1999 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

1999 DODGE CARAVAN. STRUT TOWERS RUSTED OUT NOT ONLY THE CAP BUT THE WHOLE TIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. IF THIS SHOULD FAIL IT COULD BE DISASTROUS. I JUST NOTICED THIS A WEEK OR SO AGO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, HE DRIVE THROUGH A PUDDLE AND WITHIN MOMENTS, SEVERAL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON THE VEHICLE FAILED. THE WINDOW DEFROSTER FAILED, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT AND THE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT HAD FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCATE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ONLINE PERTAINING TO THE FAILURE AND CONTACTED THE DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT RECALLS. THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED IN THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 172,000.

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

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAD RECALL IN 2004 TO REPLACE A CLOCKSPRING, BUT DEALER AVOIDED THIS AFTER CUSTOMER'S 3 OR 4 TRIES IN 2004. ON 06-16-2010 WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE, (ALL [XXX] BROKE LOOSE!) THE MOTOR HIT HIGH REVOLUTIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY "LOCKED" UP AND COULD NOT BE MOVED AS IT TRAVELED BACKWARDS AND FINALLY HITTING AND TOTALING 2 VEHICLES AT OVER 50 MPH.NOTE: SINCE ABOUT 2007 A BRAKE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LIFT GATE HANDLE RUSTED CAUSING THE REAR DOOR NOT TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 144,000. UPDATED 10/27/10. *LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN SE. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAIN ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE HORN WAS INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL CAMPAIGN (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V480000: AIR BAGS) WHICH SHE BELIEVED WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE RECALL LETTER ADVISED A NEW CLOCK SPRING WOULD BE INSTALLED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147,750.

VEHICLE SHOCK TOWERS RUSTING AWAY. FAILURE OCCURS IN MOST OF THESE VEHICLES. VEHICLE IS RENDERED UNSAFE AND COULD CAUSE BODILY HARM TO OCCUPANTS IF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OCCURS. *TR

WE OWN A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. THREE WEEKS AGO WE TOOK IT IN FOR A CHECK UP AT A CERTIFIED MECHANICS SHOP. THEY INFORMED US THE TENSIONER WAS BENT AND SERPENTINE DRIVING BELT NEEDED REPLACING. WE AUTHORIZED THEM TO MAKE THE REPAIR. WE HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE 1994 WITH NO INCIDENT. LAST MONDAY WE DROVE THROUGH STANDING WATER AND THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS THROWN. WE LOST POWER STEERING NOT TO MENTION THAT THE DRIVING BELT POWERS EVERYTHING ELSE FOR THE VEHICLE. THANKFULLY WE WERE ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE OUT OF TOWN AND WERE ABLE TO DRIVE BACK TO THE MECHANICS SHOP. THEY INFORMED US THAT INDEED THIS IS A PROBLEM DODGE MINIVANS HAVE. IN THE LAST 2 DAYS WE HAVE GONE ONLINE AND FOUND MANY WEB FORUMS WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 1,000'S OF DODGE/CHRYSLER OWNERS GOING BACK AS FAR AS 2002. DODGE HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY FLAW IN THEIR ENGINE PULLEY DESIGN. WE CAN BUY AN AFTERMARKET NEW DESIGNED TENSIONER AND BELT AT OUR EXPENSE MANUFACTURED BY 2 SEPARATE COMPANIES, BUT DODGE OFFERS NOTHING TO CONSUMERS WHO BOUGHT THEIR VEHICLES THINKING THEY ARE SAFE. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE DODGE/CHRYSLER ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT AND RECALL THESE POTENTIAL DEATH TRAPS OFF THE ROAD TO FIX THIS NEGLIGENCE ON THEIR PART. JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT DYING IN CRASHES BECAUSE OF THIS (OR ARE THEY AND WE JUST NEVER FIND OUT THIS WAS THE CAUSE) DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES FAILED TO OPERATE. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER STATED THAT CARD IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 200,000.

I HAD A CLOCK SPRING REPLACED IN MY 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. THIS WAS A RECALLED PART REPLACEMENT. AFTER THE CLOCK SPRING WAS REPLACED THE COOLING FAN WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE REPAIR FOR THIS WAS $590.30 TO ME. PARTS REQUIRED TO FIX THE COOLING FAN:1.BATTERY, 2.RELAY MINI, 3.RELAY PKG, 4.RELAY. *TR