1996 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

I RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING MY 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WHICH WAS REPAIRED ON JANUARY 25, 2001, BY MY MECHANIC WITH ONE STOP AUTO. I RECEIVED A TWO RECALL NOTICES (1) DATED 1/25/01 AND 10/27/01, IN WHICH I AM STILL GETTING THE SAME LETTER FOR RECALL FROM THEM. WHAT HAPPEN IS THAT I HAD FUEL UP AT A SERVICE STATION BACK ON JANUARY 24,2001 AND NOTICE GAS COMING OUT OF MY CAR AND I CALLED MY MECHANIC THAT EVENING AND HE TOLD ME (MECHANIC) TO BRING THE CAR DOWN THE NEXT DAY. I WENT TO THE SHOP AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT IT NEED A GAS TANK SENDING UNIT ASSY. UNIT AND IT WAS REPLACED THAT DAY. I RECEIVED A RECALL FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER FOR THE REASON OF RING AROUND THE GAS TANK. I WROTE THEM A LETTER BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE MATTER AND THEY RESPONSE TO ME THAT IT WAS NOT WHAT THE RECALL WAS FOR. I THEN WROTE THEM A LETTER AND THE RESPONSE THAT THE FACTS PRESENTED IN MY LETTER TO THEM THAT I HAD NOT MET THE REQUIRED CONDITIONS OF THE RECALL. SO, DAIMLER/CHRYSLER DECLINE MY REQUEST. IT COST ME $523.05 TO REPLACE THE UNIT.

I WANT TO GET YOUR ADVICE ABOUT MY CARAVAN. EVEN THOUGH I REPLACED THERMOSTAT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM RECENTLY THAT I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR A LONG TIME. CARAVAN LOSES POWER WHILE RUNNING, I MEAN THAT ENGINE IS RUNNING BUT VERY UNSTABLE AND GOING TO STOP IF DEEPLY PRESS GAS PEDAL. ONCE I LOSE POWER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT POWER. BUT IF I WAIT UNTIL ENGINE COOL DOWN (TYPICALLY AN HOUR OR SO), IT RECOVERS TO NORMAL CONDITION. EVEN THOUGH I CHECKED IT AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER, THEY DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON. ONLY WHAT THEY CAN DO IS BASED ON THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS FROM MULTIPLE MISFIRE. WHEN IT WAS CHECKED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN THE FUEL PUMP AND REPLACED THERMOSTAT. BUT SOME PEOPLE, WHO WORK AT A GARAGE, TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE FUEL PUMP IS NOT NORMAL. THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM MAY NOT BE MONITORED BY COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS. THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS EVEN THOUGH I REPLACED A LOT OF PARTS; SPARK PLUG CABLE, (NOT SPARK PLUG BECAUSE IT IS LESS THAN 20000 MILE AFTER REPLACED), ROTOR, ROTOR CAP, FUEL FILTER AND AIR FILTER. IF THESE PARTS ARE REPLACED AND THERE IS STILL SAME PROBLEM, WE NEED TO SUSPECT FUEL PUMP. HE TOLD ME TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD WHEN WE PUT THE KEY TO THE IGNITION POSITION WHEN STARTING ENGINE. IT IS POSSIBLE TO HEAR FUEL PUMPING SOUND FOR ABOUT ONE SECOND EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING IF TURN THE KEY TO IGNITION POSITION. AND HE TOLD ME TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS SOUND AGAIN WHEN MY CAR LOSES THE POWER. IF THIS SOUND IS NOT HEARD, HE SAID THAT IT IS DEFINITELY DUE TO THE FUEL PUMP DEFECT WHEN THE POWER IS NOT SUFFICIENT AND NEED TO REPLACE FUEL PUMP. DO YOU AGREE WITH HIS SUGGESTION. UNTIL HIS ASSUMPTION IS PROVED, IT MAY BE A WASTE OF MONEY IF SIMPLY REPLACE FUEL PUMP WHICH IS QUITE EXPENSIVE.

RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT THE VAN AT 33,000 MILES THE BUMPER PAINT STARTED PEELING AWAY AND THE PAINT ON TOP OF THE BACK TRUCK DOOR, IT'S TERRIBLE AND LOOKS LIKE HELL. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT TO BE REPAIRED! I HAVE A WARRANTY AND THEY SAY IT WON'T COVER , I HAVE HEARD DODGE HAS HAD A RECALL ON SOME YEARS OF PAINT PEELING

1996 DODGE CARAVAN- GEN 3 SEATLBELTS. TWICE THE SEAT BELT HAS COME UNBUCKLED AROUND MY CHILD'S CARSEAT. I JUST HAPPENED TO NOTICE IT. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW LONG I HAD BEEN DRIVING WITH IT UNLATCHED. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT (ABOUT A YEAR AGO) I HAVE CHECKED THE SECURITY OF IT EVERY TIME WE GET IN THE CAR. I HAVE NOTICED IT UNLATCHED ONCE MORE SINCE THEN. NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING ON OR AROUND THE SEAT THAT COULD HAVE UNLATCH THE BELT. I RECENTLY SAW THE ARTICLE IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF PARENTS MAGAZINE WHICH LED ME TO THE WEBSITE DISCUSSING THE CONCERNS AROUND THESE SEATBELTS. I PERSONALLY AM ALARMED. OUR CARAVAN HAS BEEN OUR MAIN VEHICLE AND I HATE KNOWING MY CHILDREN ARE NOT SAFE. THESE BELTS REALLY NEED TO BE RECALLED. *LA

CONSUMER NOTICED ENGINE WAS CONSUMING TWO QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 1,000 MILES. ALSO, OIL WAS LEAKING THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET. *AK

I OWN A 1996 DODGE CARAVAN AND JUST LEARNED OF THE HAZARDS WITH GEN3 SEAT BELTS. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AGES 1, 10, AND 12 YEARS. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY TODDLERS CARSEAT BEING PROPERLY INSTALLED AND AM COUNTING ON THE SEAT BELT KEEPING MY BABY SAFE DURING AN ACCIDENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 25-35 MPH VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED OUT. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DIFFERENTIAL SHAFT NOT BEING PROPERLY BOLTED AT THE FACTORY. AS A RESULT, IT BLEW A HOLE IN THE HOUSING. *AK THE TRANSMISSION CASE WAS BREACHED BY A DRIVE PIN THAT HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE ASSEMBLY. *SC

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A HEAVY FUEL SMELL ENTERING THE PASSENGER CABIN. DEALER/MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE O-RINGS ON THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD DISTRIBUTING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO CHECK AND SAW COOLANT FLUID LEAKING. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. *AK

MY TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN ON A HIGHWAY NO WARNING AND I ALMOST GOT KILL, SPEEDING CARS BEHIND ME. MY OLD TRANS IN A 92 DODGE CARAVAN BROKE DOWN 3 TIMES AND IT COST ME 9,000 AND NOW MY 96 DODGE CARAVAN THE TRANS BROKE AND I DO NT WANT TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SO I AM PLANNING TO SEW DODGE FOR NOT WARNING ON THE TRANS PROBLEM AND THE NEW MODELS RE NOT BETTER THEN THE OLD, AND I HAVE PROOF THAT SELF DESTRUCT, IN BAD WEATHERS OR OUT OF NO WHERE.*AK