1997 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER Complaints

TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. THE SAME REPAIR SHOP FIXED SAME PROBLEM, SAME VEHICLE TYPE/YEAR 2 WEEKS PRIOR. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****740103

DIFFERENTIAL BOLT BROKE WHILE DRIVING, CRACKING CASING, AND CAUSING A HOLE IN TRANSMISSION/DAMAGING IT. MECHANIC AND AUTO PARTS STORES STATED THAT THIS WAS A REOCCURRING COMMON PROBLEM, AND A DESIGN DEFECT.*AK THE MANUFACTURER POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS PART AND THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. *YH

DIFFERENTIAL BLEW APART, CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE, CONSUMER STATES IT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOT GUT BEING SHOT AND THEN THE VEHICLE JUST QUIT, DEALER FOUND A HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CASING. *SLC

I HAVE BEEN TOLD MY MECHANIC AT KELLY BUICK DEALERSHIP IN MASON (CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP) THAT THE BOLT THAT BROKE AND CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO MY TRANSMISSION IS A DEFECT IN DESIGN IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND THAT IN THEIR OPINION THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. AT THE TIME THAT MY VAN WAS TAKEN TO THEIR DEALERSHIP FOR DAMAGE DETERMINATION, THEY HAD A ANOTHER PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER THERE WITH SAME DAMAGE AND SINCE THEN, I HAVE LEARNED OF ANOTHER VAN THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO AND NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THIS BOLT BROKE. I ASKED THE MECHANIC IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AND HE SAID NO THAT THERE IS NO WAY OF DETERMINING THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN OR BE ABLE TO PREVENT IT THROUGH PREVENTITIVE MAINTENANCE. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT DOING 70MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FOUR CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE DAMAGE THAT THIS BOLT BREAKING CAUSED WHEN IT HAPPENED, CAUSED MY STEERING TO LOCK UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP ALONG SIDE THE ROAD. HAD I BEEN TRAVELING THE HIGHWAY AND THAT HAPPENED, I DO NOT WANT TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE TALKED WITH CHRYSLER CORP. AND THEIR POSITION IS THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER A WARRANTY, AND THAT AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY VAN FOR THIS PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS REPAIR. I DISAGREE WITH THAT DETERMINATION TOTALLY. THIS IS A REPAIR THAT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THEIR DESIGN AND THEREFORE IS A COST INCURRED TO ME THAT IS OUT OF MY CONTROL. IT IS NOT LIKE I DID NOT TAKE CARE OF MY ENGINE OR BRAKES AND THEY FAILED ME, THAT WOULD BE IN MY CONTROL. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. EVEN THOUGH I AM SURE IT IS VERY PROFITABLE FOR CHRYSLER IN THE LONG RUN (THEY ARE GETTING PEOPLE BACK OVER AND OVER IN REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION REPAIRS) IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND NEEDS TO BE HANDLED IMMEDIATELY.

THE PISTON ASSEMBLY THAT ASSISTS LIFTING TAILGATE HAS BROKEN WHERE IT GOES INTO THE BODY TWICE. THE FIRTST TIME REQUIRED $168.00 IN REPAIRS. AS THE SECOND FAILURE HAPPENED TODAY (1/20/2001) I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTACT DEALER UNTIL MONDAY THE 22ND.. *AK

CHRSLER DEALER REFUSES TO PROVIDE COPY OF SERVICE BULLITEN NO. 070299, NHTSA ITEM NO: SB606159 CONCERNING SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPING OFF TENSIONER IDLER PULLEY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL, BUT DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

I NOTICED A SMALL SPLIT ON THE OUTBOARD SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES HAD ADEQUATE TREAD REMAINING, I DECIDED TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. ONE OTHER TIRE HAD A SLOW LEAK, AND BASED ON PRICES, I DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES. AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW TIRES, THE SERVICE MANAGER COMMENTED THAT I MUST HAVE SOMEONE LOOKING OUT FOR ME. I ASKED WHAT HE MEANT AND HE TOOK ME OUT INTO THE SERVICE BAY TO SHOW ME THE TIRES. THREE OF THE FOUR HAD SPLITS BETWEEN THE SIDEWALL AND TREAD MEASURING 13 INCHES OR MORE. TWO OF THE TIRES HAD MULTIPLE SPLITS. ALL THREE TIRES HAD THE LONGEST SPLITS ON THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE TIRES (ONLY ONE HAD A SMALL SPLIT ON THE OUTBOARD SIDEWALL) AND THUS THE WORST PROBLEMS HAD NOT BEEN VISIBLE FOM OUTSIDE THE VAN. BECAUSE OF THE SLOW LEAK IN ONE TIRE I HAD BEEN KEEPING CLOSE TABS ON THE AIR PRESSURE TO KEEP IT WITHIN RANGE FOR ALL FOUR, BUT FOR SOME REASON THE TIRES HAD INORDINATE WEAR ON THE OUTSIDE EDGES ONLY. I DIDN'T KEEP ANY OF THE TIRES, BUT AFTER THE RECENT NEWS REGARDING A POSSIBLE RECALL OF SOME GOODYEAR TIRES , I FELT I SHOULD REPORT IT. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ONE OF THE TIRES POSSIBLY BEING CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL, BUT SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THESE TIRES. THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT ONE OR MORE WOULD LIKELY HAVE LOST TREAD WITHIN TWO HUNDRED MILES. I FEEL VERY LUCKY. *AK (TIRESIZE: P21565R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P21565R15 )

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED OR REBUILT. I BELIEVE IT WAS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW.*AK

WE HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION RELACED ON APRIL 8, 1998, OCTOBER13, 2000, OCTOBER 25, 2000, AND WHEN WE PICKED THE VEHICLE UP ON OCTOBER 25, 2000 NOT 2 HOURS LATER WE WERE BROKE DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AGAIN.*AK