1997 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE# 00V268000 SUBJECT: FUEL LEAKAGE ABOUT A MONTH AGO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO KEPT THE VEHICLE OVER NIGHT. CONSUMER CALLED TO FIND OUT WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE READY. DEALER STATED THE PARTS WERE ON ORDER. CONSUMER PICKED THE VEHICLE UP, AND THE DEALER STATED THEY WOULD NOTIFY BY MAIL WHEN THE PART WERE AVAILABLE. *AK THE VEHICLE HASN'T BEEN CALLED INTO THE SHOP. *SCC *JB

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT TRANSMISSION IS USELESS. TRANSMISSION HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND ANOTHER ONE IS NEEDED. CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THERE IS A BURNING RUBBER SMELL WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN, AND WHEN EVER THE BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED.*AK

BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ENTER AN INTERSECTION AND WAS HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

AT ONE TIME, BEFORE 1960, FRONT TURN SIGNALS WERE WHITE, THEN THEY CHANGED TO AMBER AND HAVE REMAINED SO FOR 40 YEARS. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT STATED THAT FRONT TURN SIGNALSSHALL ONLY BE AMBER IN COLOR.*AK REAR TURN SIGNALS, ALSO AT ONE TIME THEY WERE RED THEN THE MANUFACTURERS CREATED THE 3 COLOR TAIL LIGHT RED FOR STOP AND TAIL, AMBER FOR TURN AND WHITE FOR BACK-UP. UNFORTUNATELY MANY HAVE COMBINED THE TAIL AND BRAKE IN TO A LOWER COST SINGLE LAMP . I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RETURN TO THE AMBER TURN SIGNAL. WITH THE HUGE MARKET WE HAVE FOR VEHICLES WE HAVE THE ECONOMIC POWER TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR CHANGE. SIDE MARKER LAMPS. WHEN THESE WERE REQUIRED THEY WERE SEPARATE LIGHTS. NOW THEY ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE TAIL LAMPS AND HAVE WRAPPED AROUND THE REAR STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE AND IN MANY CASES ARE A NOW A SINGLE LAMP THAT HAS TAIL, SIDE MARKER AND BRAKES AS PART OF THE DUAL FILAMENT BULB. SO THE ISSUE IS THAT WHEN THIS LAMP BURNS OUT WE MAY HAVE NEITHER TAIL BRAKING OR SIDE MARKER. OVER THE YEARS THESE LAMPS HAVE GROWN SMALLER AND LESS VISIBLE AGAIN A COST OR DESIGN ISSUE AND ULTIMATELY A SAFETY ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF SQUARE INCHES FOR EACH LAMP AND MINIMUM CANDLE POWER. AND FOR BRAKING A RETURN TO THE 7X DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAIL LAMP/RUNNING AND BRAKING ILLUMINATION. IF MY SUGGESTIONS SHOULD BE ENACTED IT MIGHT FORCE THE MANUFACTURES TO REDESIGN THEIR LIGHTING SYSTEMS TO CREATE SOME UNIFORMITY THAT WE ALMOST HAD SOME YEARS AGO ( ABOUT 1989 ). HEADLIGHT: SUV HEADLAMPS ARE NOT AIMED LOW ENOUGH. THEY CREATE A HAZARD TO ONCOMING CARS AND BLIND THE DRIVERS OF VEHICLES CLOSER TO THE GROUND. THE NEWET LAMPS HAVE REDUCED VISABILTY AS THEY ARE RECESSED AND DO NOT SHOW VERY MUCH TO THE SIDE. MANY HEADLAMPS ARE NOW MADE FROM A PLASTIC THAT DES NOT REMAIN CLEAR. THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT TRANSMITTED IS REDUCED AND DIFUSED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EITHER A RETURN TO GLASS OR A NEW PLASTIC THAT REMINS CLEAR. T

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD START WORKING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HORN SOMETIMES SOUNDS UNEXPECTEDLY FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT HORN COMES ON BY ITSELF FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

I HAVE A BROKEN FUEL LINE ON MY '1997 DODGE CARAVAN,3.0L ENGINE. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME FUEL LINE PROBLEM THAT DODGE HAD A RECALL ON IN THE 3.3 AND 3.8L ENGINE ON ALL 1997 DODGE CARAVANS , RECALLED I THINK NOVEMBER, 2000. I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED, BUT THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL REPAIR BECAUSE I HAD A 3.0 ENGINE. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME. I THINK DODGE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE REPAIR AS WELL AS RECALL THESE ENGINES TOO. ALL ENGINE SIZES ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL FOR THE YEAR 1997 SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME THE FUEL LINE ERUPTED. THE MINI VAN COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FUEL SPRAYED ALL OVER THE ENGINE.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES ALL THE TIME, SOMETIMES THEY STOP AFTER A FEW SWIPES AND SOMETIMES I NEED TO TURN THE SWITCH ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN TO MAKE THEM STOP. SO FAR THEY HAVE WORKED WHEN I NEEDED THEM BUT IT MAY ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, IT IS VERY UNSAFE! (1999) AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON NEARLY ALL THE TIME NOW. (JUN 2003) SLIDING DOOR LOCK DOESN'T ALWAYS ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE WHEN USING THE POWER LOCKS. *JB