1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

I AM AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF DODGE MINIVAN OWNERS WHOSE CLOCK SPRINGS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK

DEALER SAID THEY JUST WEAR OUT AND CHARGED $325.00 TO REPLACE IT. I SAW ON THE LOCAL NEWS LAST NIGHT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, SO I JUST WANTED TO GET MINE ON THE RECORD. *AK

FAILING CLOCKSPRINGS ALLOW FOR A DANGEROUS CRUISE CONTROL MODE AS WELL AS AIR BAG FAILURES.*AK

WHEN PARKING ON A STEEP INCLINE TWO WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS. I LOOKED AT THE GAS TANK AND SAW SIGNIFICANT LEAKAGE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER WHERE I HAVE MY SERVICE DONE. I WAS TOLD BY BOB LELAND THAT THE CAUSE OF THE LEAD WAS THE ROLLOVER VALVE ON TOP OF THE TANK, AND THAT THE ONLY REMEDY WAS A COMPLETE GAS TANK REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $809, PLUS TAX. HE SAID THERE IS ANOTHER ROLLOVER VALVE ON THIS VEHICLE THAT WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL, BUT THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT ROLLOVER VALVE. I CONTACTED TWO PERSONS AT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE (USING THE NUMBER THAT BOB LELAND GAVE ME). BOTH PERSON, RYAN AND JULE AT 800 992 1997 INDICATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT SUBJECT TO RECALL, WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEREFORE THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPAIR--OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXPENSE OF REPAIR. I WAS TOLD BY BOB LELAND THAT THERE WAS NO GOOD REASON FOR THE ROLLOVER VALVE TO CRACK, I.E. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY TRAUMA TO VEHICLE OR ANY INDICATIONS OF AN ACCIDENT. I HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY RENTON CHRYSLER BEFORE I PURCHASED IT FROM THE ORIGNAL OWNER, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD NEVER BEEN IN A WRECK. I HAVE HAD NO WRECKS SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER IN TOWN (NEW CONCEPTS AUTO AT 509.747.2164). THEY PULLED UP THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, SHOWING NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL TANK, ROLLOVER VALVE, AND FUEL LINES. THEY WERE UNSURE WHETHER THE TSB REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE TOP VALVE. BECAUSE THEY HAD A LOWER ESTIMATE TO REPAIR ($720 INCLUDING TAX), I GAVE THEM THE GO AHEAD TO REPAIR TODAY. I CANNOT DRIVE THE VAN WITH A FUEL LEAK, ESPECIALLY WITH MY INFANT AND TODDLER IUSING CAR SEATS. THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD, AND I BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE GOODYEAR SHOP TO INSPECT FOR ANY TRAUMA TO THE TANK AND CAR, AND I AM SURE THEY WILL FIND NONE. I WILL ALSO HAVE THEM KEEP THE TANK SO THAT IT CAN BE INSPECTED ASAP. LELAND AWARE OF 2 SIMILAR CASES.

AS I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 83 IN YORK PA., MY CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. IT ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT OFF, I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO DISENGAGE, NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN CANCELLED THE CRUISE AND TURNED IT OFF, IT STILL WOULD NOT STOP ACCELERATING. AT THIS POINT I WAS TRYING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO MY BRAKES BUT WAS STILL UNABLE TO STOP FROM ACCELERATING. I MANAGED TO GET OVER TO THE BREAK DOWN LANE AND SLOWLY PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, WHICH TEMPORARILY SLOWED ME DOWN. I HAD THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ALL THE WAY IN, AND THE CAR STARTED TO GO FORWARD AGAIN. AT THAT POINT MY ONLY OTHER OPTION THAT I COULD THINK OF WAS TO TURN TOWARD THE GRASS EMBANKMENT AND GO ON THE INCLINE AND HIT A SIGN SO THAT IT WOULD STOP MY VAN. IT STILL DID NOT STOP COMPLETELY. IT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I HURRIED AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. ONCE IT WAS STOPPED MY DAUGHTER AND I GOT OUT OF THE VAN. *AK

I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS ON WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON 7/3/2001. IT WENT OFF AFTER 5 MINUTES. THE PATTERN OF THE AIRBAG COMING ON STARTED OCCURRING MORE REGULARLY AND STAYING ON LONGER. WE TOOK THE MINIVAN INTO KOON'S DODGE (FALLS CHURCH, VA) ON SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2001. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A PROBLEM WITH THE CLOCK-SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT HAD GONE BAD AND HAD MADE THE AIRBAG GO BAD. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $800 TO FIX IT. I ASKED THEM WHETHER DODGE WOULD PAY FOR IT SINCE HAVING AN AIRBAG GO BAD SHOULD NOT BE AN ORDINARY "WEAR AND TEAR" ITEM FOR ANY AUTOMOBILE. THE ASSISTANT MANAGER (SCOTT) TOLD ME THAT HIS BOSS (RAY RASADO) WOULD HAVE TO TALK WITH DODGE ON MONDAY, 7/16/2001 TO SEE IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR IT. I CALLED BACK ON MONDAY AND THEY SAID THAT DODGE REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT. DODGE HAD SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT THAT THE CLOCKSPRING HAD GONE BAD AND MADE THE AIRBAG GO BAD. I THEN CALLED DODGE MYSELF AND TALKED TO THEIR WARRANTY DEPARTMENT (JESSICA). AFTER TALKING WITH HER DODGE MANAGER, SHE SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT. SHE SAID THAT THERE WERE NO ENGINEERING PROBLEMS WITH EITHER THE CLOCKSPRING OR THE AIRBAG. SHE GAVE ME A CASE REFERENCE NUMBER OF 8889836. I CALLED KOON'S, THE DODGE DEALERSHIP, BACK AND ASKED WHETHER THEY WERE POSITIVE THAT THE AIRBAG ITSELF WAS BAD IN ADDITION TO THE CLOCKSPRING. THE REASON BEING THAT A REPAIR OF THE CLOCKSPRING WAS APPROXIMATELY $200 VERSUS $800 FOR BOTH THE CLOCKSPRING AND AIRBAG. THEY AGAIN SAID THAT THE CLOCKSPRING HAD MADE THE AIRBAG GO BAD AND THAT THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS IT WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE CLOCKSPRING. I TOLD THEM BASED ON THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO REPLACE THE CLOCKSPRING AND AIRBAG. THE FINAL COST WAS $816.37. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ENGINEERING SAFETY DEFECT ON DODGE'S BEHALF. THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE PUT AT PHYSICAL RISK FOR THIS.*AK

RECALL NUMBER 00V268000. VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING RECALL PROBLEM, BUT NOT SELECTED FOR MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. FUEL IS LEAKING FROM FUEL INJECTION FUEL RAIL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

HORN ,CRUISE CONTROL,DOES NOT WORK AND THE GAS LIGHT WILL COME ON AND MAKE A BEEPING SOUND FOR NO REASON. *AK

1) WHEN YOU WOULD START THE VAN IT WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE FOR @ 5 MIN. THEN WOULD FINALLY GO INTO GEAR. (2) WHEN TRAVELLING @45 TO 50 THE VAN WOULD START TO SHUDDER BAD AND WOULD LOSE ALL OF ITS POWER FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THEN WOULD BE ALRIGHT. (3) WHEN STOPPING AT A LIGHT/ STOPSIGN OR YIELD THE VAN WOULD NOT GO. TOLD AT THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER.*AK

EA 01 007/AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING FAILURE: HORN / CRUISE CONTROL ARE INOPERATIV, AND AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT REMAINS ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER / MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION .*AK