1999 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

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

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND THEN ENGINE FAILED. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB *TC

WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AUTOMATICALLY WITH NO WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING, THE SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V480000. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. *JB

BOTH SIDE WINDOWS HAVE FAILED TO ROLL DOWN. PARTS AND LABOR TO CORRECT MALFUNCTION TOTAL $1160.00 FOR BOTH SIDES. UNABLE TO ROLL WINDOS DOWN. PARTS HAD TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. MANY PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE HAVE HAD THE SAME INCIDENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER THE SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY NEEDED TO INSPECT. *AK THERE WAS A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE BUT THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THIS DID NOT PERTAIN TO THIS VEHICLE. *SC JB

DIFFERENTIAL PIN CAME LOOSE AND BLEW A HOLE THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. FAILURE CAUSED VAN TO BREAK DOWN ON THE FREEWAY. TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY RUINED AND WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. POSSIBLE STARTER DAMAGE AS WELL. QUOTES FOR REPAIRS WERE AROUND $3,000, SO WE DECIDED TO JUNK THE CAR. IT WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD WITH 62,000 MILES AT THE TIME. '99 DODGE CARAVAN. *JB

VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL SPEED DUE TO LUNGING AND STALLING. DOES THIS WITH OR WITHOUT THE AIR CONDITION ON AND ONLY UPON ACCELERATION. DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS ON AN INCLINE OR NOT-ALWAYS UPON ACCELERATION. VERY UNSAFE AND I AM VERY WORRIED AS I TRAVEL ALONE WITH A TODDLER IN THIS DAILY. *JB

THIS FAMILY CAR IS NOT A VEHICLE WE DRIVE EVERY DAY. ON (9/10/04), WE WENT TO USE THIS CAR WITH LESS THAN 72,000 MILES ON IT, AND WHEN WE WENT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WE HEARD A SQUELING NOISE FROM THE POWER STERING UNIT. WE FOUND AN AREA OF SEEPAGE OF STERING FLUID UNDER THE VEHICLE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE HAD FOUND IT TO BE COMING FROM THE AREA OF THE BASE OF THE POWER STERING PUMP CASTING. THE LEAKING FLUID IS ACTUALLY FLOWING THROUGH THE VOIDS IN THE METAL OF THIS UNIT. NOT ONLY IS THIS A HAZARD TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AND ITS PASSENGER'S, IT IS A HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE USE OF POOR QUALITY PARTS AND USED IN OUR TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY. IF A PERSON IS DRIVING ONE OF THESE VEHICLES AND ONE OF THESE UNITS FAILS IT COULD CAUSE CATASROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE PEOPLE INVOLVED. I DO FEEL OBLIGATED TO INFORM YOU OF THIS DEFECT. AS OF 8/17/04 THIS VEHICLE WILL HAVE THIS DEFECTIVE POWER STERING UNIT REPLACED AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER IN KEENE NH. I AM NOT AWARE IF I WILL BE ABLE TO GET THIS UNIT BACK FROM THE DEALER WHEN THEY REPLACE IT.