1998 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

WE HAD TO REPLACE SWAY BAR AND LINK-BARS AND WERE TOLD THAT THIS SEEMED ABNORMAL FOR SUCH A YOUNG CAR AND THAT IT COULD BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, HOWEVER DODGE WILL NOT CLAIM ANY RESPONSIBILITY. TOTAL COST TO US WAS $494.30. *AK

ON OCTOBER 6, 2000 I WAS TAKING MY SON TO SCHOOL WHEN I LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING FAST ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO THE PARKING LOT. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT. THEY WERE NOT COOPERATIVE OR FRIENDLY AND WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE MY VEHICLE WITHIN THE 3 DAY TIME FRAME THEY HAD PROMISED. SO ON 10-09-2000 WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE TO BE DIAGNOSED AND FIXED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE HAD TO HAVE THEM FIX IT B/C OUR DEALER WAS GOING TO BE 3-5 WEEKS TO FIX IT, AND WE HAD A RENTAL CAR DURING THIS TIME. THE COST WAS $1455.00, THAT WE PAID OUT OF OUR POCKET. DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION OF OUR PROBLEMS THEY ALSO FOUND AN OIL LEAK. MY HUSBAND IS VERY GOOD WITH CARS AND HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL. ON 3-9-2001 I HAD THE CAR OIL LEAK DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE. THEY SAID THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $600.00 AND DOWN TIME OF THE VEHICLE BEING 2-3 DAYS. AS THIS IS OUR MAIN VEHICLE THIS PRESENTS A PROBLEM. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY PEOPLE AND GARAGES THAT THESE 4 CYLINDER ENGINES ARE WIDELY KNOWN TO HAVE TRANSMISSION AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. ONE GARAGE WENT SO FAR AS TO TELL US THAT CHRYSLER KNEW THEY HAD THESE PROBLEMS BUT JUST WOULD NOT PUT OUT A RECALL. WE HAVE HAD THE VAN FOR 23 MONTHS. NOTHING WENT WRONG DURING THE VALID WARRANTY TIME. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY OVER WARRANTY BY APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES. OUR DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH US WITHIN THE TIME FRAME THEY HAD ORIGINALLY GIVEN US, SO WE WERE FORCED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND PAY OUT OF OUR POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS, AS WE COULD NOT AFFORD A RENTAL CAR FOR THE 3-5 WEEKS THE DEALER WAS GOING TO TAKE TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHRYSLER BE FORCED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PROBLEMS.*AK

HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT 58,498 MILES BECAUSE OF "LOTS OF METAL" FOUND IN PAN DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. "FOUND PLANETARY & SUN GEAR AND CARRIER ALL BAD FROM MSUN GEAR BEARING GOING BAD. CLUTCHES WERE ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF SLIPPING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THEIR BAD TRANSMISSIONS. THERE IS A VERY LONG HISTORY OF IT AND THE CONSUMER IS THE ONE GETTING SCREWED.

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS DEVELOPED A HOLE IN IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS CAUSES EXHAUST GAS TO BE PORTED OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.*AK

STEERING GEAR IN THE RACK AND PINION HAS BROKEN TWICE. IT WAS REPLACED AT 9 MONTHS OF OWNER SHIP AND HAS BROKEN AGAIN IN ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE LAST REPLACEMENT. THE FAILURE MAKES IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AT SLOW PARKING LOT SPEEDS AND CAUSES THE VAN TO WANDER ON THE HIGHWAY. DEALER AND CHRYSLER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BUT REFUSE TO FIX PROBLEM.

HAVE FLEET OF 85 VEHICLES ALL BREAKING AT SIMILAR LOCATION. NEED INVESTIGATION. *AK

CONTACTED CHRYLSER THEY HAVE AGREED TO PAY 50% OF DAMAGE BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OR IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. I WAS PASSING A CAR ON THE TURNER TURNPIKE WHEN I HEARD A POP AND MY TIRES VIBRATED I THOUGHT I HAD HAD A FLAT. SO I PULLED OVER AND LEFT A TRAIL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BEHIND ME. THE PIN IN THE SPIDERGEAR SNAPPED AND FLEW THREW THE TRANSMISSION. FOUND THE PIECE ON TOP OF MY TRANSMISSION. I HAUL KIDS AND GOT ON TRIPS I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN. HOW CAN I SEE IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.*AK

WAS TOLD I NEEDED HEAD GASKET REPLACED DUE TO OIL DRIPPING. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS HAVE HAD REGULAR SERVICE CHECK UP AND OIL CHANGES I HAVE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS AS A RESULT. I DID FIND ANOTHER COMPLAINT OF SIMILAR SITUATION ON ALLPAR.COM . THIS SEEMS TOO EARLY FOR SUCH A LARGE REPAIR. *AK

WHILE ON INTERSTATE HEARD A CRACK. CONSUMER LOOKED OUT REAR VIEW AND SAW SMOKE. PULLED OVER, AND LOOKED UNDER CAR AND SAW TRANSMISSION FLUID POURING OUT. *AK

CONSUMER HAD SEEN OIL ON GROUND COMING FROM VEHICLE. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS, AND TECHNICIAN SAID THAT OIL WAS COMING AROUND ENGINE. HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED ONCE. *AK