1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

TRANSMISSION HAD 35,094 MILES AND CONSUMER PUT 48,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAD 5,000 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY TO GET FIXED. DEALER WILL NOT CONSIDER REPAIRING OR ASSISTING CONSUMER. *AK THE TRANSMISSION EXPLODED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, AND THE CONSUMER WAS ASKING THE MANUFACTURER TO REIMBURSE HIM THE COST OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. *YH

HAD LEFT STOP LIGHT AND ABOUT TO MAKE LEFT TURN WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE KEPT STRAIGHT, AND WAS HIT ON DRIVER'S SIDE WITH DRIVER SIDE OF CARAVAN. AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY.*AK

I HAVE TWO RECENT PROBLEMS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. 1) THE TURN SIGNAL DOES NOT CANCEL ANY LONGER AFTER MAKING A TURN AND 2) THE IGNITION SWITCH IS STUCK IN THE OFF POSITION, WHICH IMMOBOLIZES THE CAR.

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH HAS BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY SINCE LAST NOVEMBER APPROXIMATELY. IT SOMETIMES LIGHTS WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, OR WHILE DRIVING, OR WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO PATTERN OR CIRCUMSTANCE THAT TRIGGERS THE LIGHT. I HAD THE PROBLEM CHECKED BY THE DEALERSHIP ON MARCH 3, 2001. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD CHECKED IT OUT AND RESET THE "TROUBLE CODES" AND TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER PROBLEM. THEY SAID IF THE PROBLEM RECURRED, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DIAGNOSE IT FURTHER. I WAS CHARGED ABOUT $25.00 FOR THE WORK THEY DID. THE LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON BEFORE I REACHED HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO INTERMITTENTLY COME ON AND OFF AS BEFORE. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN REGARDING THE CONTINUING PROBLEM. I AM FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE I BECAME AWARE OF YOUR INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING. WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER, I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY, BUT SOMETIMES THE CLOCKSPRING COULS CAUSE A PROBLEM. BUT WITH MY MILEAGE, THERE WASN'T ANY WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR REPAIR. PLEASE ADD MY REPORT TO YOUR DATABASE.*AK

FUEL WOULD LEAK FROM GASKETS "O" RING FROM GASOLINE TANK, WHICH WAS CORRODED. *AK THE LEAK WAS FROM CONNECTION BETWEEN TANK AND FUEL LINE. *YH

A INTERNAL PART FAILED IN TRANSMISSION. MINIVAN WAS NEVER USED FOR TOWING. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 56000 MILES DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS NOT A UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE, THIS IS A DEFECT.*AK

VEHICLE PARKED WITH ENGINE RUNNING ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND HIT A TREE.$ 3000 DAMAGE. CHRYSLER REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY, SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. YET DEALER FOUND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE RESET. *AK

AFTER TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF. THEN, TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT BELT COULD FELL OFF ANY TIME IF IT GETS WET. CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE A COVER TO AVOID TO FELL OFF.*AK

SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF, AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING. THIS HAPPENED IN RAIN OR SNOWY WEATHER. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 35-40MPH IN RAIN AND SPLASHING THROUGH PUDDLES. JUST AS THEY WERE EXITING BATTERY/OIL AND TEMPERATURE LIGHTS CAME ON. VEHICLE LOST STEERING. SECOND TIME ON 2-22-01, GOING 60MPH IN RAIN AND WATER SPLASHING UNDERNEATH MADE VEHICLE LOSE STEERING. MAUFACTURER SAID NOT ENOUGHT VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED TO ASSIST WITH PROBLEM. *AK *SLC

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THAT THE TRANSMISSIO HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT A NEW VEHICLE FOR THE SECURITY AND SO THAT I WOULD NOT BE INCONVENIENCED WITH MAJOR REPAIRS. THAT THEORY WAS THROWN OUT THE WINDOW WITH THIS PROBLEM. DIFFERENTIAL PIN WAS WORN IS WHAT THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED AS THE PROBLEM AND GAVE ME THE CHOICE OF REBUILDING OR REPLACING TRANSMISSION. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS A LITTLE ALARMED WHEN I WAS TOLD HOW LONG I WOULD BE WITHOUT THE VAHICLE BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMSISSION ARE NOT UNCOMMON. I FURHTER BELIEVE MY THEORY TO BE TRUE BECAUSE WHENEVER I MENTION IT TO PEOPLE THEY ARE NOT SURPRISED AND BASICALLY TELL ME THAT IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME TO CARAVANS. SO, $2091.25 POORER, I AM WRITING THIS IN HOPES THAT THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN TO OTHER OWNERS OF DODGE CARAVANS. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE OF ABSOLUTELY NO HELP WHEN IT CAME TO RECTIFYING THIS PROBLEM. THEREFORE, YOU HAVE A LETTER FROM ONE EXTREMELY UNHAPPY AND IRATE DODGE CARAVAN OWNER (ALTHOUGH NOT FOR LONG, BECAUSE I AM LOOKING TO TRADE).*AK