1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

FUEL TANK DEVELOPED A CRACK AND CAUSED FUEL LEAKAGES. DEALER NOTIFED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

HORN, CRUISE CONTROL, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING SAME TIME AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *AK

I REPORED THIS CLOCK SPRING ISSUE A LONG TIME AGO, NEVER HEARD BACK, I SEE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE REPORTED THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND WONDER WHERE IT STANDS.*AK

FUEL LEAKING, DEALER SAYS AT DRAIN TUBE/TANK INTERFACE - NEW TANK ASSEMBLY REQUIRED WITH TUBES, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY/RECALLS. COST TO FIX $815.00. *AK

AIR CONDITIONERCONDENSER/DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR/TIE ROD, TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE, AND O2 SENSOR WERE REPLACED. ALSO, THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE, AND FROM THE EXHAUST AREA. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED. IN ADDITION, SERPENTINE BELT AND WATER PUMP WERE REPLACED. *JB. *AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND THE HORN WILL NO LONGER WORK. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG CARAVAN OWNERS.*AK

THE AIRBAG-INDICATOR LIGHT STARTED LIGHTING UP INTERMITTENTLY, AT FIRST, BUT NOW STAYS LIT ALL THE TIME. I SOON DISCOVERED THAT THE HORN, ANOTHER SAFETY FEATURE, IS ALSO DISABLED/NONFUNCTIONAL, AS IS THE CRUISE CONTROL. THESE THREE FEATURES, TWO OF THEM BEING IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES (AIRBAG AND HORN) , ARE ALL APPARENTLY WIRED TOGETHER INTO ONE CIRCUIT. I TOOK MY VAN TO A MECHANIC WHO CHECKED FUSES= OK; PROBLEM IS "AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING." HE CONTACTED 3 OTHER MECHANICS AND A DODGE DEALER, AND ALL SAID THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH DODGE CARAVAN, AND THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THE CLOCKSPRING NEEDS TO BE RESET, BUT HE AND OTHER MECHANICS WON'T ATTEMPT TO FIX, AS THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT DEPLOYING AIRBAG. THE 2 DEALERS SAID THE AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY ON ITS OWN, OR NOT DEPLOY AT ALL -- AND THAT REPAIR INVOLVES REPLACING THE AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING. I'M UPSET AND WANT CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR -- THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ITEM/ISSUE -- THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE -- WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON, INDICATING FAILURE (CLOCKSPRING), THE HORN ALSO IS DISABLED. YOU CANNOT PASS INSPECTION W/OUT THE HORN WORKING. I'M AFRAID AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY ACCIDENTALLY WHILE I'M DRIVING. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR -- EST. $95/CLOCKSPRING + $200/LABOR = $300 OR MORE! THE MECHANIC KNEW OF AT LEAST 1 OTHER PERSON WHO HAD EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH CARAVAN; ALSO, THE TWO DODGE DEALERS IN MY AREA ALSO STATED THEY VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM OCCURING IN THE DODGE CARAVAN! MANY OF THESE FAILURES ARE OCCURRING, & MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT REPORTING THEM!! IN ADDITION, MECHANIC SAID HORN COULD BE REWIRED TO BYPASS THE AIRBAG/CRUISE CON. CIRCUIT, FOR ~ $50 -- BUT STILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT AIRBAG DEPLOYING AT WRONG TIME/NOT AT ALL + STILL HAVE NO CRUISE CONTROL. ALSO IN STEERING, THERE'S A LOUD WHINEY NOISE WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED;OTHER TIMES LOSS OF POWER STEERING=DIFFICULTTOSTEER! +SERPENTINEBELT BROKE OFF AT ~32,000 MI!$700TOREPAIR!!

HORN WILL NOT WORK, AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND NO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON THE STEERING COLUMN FUNCTION. DODGE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT REPLACE THE CLOCK.*AK

FAILURE OF THE CLOCKSPRING THAT CONTROLS THREE SAFETY DEVICES, THE AIR BAG.THE HORN AND THE SPEED CONTROL.*AK

SUDDEN LOUD NOISE AND SHORT MOMENT OF LOCKED FRONT WHEELS, ENGINE STALLED AND AFTER WHEN I STOPPED, HUGE OIL LEAK FROM THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER TRANSMISSION DISASSEMBLY BIG HOLE IN TRANS HOUSING AROUND 3" IN DIAMETER TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER SIDE,DAMAGED TORQUE CONVERTER, PIECES OF DIFFERENTIAL PARTS WENT OF THE HOLE. HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FOR VERIFICATION, PICTURES.