1998 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

VEHICLE FIRE CAUSED FROM DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. *MR (UNDER SIZED TRANSMISSIONS, INADEQUATE SIZED COOLING LINES AND INTERNAL PARTS) THE TRANSMISSIONS DID NOT LAST OVER AND AVERAGE OF 25K MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE AT TIMES. WHILE DRIVING, THE DASH SHOWED EVERYTHING BEING, NORMAL, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED TO SMOKE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RESPONSIVE. THE TRANSMISSION DRIPPED BALLS OF FLAMES. *SCC *JB

THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLING OFF. THE BELT WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 63,000 ON THE HIGHWAY, ON A COLD DAY, 90 MILES FROM HOME WHEN I HAD MY CHILDREN, AGES 2 AND 5 IN THE VAN. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VEHICLE! IT SHOULD BE RELIABLE AND SAFE. I'VE ALWAYS HAD TOYOTAS AND HONDAS AND PUT 200,000 MILES ON THEM WITH NO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE PUBLIC IS BEING DUMPED BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER INTO THINKING THAT REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS IS A NORMAL PART OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP. I JUST HAD TO SPEND $2800 TO FIX A VEHICLE THAT IS WORTH ABOUT $7000. I'VE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THAT CARAVANS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR BAD TRANSMISSIONS AND MOTOR FAILURE IN UNDER 100,000 MILES. IF THEY ARE GOING TO MARKET FAMILY VEHICLES THEY SHOULD BE SAFE AND RELIABLE! *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WITHOUT WARNING HEAD GASKET BLEW, CAUSING ANTI FREEZE TO LEAK. HAD NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES, THE AC UNIT NEEDED TO BE RECHARGED. THIS WOULD BE AROUND AUGUST OF 2001. WHILE OUT OF THE NORM WITH A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE, I CHALKED IT UP TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAD COOLANT ADDED AND WENT ON MY WAY. IN JULY OF 2002, THE AC AGAIN WAS NOT COOLING THE VEHICLE. MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS AROUND 60,000 AT THIS POINT. I SPOKE WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE THEN DAIMLER CHRYSLER (I BELIEVE THAT UNIT HAS BEEN SOLD TO BEHR CORPORATION) HVAC UNIT IN DAYTON, OH. HE ASKED ME TO HAVE THE EVAPORATOR UNIT CHECKED. A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE IS A MECHANIC; I HAD HIM DO THE WORK. HE PLACED DYE IN THE SYSTEM TO CHECK FOR LEAKS AND DYE WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING FROM THE AC DRAIN, POINTING TO THE IMPENDING FAILURE OF THE EVAPORATOR. I RELAYED THIS INFORMATION TO THE CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE AND HE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS INDEED THE EVAPORATOR THAT WAS CAUSING A COOLANT LEAK. AT THAT TIME HE ASKED ME TO CONTACT MY DEALER TO SEE IF ANY SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALL NOTICES HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO CALLED TO VERIFY MY WARRANTY, ETC., TO COVER MY BASES. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THAT I WAS INDEED OUT OF WARRANTY. I ALSO ASKED FOR AN APPROXIMATE PRICE TO REPLACE AN EVAPORATOR AND WAS QUOTED A PRICE THAT WAS APPROACHING $1000.00 I DID NOT REALLY GET AGITATED OVER THIS UNTIL THIS PAST JULY. FIGURING THAT THE ROUTINE OF RECHARGING THE UNIT FOR THE WARM MONTHS WAS A PRUDENT WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM, I WAS PREPARED TO SPEND ABOUT $25.00 FOR COOLANT AND GO ON MY MERRY WAY FOR THIS SUMMER. ONE SLIGHT PROBLEM. THE COMPRESSOR FAILED AT 66,000 MILES. AS I STATED BEFORE, I UNDERSTAND WARRANTIES AND I GET THE PROCESS. BUT FOR A TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE, RELATED ONLY TO NORMAL OPERATION, IN MY OPINION IS UNACCEPTABLE. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE TOLD ME THAT THE EVAPORATOR ISSUE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM IN BOTH MY 1994 VEHICLE AND MY 1998. *JB

TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE DROVE TO NJ FROM OUR HOUSE, NO PROBLEMS, NOISES OR WARNINGS PARKED THE CAR AND 1/2 HOUR LATER GO IN THE CAR AND CAR WOULD NOT MOVE EITHER BACK OR FORTH. HAD CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AND NEXT DAY HE TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, I WAS SHOCKED, SO DECIDE TO GET A 2ND OPINION, TOOK CAR TO AMACO , THEY DIAGNOSED ALSO THAT A NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION OR REBUILD TRANSMISSION. I WAS GOING AWAY ON VACATION ON FRIDAY , SO HAD NO OPTIONS BUT FIX TRANSMISSION WHICH COST ME $2,021.25. I WAS GLAD IT DIDNT BRAKE WHILE WE WERE DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AND NO ONE GOT HURT. I ASKED THE PEOPLE AT AMACO , WHAT MADE THE TRANSMISSION JUST DIE, AT 81,525 MILES AND THEY TOLD ME IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR, SO I DECIDE TO RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE RIGHT, BY YOUR OWN RECORDS OF COMPLAINTS. SO, I HOPE THE MANUFACTURER WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR BE FORCED TO DO SO. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE OTHER RECALLS THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT, SUCH AS SEAT BELTS AND FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS. *PH

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH CRUISE CONTROL SENSOR LIGHT BLINKED, THEN ENGINE STALLED. *AK

THE FUEL INJECTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 43,711 BECAUSE OF A LEAKAGE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PERFORMED THE REPAIR. *AK *PH *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN SHE MADE A TURN TO THE RIGHT AND THEN TO THE LEFT. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK *PH *JB

PROBLEMS WITH FUEL RAIL ON 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. *MR THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL REPAIR FOR THE FUEL LINE IN WHICH THE DODGE DEALER REPAIRED IT, BUT THERE WAS A CONTINUED LEAK THAT HAD COME FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GOOD YEAR WHO REPLACED THE FAULTY LINE TO STOP THE LEAK, AND ALL THE DEALER DID WAS PLACE A STRONGER CLAMP AROUND THE LEAKING LINE. THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED A REFUND, BECAUSE AN AUTHORIZED DEALER DID NOT PERFORM THE WORK. RECALL#00V268000 *SCC. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB