1996 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

HEIGHT SENSOR VALVE, REAR LEFT BRAKE (THE ACTUAL DATE OF THE INCIDENT WAS JANUARY 5, 2003, HOWEVER, THE INCIDENT DATE SEGMENT DID NOT PROVIDE THE YEAR 2003. ALSO, THE NUMBER OF FAILURES SECTION...ONCE FAILURE OCCURRED, IT CONTINUED) WENT TO MECHANIC TO FIND PROBLEM. THERE WAS ANOTHER 1996 VAN THERE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM (QUITE COINCIDENTAL, WHICH PROMPTED THIS COMPLAINT). MECHANIC SAID THE HEIGHT SENSOR VALVE NEEDED REPLACEMENT, COULD ONLY BE DONE BY DEALER DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS A DEALER PART ONLY AND THAT THE GAS TANK NEEDED REMOVAL. THE REASON I AM PROCEEDING WITH THIS COMPLAINT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD LITTLE TO NO WARNING THAT BRAKE FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. DURING ONE TRIP (APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES TOTAL), BRAKES BEGAN TO FEEL "SPONGY", THEN BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ON NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS WITHOUT OUR THREE CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. VAN WAS INSPECTED IN SEPTEMBER, NO INDICATION PROBLEM EXISTED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL VIBRATE THEN THERE'S A NOISE (PLACE UNKNOWN)AND VEHICLE WILL HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PROBLEM WILL WORSEN WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE ABS BRAKES ARE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE'S SLIDING DOORS DOESN'T SHUT ALL THE WAY, AND DOORS WILL NOT OPEN. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE CLOCK SPRING WENT OUT CAUSING THE CONSUMER HORN NOT TO WORK AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL COME ON. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HORN DOES NOT WORK. ALSO THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS HIGH BEAM LIGHTS THAT WORK IN VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE'S BACK SEAT WILL NOT LOCK EVEN WITH OCCUPANTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

THE CLOCK SPRING WIRING HARNESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED AND CAUSED THE AIR BAG, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL TO FAIL. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE HORN AND THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DO NOT FUNCTION. *******DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS******770791. *AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING CLOCK SPRING FAILED AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1996 DODGE CARAVAN HAS FAILED AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME. IT WAS REPLACED ONCE IN 1997 AT 7,000 MILES BY CHRYSLER. IT WAS RECONDITIONED IN 2000 AT 56,000 MILES BY CHRYSLER. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE AT 81,000 MILES IN DECEMBER OF 2002. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND REFUSES TO PERFORM ANY "GOOD WILL" REPAIRS.

WHILE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER THE VEHICLE WILL NOT CHANGE GEARS. ALSO AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVER NIGHT IT HESITATED WHEN MOVING INTO THE REVERSE GEAR THEN ABRUPTLY ENGAGED. *PH *NLM