1996 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

BOTH CYLINDER TOWERS CRACKED,THEY FIXED BUT VAN STILL WOULDNT RUN RIGHT,NOW WE'RE TALKING A WHOLE NEW ENGINE,WE DECLINED SINCE TRANSMISSION HASNT BEEN REPLACED AND I'M SURE THATS NEXT. DODGE DEALER ALSO WANTS US TO PAY $1080 BECAUSE THEY COULDNT FIND THE PROBLEM !*AK

BLOCK WAS DAMAGED AND REPAIRED DURING MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THE REPAIR BROKE AND MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO FIX- STATES OUT OF WARRANTY BLOCK WAS LEAKING FLUID - REPAIR SHOP STATES REPAIR WORK HAD TO BE DONE DURING MANUFACTURING. *AK

REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR CLOCKSPRING RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. *MR THERE WAS A CLUNK NOISE, THEN THE CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING DUE TO THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BEING BROKEN, OIL LEAKED DUE TO THE FRONT VALVE COVER GASKET, AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD COME ON. RECALL#02V293000 *SCC *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ONGOING ABS BRAKE PROBLEM. ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD EITHER GO OFF WITHIN SECONDS OR STAY ON ALL DAY. THIS CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ALSO, BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A REAR END COLLISION. DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND.*AK

THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING 68 MPH. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INJURIES TO HERSELF. TIRE- GENERAL, TOURING, P21565R/16. *AK THREE MONTHS PRIOR, A DIFFERENT TIRE OF THE SAME MODEL, COMPLETELY SEPARATED ON THE INTERSTATE. *SC *JB

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 02V293000 / WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THIS RECALL. HAVE HAD VEHCILE LONG ENOUGH TO GET A RECALL THE WAS DONE IN THE YEAR 2000 ON SOME O-RINGS ON FUEL INJ RAILS AND INFORMED. WHY NOT ON THIS ONE? THE ORIG RECALL THAT I HAD FIXED AND WAS INFORMED WAS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 00V268000. *AK

WHILE SHIFTING GEARS TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED ON ITS OWN. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC REPLACED SPEED SENSOR.*AK

WE PURCHASED OUR 1996 CARAVAN NEW AND WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION 3 TIMES (OF THOSE 1 TIME WAS REBUILT UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY) THE LAST TIME WE HAD REBUILT WAS IN MAY 2003 AND IS ALREADY STARTING TO ACT UP AGAIN, IT IS SLIPPING IN FIRST GEAR (BETWEEN 10-35 MPH). WE HAVE HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED TWICE; WE ARE NOW HAVING PROBLEMS WITH GASOLINE SMELL COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. THE TIMING BELT JUST BROKE THIS WEEK. WE HAVE NUMEROUS OIL LEAKS; WE ARE AVERAGING 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL PER WEEK; WE HAD ONE MECHANIC PUT DYE IN THE OIL AND HE HAD US DRIVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN CHECKED IT AND STATED THERE WAS 4-5 OIL LEAKS AND WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO BUY A NEW CAR; AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS BY SEVERAL MECHANICS DUE TO THE MULTPLE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD. WE HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH AIR CONDITIONER; AND THE SERPENTINE BELT BROKE SEVERAL TIMES UNDER WARRANTY AND JUST HAD TO REPLACE IT AGAIN THIS WEEK ALONG WITH THE TIMING BELT AND CAM SEALS. WE HAD ABOUT 2 PAGES OF OF WARRANTY WORK DONE AND RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT IT WENT DOWN HILL FROM THERE. WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING AND 6 MONTHS LATER THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CLOCK SPRING AND NOW I CANNOT FIND MY RECEIPT. WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE AND IT HAS MORE PROBLEMS THAN WE CAN COUNT AND WE VERY DISSAPPOINTED THAT WE PAID OVER $18000 FOR A VEHICLE AND HAD TO PUT APPROX MORE THAN $4000 IN UNNECCESARY REPAIRS THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARAVANS ARE JUNK AND THERE AER ALWAYS PROBLEMS WITH THEM AND THIS DOESNT SEEM VERY FAIR TO US AS CONSUMERS BECAUSE WE PUT OUT TRUST INTO DODGE/CHRYSLER CORP AND WE ENDED UP WITH A LEMON. LAST YEAR I SENT AN EMAIL TO CHRYLER AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEMS AND THEY BASICLY JUST BLEW US OFF, OF COURSE BECAUSE IT WASNT THERE PROBLEM NOW SINCE THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED, I WILL SAY THIS I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT AGAIN.

THE STRUT SHOCK TOWER THAT SUPPORTED THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM RUSTED THROUGH FROM THE INSIDE OUT. AT THE TIME THAT RUST WAS NOTICEABLE THE TOWER HAD ALREADY FAILED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FRONT END TO DROP WHILE DRIVING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SUPPLIED A REPAIR KIT UNDER THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. *AK *NLM

DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT STRUT TOWER IS RUSTED.*MR THE STRUT TOWER WAS RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. *JB *NM