1999 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THE WHEN IT RAINS AND HE DRIVES THROUGH A RAIN PUDDLE THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY.*AK

MY 1999 DODGE CARAVAN HAS PLASTIC HEADLIGHTS COVERS. THE LEFT SIDE IS SO BAD IT HAS REDUCED THE OUT PUT BY HALF. I HAD A ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED THE RIGHT PLASTIC ON TO BE REPLACED. SO I BELIEVE ANY ONE WHO HAS NOT REPLACED THESE EXPENSIVE COVERS HAS LOST THERE OUT PUT OF THESE & NOT KNOW IT BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT COMPARE IT AGAINST A GOOD ONE. *NM

I HAD PULLEY/ARM TENSION REPLACED THREE TIMES , ON THAT THIRD TIME I THEN FOUND OUT THERE WAS A BRACKET MADE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.BUT DURING THE TIMES OF ALL THESE REPAIRS (IN THE PAST TWO AND HALF YEARS OF BUYING THE VAN) I HAVE HAD MANY BREAKDOWNS CAUSING THE VAN TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE(ALMOST HITTING A TELEPHONE POLE ONCE) NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES AND THE BATTERY QUICKLY DIED OUT, THE LAST TWO TIMES MY 16 YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING, NOT SAFE FOR AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER! THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL BROKEN SERPINTINE BELT DURING THIS COURSE ALSO. I WORK IN A HOSPITAL AND HAVE AT TIMES BE CALLED IN ANY HOUR OF THE NIGHT AND WHERE I LIVE THAT CAN BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLIZZARD, ACTUALLY IT TRUELY HAPPENED TO ME DURING THE BLIZZARD OF 2005 HERE IN RI (I HAVE REPAIR STATEMENTS TO VERIFY THE DATES) ITS SAD TO KNOW THE WHEN CARS TRUELY HAVE PROBLEMS CONSUMERS CANT JUST BE NOTIFIED JUST FOR SAFETY SAKE. I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BRACKET WAS FOUND ON A SERVICE BULLETIN (? DODGE)AND THE SAME WEEKEND THE SECRETARY AT THE SERVICE DESK TOLD ME THREE OTHER MINIVAN WERE BROUGHT IN DUE TO THEIR SERPENTINE BELTS FALLING OFF. MY NEIGHBOR WHO HAS A 1998 CARAVAN HAS ALSO REPLACED HIS TENSION/ARM PULLEY. I NEVER REALIZED HOW MUCH TROUBLE ONE PART COULD CAUSE. BUT PLEASE JUST ONE MORE THING MY VAN ALSO WAS JUST WORKED ON AGAIN , DUE TO A COMPONENT IN THE RADIATOR THE WORKS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, WELL IT RUPTURED CAUSING MY VAN TO BREAKDOWN, I NEEDED A NEW RADIATOR AND MY TRANSMISSION FLUSHED.($$) HOPEFULLY THIS HAS NOT CAUSED ANY HARM TO MY TRANSMISSION. COULD IT BE REALTED TO THE PREVIOUS PROBLEMS?

DT: CONTACT STATED SOMETHING WAS DEFECTIVE WITH THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION. THE COOLANT FROM THE RADIATOR WENT INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND HE CHANGED THE RADIATOR AND TRIED TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS TO BE REBUILT. SHE CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. THE MECHANIC TOLD HER HE HAD CHANGED MANY WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM.*AK *JB

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN 11-04 REGARDING THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYING ON. SHE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRS DONE IN 11-04. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER RECALL REPAIRS COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT GET THE STEERING WHEEL OFF. THEY WOULD ORDER A NEW STEERING WHEEL AND NOTIFY HER WHEN IT CAME IN. SIX MONTHS LATER THEY STILL HAVE NOT NOTIFIED HER OF A NEW STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD HER THEY WOULD HAVE TO BREAK THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO PERFORM THE RECALL. WORK. A SERVICEMAN AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER SHE WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW STEERING WHEEL. HOWEVER, HE WAS NO LONGER THERE , AND NOW THEY WERE TELLING HER THAT SHE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW STEERING WHEEL, BUT NOT FOR RECALL REPAIR WORK. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVE BELT CAME OFF ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. EACH TIME IT OCCURRED AFTER A HEAVY RAIN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE. HE HAD THE BELT REPLACED AT A LOCAL SERVICE DEALER. THE NEXT TIME IT OCCURRED THEY PUT THE SAME BELT ON AGAIN. THE THIRD TIME THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE DRIVE BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE HAD IT REPLACED AGAIN. HE IS UNSURE OF THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE SLIPPING. THE BELT CAME OFF AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER NOW. *AK

MY 1999 DODGE CARAVAN SHIFT LEVER CAN BE MOVED OUT OF PARK POSITION WITH ENGINE RUNNING WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL ,THIS CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM IF A CHILD IS LEFT IN VAN WITHOUT BEING RESTRAINED CHRYSLER CORP.CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM IN 2001 CAN SOMETHING BE DONE TO EARLIER MODELS? *JB

DT: STRUT TOWERS RUSTING . CALLER HAD OIL CHANGED, AND THE ATTENDANT TOLD HIM THAT STRUT TOWERS WERE RUSTED. DEALER SAID THEY HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MANUFACTURER WILL OFFER NO HELP.*AK *NM

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A BRAKE LINE BURST IN 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. *TS THE BRAKE LINE IN THE CONSUMER'S VAN WAS WELDED WITH DISSIMILAR METALS WHICH CAUSED CORROSION. ALL OF THE CORROSION OCCURRED NEXT TO THE WELDED STAINLESS STEEL FLEW SEGMENT. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THE PROVIDED TO ASSISTANCE. *NM

DT: CONSUMER DROVE DOWN A DRIVEWAY TO PARK VEHICLE. THE NEXT TIME HE WAS IN THE CAR HE HAD TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY TO A ROAD WHERE IT WAS FLAT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. HE DROVE HOME FROM THERE USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. CONSUMER THOUGHT IT MAY BE LACKING BRAKE FLUID, WHICH HE REPLACED, AND DID NOT HELP. THE NEXT MORNING THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC, THINKING HE HAD AIR IN HIS LINE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT BRAKE LINE BROKE. THE BRAKE LINE FOR EACH REAR WHEEL COME OUT OF THE ANTI-LOCKING DEVICE , IT BECAME A FLEXIBLE LINE THAT WAS WELDED TO A STEEL LINE. AT THE WELD WAS WHERE THE BRAKE LINE BROKE. *AK THE PARTS TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES WERE NOT AVAILABLE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. *NM *JB *TT