1996 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

VAN WAS IN FOR NORMAL SERVICE AND MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE VAN INTO SERVICE BAY WHEN HE HEARD A SNAP. THE VAN STOPPED MOVING. WHEN IT WAS CHECKED THEY FOUND THE AXLE SNAPPED AND AT THE PLACE OF FAILURE CORROSION AND RUST WAS FOUND UNDER RUBBER COVERING. OUR CONCERN WAS THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH CARAVAN BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 40MPH AND DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED DOWN. PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD AND PUT VAN IN PARK. WAITED A FEW MINUTES THEN PUT VAN IN DRIVE AND TRIED TO PULL BACK ONTO SHOULDER. VAN WOULD NOT MOVE AND HEARD A SQUELLING NOISE. PUT VAN BACK IN PARK. TRIED AGAIN TO PULLE ONTO HIGHWAY, THIS TIME IT WENT INTO DRIVE BUT SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING OR NOT FULLY ENGAGED IN GEAR. FINALLY MADE IT TO A SERVICE STATION A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS FROM WHERE I PULLED OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. HAD VAN TOWED ON FLATBED TO LIBERTY DODGE. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION OF TRANSMISSION FOUND DIP STICK NOT PROPERLY SEATED/SEALED IN TRANSMISSION. LIBERTY DODGE SUGGESTED TRANSMISSION BE PULLED AND TORE DOWN FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. WHEN MECHANIC STARTED TO REMOVE TRANSMISSION NOTICED TRANSMISSION MOUNT BUSTED LOOSE FROM TRANSMISSION CASE AND TRANSMISSION CASE CRACKED. MECHANIC FINISHED REMOVING TRANSMISSION FRON VAN AND REPORTED TO SERVICE MANAGER TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MOUNT BEING BUSTED AND CASE CRACKED. VAN HAS ONLY 44,292 MILES ON IT. SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC COULD NOT TELL ME WHAT OR HOW THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT OR CASE COULD GET CRACKED. SUGGESTED MAYBE VAN HAD RAN OVER SOMETHING OR HIT A BIG POTHOLE IN ROAD. DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PAY ANY PART OF THE REPLACEMENT COST OF TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THEY SAID THE FACTORY WARRANTY WAS ONLY 36,000 MILES AND THE VAN HAD OVER 44,000 MILES ON IT. VAN WAS BROADSIDED IN MAY 1999 ON DRIVERS SIDE. WHEN IT WAS HIT IT WAS PARKED. WAS KNOCKED APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 6 FT UP OVER A CURB AND STOPPED IN A GRASSY AREA ADJACENT TO PARKING SPOT. HAD FRONT DOOR, FRONT FENDER, DOOR JAM, REPLACED WITH REALIGNMENT DONE. APPROXIMATELY $4,000 TO $5,000 DAMAGE. WONDER IF THIS MIGHT HAVE CRACKED THE TRANSMISSION CASE AND IT EVEVTUALLY CRACKED ENOUGH TO BREAK THE MOUNT OFF AND LOOSING ALL FLUID THEN QUITTING ALTOGETHER.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP FOR SAFETY RECALL #845 FOR FUEL TANK AND O RING TO BE REPLACED, A FEW MONTHS LATER CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND STATED THAT FUEL IS LEAKING AFTER FILLING UP, AND AFTER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE O-RING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RECALLED WAS LEAKING DUE TO THE LOCK RING AND /OR 0-RING HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED CORRECTLY ON THE REPAIR MADE THE PREVIOUS DAY. *JB

CONSUMER NEEDED TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SHIFTING INCORRECTLY. PROBLEM COULD'VE BEEN A REBUILT TORQUE CONVERTER THEY USED. CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO REPLACED BECAUSE HORN DIDN'T WORK. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON, AND CRUISE CONTROL WENT TOTALLY OUT.*AK DRIVERS SIDE SLIDING DOOR JAMS, LINKAGE APPEARS OKAY. WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETOMES WILL NOT SHUT OFF AFTER KEY IS REMOVED. *SLC

PARKING BRAKE WOULD GO TO FLOOR AND NOT KEEP CAR FROM MOVING. HAD TO RELEASE AND PRESS AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT TO WORK. THIS HAPPENED FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND NOW WOULD ONLY GRAB AT TOP. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE PARKING BREAK MECHANISM

ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. IT IS NOW ON ALL THE TIME. DEALER INFORMS ME THAT I NEED A NEW RELAY AND HYDROLIC UNIT AT AN ESTIMATE OF $1492. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING FELT A GAS SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT FULE RAIL HAD A CRACK. *AK THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FAILURE IS THE SAME AS THAT OF NHTSA'S CAMPAIN V268000, BUT THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. *YH

DUAL SLIDING DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS INOPERABLE, DOES NOT OPEN FROM EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. DOOR LATCHES ITSELF AND WILL NOT UNLATCH. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK *SLC

ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2001, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INDICATION MY THE ENGINE IN MY VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING. I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY GOING THE SPEED LIMIT (65MPH) AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. I TRIED TO STOP BUT MY BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND I TRIED TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD NO STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY AAA TO WILLARD'S AUTO FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. THEY FOUND THAT THE CASING FOR THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESTROYED AND WAS UNABLE TO SALVAGE IT. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IS COSTING OVER $2,000.

AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON, AND CRUISE CONTROL UNIT WILL NOT ENGAGE. PE00032 INVESTIGATION. *AK