Airbag light came on all window & aircondition & rear defroster stop working dealer said under dash wiring harness.

- Houston, TX, USA

August 2005 my self and my family were taking a short trip out of town about 200 miles. At the half way point we pulled in to a gas station for some refreshments I waited in the car when I noticed smoke coming from my steering column up through the flasher button. We realized it was the wiring from my fog lamps only because that was the only thing that no longer work. The lamps were not in use at the time. Not really sure why the wiring caught fire.

- Houston, TX, USA

1) our fog lights had been going on and off intermittently for a couple of weeks. 2) my wife was driving down a local street coming home when smoke started billowing out from under the steering column, filling the car with smoke. She happened to be at the local dealership (it's on the way home from her work) and pulled in their parking lot. The car was left at the dealership. The problem was diagnosed as being a shorted fog light switch. Instead of a fuse blowing the wire harness acted as a fusible link and began melting down. We are now responsible for the replacement of a $2500 wire harness. I asked the service writer why a fuse had not blown and he told me that the circuit is protected by a forty (40) amp fuse. Being an electrician I know that a forty amp fuse or breaker protects an electric range oven and is on 8 awg wire. To repair the fault, we have to buy the harness which Chrysler will cut off the connector that melted down and will splice on the new one. All of the controls on the steering column pass through this harness which melted down and the wires are obviously not protected by fuses. If they were a fuse should blow with a short. Our vehicle has had 4 warranties and 3 recalls since we have owned it. The car is still not fixed after a week and a half.

- Alameda, CA, USA