supplier or pay for the mod.

Any comments, please as fact always beats rumour

 

[JonB]

FACT....frame recalls 96.5 - 2000 (?)

Damage is RARE and usually on those that are raced with SLICKS, seldon with treaded tires. Frame fix strengthens the weak points.

 

[John ACR]

Folks across the pond:
If all else fails get a ticket for the "Viper Wizard"

Good luck.

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

"One of our members assures me that Viper Techs from Woodhouse are either just about or have left for Europe to modify the affected vehicles................is this true."

Hi Paul, who has assured you of this? If it's going to happen, then great. Both myself and Joel have been in discussion about such a possibility (following talks at VOI) but neither of us were aware it's going ahead (as you know, we haven't even got as far as supplying VIN #s yet)!

Having been through one 100 mph Viper crash already, I do not want to risk another. Up until today I have heard no news re the UK recall work. The last we heard was from Pete who chased Chrysler UK (prior to VOI) to be told the kits were coming, but there was no one yet to do the work!

I have little confidence in Chrysler UK; when I went to my local dealer re a warranty issue they did not know how to open the hood! I had a dangerous fault on my car rendering the vehicle unroadworthy (covered by warranty) Chrysler UK advised me of their best dealer to attend (although it was the other side of the UK) I made a number of visits to this dealer. In the end it remained unfixed, I spoke with USA, and took a look at it myself. Found the faulty part straight away (embarrassing for Chrysler UK). This is just one example, of issues I've had with them!

Anyway, what ever happens, it appears the 'ball's rolling' a little more now.

 

[Bob Woodhouse]

Hello Nadine and others
Regarding European Viper recall fixes by the Woodhouse team: Yes there has been discussion on this beginning at VOI7. No we have not made any final arrangements and do not know if this is 100% feasible at this time. The main reason is that D/C has not finalized their decisions on how to handle this. Their focus has been here because government regs on recalls are more aggressive state side.
The Swiss club president, Phillipe Schilling, and Hans Wyss, event director, entertained the possibility of gathering 15 to 20 Vipers in one location to accomplish the frame recalls. We have agreed that if there were that many cars in one spot we would send a tech, the parts, the special welding wire and tools over for a couple weeks to work on cars steady. It would be the only way to do this economically as D/C is not interested in picking up any additional costs.
This fall we did a group of these recalls in a remote (three states away)location to save on transportation. If some of our clubs here have undone recalls and the president is willing to coordinate an effort, then we would entertain the "have welder will travel approach".
If we get a positive result on the Swiss club effort I will report it to you here on the board and Nadine I do not know what to do for you at this time. Sorry

 

[ViperGTS]

I was told that some ViperTechs from the UK will come to Germany to fix the recall...? May be they go first to the UK and afterwards to Germany...???

 

[Neil - UK]

We have heard they are going to Switzerland first then UK, maybe Germany might be third on the list, nothing confirmed officially.... who knows...

 

[Paul S Lacey]

Thanks to all of you I am just trying to sort the speculation from the fact.

We would love to see the guys from Woodhouse over here (perhaps they could bring Steve Kingshotts new RAM as hand luggage).

As Jon B says this is only really an issue if you run slicks and with UK law this would invalidate your warranty as it would prove that 'Track Time' was involved.

Our UK problem may well be very easy for *** as her car is in the original UK batch therefore she will get a FOC fix regardless. And there are many good welders in the UK.

The problem may well be for the rest who will have to sort out Chrysler Europe for either the parts or the fitting.

As Chrysler UK is not part of the Chrysler Group but a seperate company.

I have a telephone number for the European Customer Care and will phone them Monday.

Have a great weekend guys especially across the pond, California, Florida, Texas you still got Viper weather.........I hate you guys

 

[Joel]

Paul, thanks for beating your head against that Chrysler UK brick wall, congratulations on your persistence, commiserations on the remarkable lack of response, to what is at heart a safety recall and just as important in the UK as it is in the US.

Leaving aside Chrysler UK's total disinterest, for the moment, both Nadine and I spoke to a representative from Woodhouse whilst we were at VOI. We were impressed by the interest shown in sorting out the recall problem for the European owners. If we can organise most of our UK owners to work together and if it works out for Woodhouse with Chrysler, then we have the chance to have the recall work carried out, by a first class technician from a respected dealership. I am keeping my fingers crossed. This is not just a quick tack up with an electric welder. It is a substantial bit of bracing fitted in the steering rack area. Once you have seen it done, as I have, it makes the standard rack mount look very insubstantial indeed.

I think it is important that the UK area push to have this carried out, unsafe in the US is unsafe here also.

To say that the frame is ok unless subjected to track use is not acceptable. After I bought my GTS, I learned that it had been a press car for Chrysler UK. I was told at the point of sale that it was a pampered MD's car. Rubbish, it was thrashed around the roads and tracks of Europe by every magazine hack who showed an interest. If that doesn't constitute severe use, I don't know what does. Most of us who bought our vipers used have no idea what kind of abuse they have been subjected to. Lets get this recall work carried out.

Bob, Thanks for your companys interest. I hope that we can gather enough cars in the one place to make this viable for you.
I will do my best.

 

[Joel]

Lets keep the ball rolling