1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK AS LONG AS LIGHT IS ON. DEALER STATED THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM, AND PART IS IN STOCK, BUT NO RECALL ISSUED.*AK

WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SLIPED INTO THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT, I HAD OPENED THE SIDE DOOR TO PUT HER IN HER CAR SEAT AND IN A MATTER OF SECONDS SHE SLIPPED INTO THE OPENED FRONT DOOR WHERE I HAD JUST TURNED ON THE AC TO COOL THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN I WENT TO TAKE HER OUT OF THE SEAT SHE GRADED THE GEAR SHIFT AND WITH ME HOLDING ONTO HER AND THE STEERING WHEEL I WAS DRAGGED BY THE MOVING VEHICLE UNTIL WE RESTED UPON THE FENCE THAT SURROUNDS MY SIDE/REAR YARD. SHE WAS NOT INJURED BUT I STRAINED MY BACK BUT DID NOT RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE ABILITY OF THE VEHICLE TO MOVE SO EASILY AND WAS WITHIN ARMS REACH THE ENTIRE TIME. I HAVE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY BUT NO POLICE WERE INVOLVED.

VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT GOING AT 30-40MPH. VEHICLE T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT HEAD ON WINDSHIELD. UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH CHRYSLER, AND SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT WILL CONTACT THE CONSUMER TO COME OUT AND INSPECT.*AK TOTAL DAMGE DONE TO VEHICLE WAS $6700, CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR STATED IT WAS JUST HIT IN THE WRONG SPOT. *SLC

THE PROBLEM/COMPLAINT IS IN REGARDS TO AN ARTICLE I SAW IN 'AUTOMOTIVE NEWS' PUBLICATION ABOUT A NHTSA PROBE INTO DCX MINIWAN WIRING CAUSING AIRBAGS TO FAIL. BEGINNING LAST FALL SOME TIME, WE BEGAN NOTICING THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO COME ON. AT FIRST IT WAS VERY INTERMITTENT-ONCE EVERY COUPLE WEEKS OR SO. NOW THE PROBLEM IS MORE FREQUENT BUT STILL HAPPENING RANDOMLY. SOME DAYS THE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL STAY ON ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY AND OTHER DAYS IT DOESN'T COME ON AT ALL. BUT ANYWAY, WHEN I READ THE ARTICLE, THE DESCRIPTION SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING. THANK YOU. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 48,000. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THE SERVICE MANAGER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM OVER THE TELEPHONE. WHEN I ASKED HIM HOW HE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG, HIS RESPONSE WAS " HAPPENS ON THESE VANS ALL THE TIME, IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM". WHEN I ASKED WHY DODGE DIDN'T DO A RECALL AND FIX THEM ALL, HIS RESPONSE WAS "WE WOULD RATHER HANDLE THEM ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS". I'M SURE IT'S A COST FACTOR. MY POSITION IS THAT DODGE, (CHRYSLER), HAS A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ON THEIR VEHICLES, THEY KNOWINGLY INSTALLED THEM ANYWAYS AND HAVE DECEIVED THE PUBLIC. IF A SURVEY OF DODGE OWNERS WAS CONDUCTED, I'M SURE THAT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WOULD BE FREQUENT. DODGE SPLIT THE COST OF A RE-BUILT TRANMISSION WITH ME WHICH COST ME $864.00. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE COSTS SPLIT LIKE ME, HAD THE WHOLE THING TAKEN CARE OF AND THOSE WHO SUFFERED THE BURDEN OF PAYING FOR THE ENTIRE COST. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER OWES ME $864.00 AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR PUTTING "BAD" TRANSMISSIONS IN CARS. *AK

SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING SPEEDOMETER TO DROP TO ZERO, AND TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT - "NEUTRAL" ONLY. *AK

I WAS WALKING ALONG THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR COMING AROUND THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND WALKING TOWARD THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO ENTER THE CAR AND LEAVE ON AN ERRAND. WHEN I WALKED BY THE POWER MIRROR ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, MY LEFT ARM BUMPED THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY AND I HEARD A SNAP, LOOKED BACK AND SAW THE MIRROR WAS NO LONGER IN ITS PROPER POSITION. THE MIRROR HAD RELEASED AND ITS REFLECTIVE SURFACE WAS NOW FACING PERPENDICULAR TO THE SIDE OF THE CAR INSTEAD OF TOWARD THE BACK OF THE CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO REPOSITION THE MIRROR TO ITS PROPER PLACE BUT IT WOULD NOT SNAP INTO PLACE AND WILL NOT REMAIN STATIONERY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT IT WAS ABOUT ONE MONTH AFTER THE END OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE SAID THERE HAS BEEN NO NOTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS WITH THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY. I WAS QUOTED ABOUT $300+ FOR THE REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR OF THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY. THE MIRROR BROKE VERY EASILY AND THAT IS VERY DISTURBING...NOT TOO MENTION THAT IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE. I HAVE USED A LOCKING, PLASTIC FASTENER TO SECURE THE MIRROR IN ITS PROPER POSITION AND PLAN TO CONTINUE THIS METHOD FOR THE TIME BEING. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE AN ENGINEERING OR STRUCTURAL FLAW AS IT REQUIRED ONLY A VERY MINOR BUMP BY SOFT TISSUE TO CAUSE THE DAMAGE. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED AND DISAPPOINTED BY THIS EVENT AND THE QUALITY FAILURE.*AK

LEFT REAR ROW AND LEFT MIDDLE ROW SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES LOCKED UP, AND REQUIRED CONSUMER TO CUT BELTS TO GET CHILDREN OUT OF VEHICLE. BOTH BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES LOCKED UP, AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

SERPENTINE BELTS HAVE COME OFF WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, IT RESULTED IN COSUMER LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED SUDDENLY; TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT <70K MI HAS OCCURRED WITH 3 OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS - RECALL NEEDED?*AK