1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN OUR GARAGE ONE MORNING LED US TO FIND THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING.*AK

MY CLOCKSPRING BROKE,IT MAKES THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAY ON AND DISABLES THE HORN, CRUISE CONTROL AND AIRBAGS. DEALER WANTS ABOUT $200 TO REPAIR, I BOUGHT THE PART FROM THE DEALER FOR $73.15 AND REPLACED IT MYSELF. I HAVE FRIEND WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN HER 97 CARAVAN.S

EA 01 007/AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING: AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WERE INOPERATIVE. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THIS IS A FOLLOWUP LETTER TO NHTSA FROM ME REGARDING FAILURE OF THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY IN MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. PRODUCTION PROBLEMS FOR THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY WERE FROM 1996 AND 2000. NOW COMES THE PART I DO NOT UNDERSTAND....MY VEHICLE FALLS BETWEEN 1996 AND 2000 AND....MY CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY FAILED...DAIMLER CHRYSLER TELLS ME I DO NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE MY VIN IS NOT ON THEIR LIST OF RECALLS. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? THIS IS VERY PUZZELING. I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME ON THIS. I HOPE YOU CAN. I'M 70 YEARS OLD AND ON A VERY LIMITED INCOME. THIS WAS A COSTLY REPAIR JOB, BY MY STANDARDS.*AK

STARTING AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES, THIS CAR PRODUCED CLICKING NOISE FROM THE HEAD/VALVE TRAIN. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, A DEALER (NOT THE ONE WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT) TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, AT 35K, DURING A HIGHWAY TRIP, THE NOISE BECAME PRONOUNCED. SOON THEREAFTER, I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL GARAGE AND EXPLAINED THE NOISE AND THAT I NOTICED THE HEAD WAS RUNNING DRY WITHOUT THE TYPE OF OIL SPLASH I HAVE SEEN IN ALL OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED. HE SAID THAT IT SEEMS THAT CHYSLER MINI-VANS HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VALVES AND THAT IT WAS, IN HIS OPINION, AN OIL DELIVERY PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT HE HAD 2 IN DURING THE PRIOR FEW WEEKS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AS THIS WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, ONE THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST IN A CAR WITH 35K MILES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER, TO MY SHOCK, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO MAJOR REPAIRS DUE TO "CAMSHAFT FAILURE". ALTHOUGH I ASKED FOR MORE DETAIL ON THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE MANY TIMES, BOTH IN WRITING AND ON THE PHONE, "CAMSHAFT FAILURE" IS ALL THEY WOULD SAY ABOUT THE PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THEY AGREED TO PROVIDE A FULL "LONG BLOCK" ENGINE REPLACEMENT (UNDER "COURTESY" WARRANTY WITH $300 "DEDUCTIBLE.") BECAUSE OF WHAT MY NON-DEALER MECHANIC SAID (THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN CHRYSLER MINI-VANS OF MY CAR'S VINTAGE AND BECAUSE HE OPINED THAT THERE MAY BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH OIL DELIVERY, PLUS THE FACT THAT WHEN I CHECKED THIS SITE, I FOUND THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD REPORTED LIKE SOUNDING PROBLEMS, I FEEL I SHOULD REPORT THIS. FYI, THIS CAR ALWAYS SEEMED TO RUN DRY (NO OIL SPLASH WHEN ENGINE RUN WITH FILLER CAP OFF). I THINK NHTSA MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER INVESTIGATING TO SEE IF THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ERROR. THANKS FOR THE HELP KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!.*AK

AIRBAG LIGHT IS COMING ON AND OFF. CURRENTLY, AIRBAG LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT A PERSON CAN NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS MANUALLY WITH A KEY, THE DOORS CAN NOT BE UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE BY PULLING UP ON THE LOCKS OR BY TRYING TO PULL OPEN THE DOOR HANDLES, THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT IS BY USING THE REMOTE CONTROL AND BY USING THE LOCK BUTTON, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED IF THE VEHICLE WERE TO LOSE ELECTRICAL POWER, THE POWER LOCKS WOULD BE INOPERABLE, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LOCK MECHANISMS NEEDED REPLACED. *SLC

AIR BAG LIGHT WILL INTERMITTENTLY COME ON AND OFF WHEN CONSUMER IS DRIVING. AFTER CONTACTING DEALER, DEALER NOTED THAT AIR BAG MIGHT NOT WORK. ALSO, THE HORN WILL NOT WORK. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, KEY NOT IN IGNITION WHEN IT SUDDENLY STARTED ON ITS OWN. DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

HORN WOULD INTERMITTENTLY / CONTINUALLY BEEP. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK