2003 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

2003 DODGE CARAVAN IS A PIECE OF GARBAGE! MY NEW CARAVAN HAD A RECALL FOR A PART IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT IS NOISY, RUFF RUNNING, AND IT DOES NOT GET 21-27 MILES PER GALLON AS ADVERTISED!! 12 MILES PER GALLON IS MORE REALISTIC. BE WARNED! THIS VAN IS TERRIBLE. LOOK AT OTHER VANS DO NOT BUY OR LEASE THIS VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF CHRYSLER AND MAROONE DODGE AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. GO ELSEWHERE! THEY ARE NOT 5 STAR THEY SUCK! *NLM

I WAS JUST MADE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT MY 2003 DODGE CARAVAN HAS THE GEN. 3 SEAT BELTS IN THE REAR SEATS. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND THEIR SAFETY IS IMPERATIVE. MY 4 YEAR OLD SON HAS ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED MY 2 YEAR OLD'S CAR SEAT AT LEAST TEN TIMES, OPENING THE GEN 3 SEAT BELT...THEREBY MAKING MY DAUGHTER UNSAFE. *NLM

I AM WRITING IN RESPONSE TO A REPORT THAT WAS FEATURED ON THE NEWS ON 4/27/03 CONCERNING THE GEN 3 SEAT BELTS ON CHRYSLER AND DODGE VEHICLES. I WAS VERY ALARMED AT THE INFORMATION THAT THESE SEAT BELTS CAN EASILY BECOME UNLATCHED WITH MINIMAL PRESSURE SUCH AS AN ELBOW OR DRINK CONTAINER. THE REPORT ALSO SHOWED THE "BALL TEST" WHICH EASILY DISENGAGED THE SEAT BELT. THERE WERE SEVERAL OWNERS OF VEHICLES FEATURED, INCLUDING A WOMAN WHO LOST HER HUSBAND IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN HIS GEN 3 SEAT BELT UNLATCHED DURING AN ACCIDENT AND HE WAS THROWN 30 FEET. CHRYSLER HAS INSISTED THAT THE SEAT BELT MEETS ALL SAFETY STANDARDS, HOWEVER IT WAS REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE CHANGED THE SEAT BELTS IN SOME OF THEIR NEWER MODEL CARS, INCLUDING THE FRONT SEAT, BUT NOT THE REAR SEAT OF THE CARAVAN, I QUESTION WHY THEY WOULD CHANGE THE BELT IF THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. I FEEL A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF ALL DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS OF CHRYSLER AND DODGE VEHICLES. *NLM

MY "BRAND-NEW" 03 DODGE CARAVAN HAS RUSTY AND OLD PARTS INSIDE. IT HAS LESS THAN 3500 MILES, AND THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ALREADY, THE BRAKES MAKE A SLIGHT NOISE, AND THE BATTERY STARTED CORRODING, TOO. WHEN I CALLED DAIMLER-CHRYSLER, THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT MY VEHICLE. I AM QUESTIONING WHETHER MY VEHICLE IS REALLY NEW... I PAID WAY TOO MUCH FOR IT TO BE ACTING THIS WAY - AGAIN UNDER 3500 MILES! *NLM

BACK WHEEL FREEZE UP WHEN DRIVEN ON WET ROADS AND WHEN IT GETS COLD AT NIGHT.THE NEXT MORNING YOU CAN'T MOVE IT.

BOUGHT A 2003 SPORT GRAND CARAVAN ON DEC 30, 2003. THE SAME DAY, I DISCOVERED THE VEHICAL VIBRATE ON REVERSE ON GENTLE SLOPE. LATER, TEST DRIVE TWO OTHER NEW 2003 SPORT GRAND CARAVAN = LESS VIBRATION. TEST DRIVE 2002 (13000 MILES) SPORT GRAND CARAVAN = NO VIBRATION AT ALL. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH THEIR WAS A SMALL ROCK ON ROAD CONSUMER AVOID THE WITH TIRE CAUSING ROCK TO TRAVEL UNDER VEHICLE. CONSUMER NOTICE A LOUD NOISE FLOWING FUEL SMELL. CONSUMER PULL VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICE FUEL SPRAYING FROM UNDER VEHICLE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 24, 2002, I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 DODGE SXT MINIVAN. ON OCTOBER 25, 2002, I DISCOVERED EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES UNDER BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEATS. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER ON OCTOBER 25, 2002, SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES INFORMED ME THIS IS THE CONFIGURATION FOR THE NEW 2003 DODGE CARAVAN SXT. DAIMLER-CHRYSLER MADE A DECISION TO ELIMINATE WHAT HAD BEEN STORAGE COMPARTMENTS UNDER THE TWO SEATS. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER CHAIR BASE HAS HOLES DRILLED TO ACCEPT STORAGE DRAWERS, HOWEVER, NONE ARE INSTALLED. UNDER BOTH SEATS ONE FINDS AN ACCUMULATION OF EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES. I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE VAN HAD I DISCOVERED THIS THE NIGHT OF THE PURCHASE. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. ON OCTOBER 25, 2002, THE DAVID STANLEY DODGE SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE INFORMED ME THIS IS STANDARD ON THE NEW CARAVAN STX. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AFFECTING EVERY 2003 DODGE CARAVAN SXT MINIVAN PRODUCED. CONSEQUENTLY, EVERY OWNER SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS HAZARD; DAIMLER-CHRYSLER SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM ON ALL FUTURE PRODUCTION, A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE TO INSTALL DRAWERS TO COVER THE EXPOSED WIRES OR SOME SORT OF FACE PLATE SHOULD BE MANUFACTURED WHICH COULD BE INSTALLED OVER THE OPENING ON THE FRONT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER CHAIR BASE TO COVER THESE EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES. AGAIN, I REPEAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THESE EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES EXIST ON EVERY 2003 DODGE CARAVAN SXT. BY THE WAY, THE DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO TAKE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION CITING COST AS THE REASON. THE DEALER'S CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ACKNOWLEDGED A SAFETY PROBLEM EXISTS. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE DEALER. I URGE NHSTA TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOME CATASTROPHE BEFALLS SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THE EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES ON ALL NEW 2003 DODGE CARAVAN SXT MINIVANS. DT