1999 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION. *NM RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V480000. *SC *JB

WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (D17) ON A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN, FOR THE CLOCK SPRING. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS NOT ON. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, MARTIN DODGE IN BOWLING GREEN, KY, TO BE REPLACED. THEY REPLACED IT, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SO THEY REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER. EVERYTHING WAS REPLACED EXCEPT FOR THE LAST BOLT. WHEN THEY REPLACED THE LAST BOLT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. SO THEY TOLD US IT WAS OK TO LEAVE THE BOLT OUT OR WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $500.00 TO FIX IT. THE REPAIR THEY DID, EVIDENTLY, CAUSED A SHORT IN THE AIR BAG MODULE, AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE OKAY TO LEAVE THE BOLT OUT OR WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. WE REFUSED TO PAY CONSIDERING THE VAN WAS OKAY WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN THERE. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER, AND HE SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEN, I CALLED THE CRYSLER MANUFACTURER. NEXT THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME BACK, AFTER THE SERVIC E MANAGER WAS CONTACTED BY HIS ZONE REPRESENTATIVE AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPAIR. SINCE MY LAST TIME SPEAKING WITH HIM WE TRIED TO BLOW THE HORN ONLY TO FIND OUT NOW THE HORN DOESN'T WORK EITHER. WHEN YOU TRY TO BLOW THE HORN THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND THEN GOES OFF. WHY ON EARTH SHOULD WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS DAMAGE, EVIDENTLY THEY HAVE CAUSED. I TRIED TO CALL THE CHRYSLER MANUFACTURER BACK AND CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD NOT TRANSFER ME TO THE PEOPLE IN DETROIT I WAS TRANSFERRED TO ORIGINALLY. SHE SAID THE REPRESENTATIVE HAD MADE HIS DECISION. THE RECALL WAS NOT COMPLETED, IN MY OPINION, WHEN THE LAST BOLT WAS NOT INSTALLED. ISN'T THIS GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT??? WE NEVER HAD TROUBLE WITH THIS BEFORE.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. I DISCOVERED THAT MY DODGE CARAVAN, 1999 DRIVER'S SIDE STRUT TOWER RUSTED SIGNIFICANTLY ,AND MAY POSSIBLY BREAK. THIS COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM LATER. I THINK THAT THIS PROBABLY WAS DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL USED BY A CHRYSLER SUPPLIER. CHRYSLER SHOULD CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS ISSUE, AND AT LEAST WARN PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR CARS, OR PAY FOR THE REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT OF THE STRUT TOWERS. THE TOWER WAS NOT REPLACED. TWO ESTIMATES WERE QUOTED AT OVER $1000. *AK

RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THE CLOCK SPRING WAS ISSUED. HEARD CLICKING SOUND WHEN MAKING TURNS. *BF *SC

VEHICLE TENDS TO STALL AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYES ON. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER.*AK

THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN WOULD NOT WORK. *NM RECALL CAMPAIGN: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 04V480000 THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND ONLY HALF OF THE SERVICE WAS RENDERED. A CLOCK SPRING WAS INSTALLED TO FIX THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE HORN FAILURE WAS NEVER FIXED. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND THE HORN STARTED BLOWING AND WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND A CHARGE OF 670.00 WOULD GET THE HORN FIXED. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE HORN WOULD BE FIXED AT THEIR EXPENSE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT FIXED INITIALLY. *TC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE HOOD LATCH FAILED, CAUSING IT TO FLY UP AND SHATTER THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. *AK THE HOOD LATCHES FAILED DUE TO ABNORMAL WEAR. *NM

THE CONSUMER WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS RECALL CAMPAIGN #04V480000 CLOCK SPRING. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT REPAIR FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB *SC

THE AIR BAG LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER NOTICED WHEN THE HORN WAS APPLIED IT FAILED TO COME ON . *AK THE DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WOULD COST $100. TO REPLACE THE PART WHICH WAS RECALLED BY THE FACTORY. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PERFORM THE REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THE FACTORY WOULDN'T REIMBURSE FOR THE MODEL/YEAR OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *NM

THE CROSS OVER PIPE UNDERNEATH SPLIT APART, ALLOWING THE EXHAUST FUMES/CARBON MONOXIDE TO ENTER COMPARTMENT. FUMES WERE SOMETIMES OVERWHELMING. VEHICLE HESITATED UPON ACCELERATION AND STALLED. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND THE PART WAS BACK ORDERED WITH 10,000 CONSUMERS WAITING. *AK.....FIV EOTHER FAMILIES ENCOUNTERED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *AK