1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG LIGHT BLINKING ON/OFF INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL DUE TO VIN. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

WHILE CONSUMER PULLED INTO A SCHOOL DRIVEWAY TO LET OUT HIS CHILD, FUEL TANK COMPLETLY DROPPED OFF UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRS BEING MADE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH. ALSO, THE HORN IS INOPERABLE AND CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO WORK, DUE TO A MALFUNCTION IN A CLOCK SPRING IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD A BLOW OUT WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA P215/65 R15 95T. I CALLED A LOCAL BRIDGESTONE-FIRESTONE DEALER AND ALL THEY SAID WAS THAT IT WASN'T ON THE LIST. THE FIRST VEHICLE WAS A 1997 DODGE INTREPID VIN 2B3HD46T8VH508561 AND IT HAD THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE BLOW. IT DID $1940. WORTH OF DAMAGE. ALL I'M ASKING IS SINCE IT ISN'T ON THE "LIST" MAYBE IT SHOULD BE. THE TOP OF THE TIRE SEPERATED COMPLETELY AND DAMAGED THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL ALONG WITH THE BUMPER, ETC. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. I HAVE SINCE GONE WITH A DIFFERENT TIRE AND NOT BRIDGESTONE-FIRESTONE. (DOT NUMBER: DNC508 ? TIRESIZE: P215/65 R1)

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE TORQUE CONVERTER. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

AT 60 MILES PER HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY, WE NOTICE BURNING SMELL FROM OUTSIDE, AND NEARBY DRIVERS WAVE AND YELL THAT REAR END IS ON FIRE, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, AN I PROCEDDED THROUGH A RED LIGHT IN A BUSY INTERSECTION-MILES FROM HOME. RIGHT REAR BRAKE WAS NOT ON FIRE BUT SMOKING SEVERLY, AFTER 15 MINUTES ON THE SID OF THE ROAD BRAKE PEDAL RETURNED, DEALERSHIP REPORTS THAT REAR BRAKE SHOES ARE BURNED AND CRACKED BUT FIND NO OTHER PROBLEM, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN THE DEALERSHIP AND THIRD SET OF REAR BRAKES.*AK

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF DRIVEBELT TENSIONER CAUSED INSTANT LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE BY FAILURE TO DRIVE EITHER POWER STEERING OR THE ALTERNATOR. THIS CAUSED INSTANT AND TOTAL LOSS OF HYDRAULIC POWER TO THE STEERING AND LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE LIGHTS. THE ELECTRICAL POWER DID COME BACK UP BUT ONLY SUFFICIENT TO GIVE LESS THAN HALF THE NORMAL ILLUMINATION TO THE HEADLIGHTS AS BOTH AIRCONDITIONERS WERE OPERATIING AS WERE THE LIGHTS AND WIPERS. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A TWISTING WET ROAD IN THE EVERGLADES WITH A CANAL ON THE OUTSIDE OF AN APPROACHING BEND IN THE ROAD. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING REQUIRED A SUPERHUMAN EFFORT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD AND PREVENT WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TRAGIC FINALE HAD THE MINIVAN GONE INTO THE CANAL WITH ITS 3 ADULTS & 4 CHILDREN. DISCUSSION WITH TWO CHRYSLER DEALERS AS WELL AS SEVERAL TOW TRUCK DRIVERS INDICATES THAT THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS. ONE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE TO REPLACE ONE OF THESE TENSIONERS EVERY DAY BUT IT SEEMS TO TAKE 36 OR MORE MONTHS FOR THE DEFECT TO SHOW UP HENCE IT DOES NOT APPEAR ON CHRYSLERS' WARRANTY LIST OF FREQUENT FAILURES ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER MUST BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE INORDINATE NUMBER OF REPLACEMENT TENSIONERS THEY HAVE TO SHIP TO THEIR DEALERS. MECHANICAL INSPECTION OF THE PART SHOWS NOT ONLY POOR DESIGN BUT ALSO, IN MY CASE, DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING OF THE HIGH TENSILE BOLT USED TO ATTACHE THE TENSIONER TO THE ENGINE. WHEN THE TENSIONER BREAKS OF OFF IT ALLOWS THE DRIVE BELT TO DETACH FROM THE PULLEYS IT IS DRIVING WHICH INCLUDE THE POWER STEERING, AIRCONDITIONING COMPRESSOR, WATER PUMP AND ALTERNATOR THE FIRST AND LAST OF WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO VEHICLE CONTROL. FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS PROBLEM IN CHRYSLER MINIVANS APPEARS TO BE CONFINED TO 3.8 AND 3.3 LITER ENGINES. DEFECTIVE PART WAS MADE IN CANADA.TOW TRUCK DRIVERS TOLD US THAT IF THEY HAVE TO PICK UP A CHRYSLER MINIVAN, 4 TIMES OUT OF 5 IT IS FOR A BROKEN DRIVEBELT TENSIONER.

MAJOR PROBLEMS FOLLOWED MONTHS AFTER ENGINE REPLACED. WHILE TRAVELLING ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS, SUDDENLY ENGINE SPUTTERS, LOSES POWER, STALLS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TOO FREQUENTLY - ON DANGEROUS HIGHWAYS - RT. 1 IN FLORIDA KEYS, RTS. 20 AND 26 IN NC AND SC. ALSO OCCURRED IN VERY DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS IN ASHEVILLE, NC AND MYRTLE BEACH, SC.

TRANSMISSION IS LOCKED UP. VEHICLE WOULD NOT EVEN ROLL WHEN PLACED INTO NEUTRAL. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THE TRANSMISSION DIFFERENTIAL CAME APART CAUSING THE TRANY TO BECOME LOCKED UP. TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T MOVE IN ANY GEAR AND IT WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED UP AN PUT INTO A GEAR. REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND FLUSHED THE COOLER. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED WITH A 3 SPEED TRANSMISSION THERE IS NO TRANSMISSION COMPUTER TO RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON IT - THIS WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE. COST TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH A FACTORY REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION $1600.54. AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THE EVAPORATOR HAD CORRODED AND COST TO REPLACE APPROX. $740.00. HAVE NOT REPLACED THE EVAPORATOR YET (GOING INTO COOLER WEATHER).

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (#24-06-97) INDICATES CONNECTOR 'CORROSION' PROBLEMS WHICH CAUSES FRONT HVAC BLOWER(FAN) TO NOT OPERATE ON SOME OR ALL SPEEDS EXCEPT 'HIGH'. WHILE REPLACING RESISTOR AND CONNECTOR (PER THE BULLETIN) I FOUND THEY WERE NOT ONLY RUSTED TOGETHER, BUT THE CONNECTOR WAS MELTED AT ONE OF THE CONTACTS (FROM THE RESISTANCE CAUSED BY THE RUST) INDICATING A HIGH POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE OCCURRING FROM THIS COMMON PROBLEM. I HAD TO WORK VERY HARD TO PRY THE CONNECTOR FROM THE RESISTOR SO I IMAGINE MOST TIMES THIS PROBLEM IS SERVICED THE CONNECTOR IS JUST CUT FROM THE WIRING HARNESS AND DISCARDED WITH THE RESISTOR STILL CONNECTED SINCE BOTH ARE TO BE REPLACED ANYWAYS. THIS COULD CAUSE THE POSSIBLE MELTING OF THE CONNECTOR NOT TO BE NOTICED OR REPORTED IN MANY CASES. 'UNDERHOOD' MAY BE MISLEADING IN THIS CASE ALSO, AS THE RESISTOR IS MOUNTED THROUGH THE FIREWALL INTO THE VEHICLE AND IT'S VENTILATION SYSTEM !