1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

RE: RECALL # 02V293000: I HAVE A 1989 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. IT IS READILY EVIDENT TO ME THAT THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY HAS RECENTLY FAILED. AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, HORN DOES NOT WORK, CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. THE LOCAL DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY VAN WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL [XXX], WHICH IS PUZZLING. IF I AM IN A CRASH AND I OR MY FAMILY IS INJURED DUE TO SAFETY-RELATED FAILURES, I SUPPOSE DODGE COULD HAVE EASILY PREVENTED THE SAME AND DIMINISHED THEIR LIABILITY BY FIXING THIS PROBLEM UNDER THE RECALL. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET FOR SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. THE DEALER SAID HE WOULD FILE A COMPLAINT W/ DAIMLERCHRYSLER, BUT A RESPONSE COULD TAKE UP TO 2 WEEKS. WHAT IS MY FAMILY TO DO IF I AM IN A SAFETY-RELATED WRECK IN THE MEANTIME? *LA UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN BEGAN SMELLING LIKE GAS INTERMITTENTLY IN 2002. WHEN THE SMELL REPEATED ITSELF OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS, WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER FAILED TO FIND A LEAK OR REASON FOR THE SMELL. THE SMELL CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY AND IN 2004, WE TOOK THE CAR BACK AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK AT A COST TO US OF $572. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LABOR COST WAS. THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE COST OF THE POOR DESIGN. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE REPLACED IT WITH A 2000 FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE PUMPS FOUND POOR IN AN INSURANCE CRASH TEST RATING. *AK

WHILE ALLOWING VEHICLE TO IDLE IN PARK IN RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, DRIVER STEPPED INSIDE HOUSE AND WITHIN 30 SEC HEARD LOUD CRASH. UPON INVESTIGATION FOUND VEHICLES ENGINE IDLE AT 5500 RPMS AND HAD COLLIDED WITH WASHER/DRYER 4FT IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. *AK DAMAGE WAS TO THE W/D AND MINOR SCRATCHES WERE FOUND ON BUMPER. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WASHER WAS TOTAL LOSS.

WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH PULLEY BELT FELL OFF. STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO STEER AND TURN. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED OR RESOLVED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THEN VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DIFFERENTIAL PIN CAME OUT, HIT TRANSMISSION HOUSING AND BROKE A HOLE IN IT. COSTING ME OVER $1700 TO REPAIR. TRANSMISSION SHOP COMMENTED THEY HAVE SEEN THIS IN CHRYSLER PRODUCTS OTHER TIMES.*AK

WHEN TAKING TRANSMISSION IN FOR ROUTINE FLUID & FILTER CHANGE, SEVERAL FRAGMENTS OF METAL WERE FOUND IN THE PAN. SOME FROM GEAR TEETH, OTHERS FROM BEARINGS. TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE COMPLETLEY REMANUFACTURED, AND THE COST IS ASTONOMICAL. THIS IS MY SECOND (AND NOW MY LAST) CHYSLER MINIVAN. I HAD SIMILAR TROUBLE WITH AN OLDER MODEL, HOWEVER CHRYSLER HONORED THE REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH IT DID NOT LAST VERY LONG. THIS TIME HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT ONLY NASTY TO ME ON THE PHONE WHEN I CALLED, BUT THEIR RESPONSE WAS "WE WILL NEVER PAY FOR OR REPAIR THIS VEHICLE" WHICH I FIND ODD, CONSIDERING WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF THEY WERE FORCED TO RECALL IT FOR THIS PROBLEM. I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS, AND IT SEEMS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME TROUBLE WITH THESE VANS. NOW, I ASK CHRYSLER "FOR OVER 13 YEARS YOU'VE CONTINUED TO MANUFACTURE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS, HOW LONG WILL YOU CONTINUE TO BILK THE CUSTOMERS WHO HELPED MAKE YOU ONE OF THE BIGGEST AUTOMAKERS IN THE WORLD" YOU HAVE TURNED YOUR BACK ON THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL TO YOUR PRODUCT, DON'T BE SHOCKED WHEN WE RETURN THE FAVOR. WHEN THE FOREIGN AUTOMAKERS EVENTUALLY PUT YOU OUT OF BUSINESS, IT WILL BE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF CORRECTING YOUR BIGGEST AND LONGEST LASTING MISTAKE IN THE HISTORY OF YOUR VEHICLES. I SUGGEST YOU CHARGE A LITTLE MORE FOR YOUR CARS, AND INVEST IN THE TRANSMISSION LONGEVITY. SAVING A FEW PENNIES PER VEHICLE TODAY, WILL COST YOU BILLIONS SOME DAY. I WAS HOPEFULL THAT DAIMLER WOULD COME IN AND STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. SHAME ON YOU DAIMLER FOR EMBARRASSING YOURSELVES WITH POOR QUALITY, AND FOR THE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU ALLLOW TO CONTINUE. YOUR PREVIOUS HISTORY WAS TO BE ADMIRED WITH YOUR MECEDES LINE OF VEHICLES. NOW YOU ARE SLOWLY BECOMING AN EMBARRASSMENT. I WAS EXPECTING BETTER FROM YOU, AND YOU LET US DOWN. IF IT IS YOUR INTENTION TO SLOWLY DISSOLVE CHRYSLER, THEN YOU ARE CERTAINLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK. *AK

THE STRUT TOWER FOR MY 1998 GRAND CARAVAN IS RUSTING THROUGH. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A MECHANIC, HE STATED IT IS A PROBLEM ON MOST OF THE CARAVANS. WE ALSO CAUTIONED ME THAT THE STRUT WILL CAUSE THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BUCKLE. HE SAID IN ABOUT A YEAR THERE WILL BE MANY CRASHES CAUSED BY THIS FAILURE.*AK

I WAS DRIVING ON 95 IN VIRGINIA IN 1998 GRAND CARAVAN LE (80,000) , AND I HEARD A BANGING NOISE. IT SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE THE ENGINE WENT FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF THE CAR. THERE WAS A PUFF OF SMOKE IN BACK OF ME, AND THE CARS BEHIND ME BACKED OFF. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES DID NOT WORK. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT OF THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS A FRIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL US. WE CALLED THE STATE POLICE AND THEY PROCEEDED TO CALL AAA WHERE THEY TOWED US INTO WHITTEN DODGE. ALL OF THE FLUIDS HAD COME OUT OF THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED UP. SEEING AS WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO FLORIDA ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON OUR ONLY OPTION WAS TO BUY ANOTHER DODGE. WE PURCHASED A 2004 GRAND CARAVAN. I HAVE A DIARY OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS EVER BEEN DONE TO MY VAN. IT WAS VERY WELL KEPT. JOSH A MACHANIC WITH WHITTEN DODGE WENT OVER THE WHOLE CAR AND FOUND THE TRANSMISSION DIFFERENCIAL PIN (THAT HOLDS THE SPIDE GEARS) IN THE TRANSMISSION FELL OUT. THIS PIN ALONG WITH THE SPIDER GEARS TOTALED THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. DUE TO THIS UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT WE GOT NOTHING FOR THE CAR. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO SAY THAT WE WERE SO LUCKY THAT WE WERE NOT SMEARED ON THE HIGHWAY. WE STRONGLY FEEL THAT MAJOR RESTITUTION IS DUE IN THIS SERIOUS SITUATION. NOW I HAVE A 04 GRAND CARAVAN, SHOULD I BE WARY OF THIS VAN? WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM.*AK

DRIVER SIDE FRONT STRUT IS RUSTED. VEHICLE IS PULLING HARD TO THE LEFT, MAKING TURNS TO THE LEFT VERY DIFFICULT. ALSO, TURNS TO THE RIGHT ARE EQUALLY TOUGH. *AK