1999 Dodge Caravan

I BEGAN TO NOTICE OIL UNDERNEATH MY 1999 DODGE CARAVAN ON MY CONCRETE DRIVEWAY. IT APPEARED TO COME FROM THE VALVE COVER. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS ONLY 47,000 AND THE VAN LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD. ALLSTAR DODGE SERVICE TOLD ME IT COULD BE THE VALVE COVER OR THE HEAD GASKET WHICH HE ADVISED COULD COST AROUND A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR. MY CARAVAN WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (3YR/36,000 MILES) I TOOK THE VAN TO A MECHANIC. HE REPAIRED THE VALVE COVER GASKET AND NOTICE NO OTHER PROBLEM AT THE TIME. TWO MONTHS LATER THE HEAD GASKET FAILED. I CONTACTED ALLSTAR DODGE SERVICE WHOM ADVISED ME THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CARAVAN AND NO RECALLS. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO MY MECHANIC TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPAIRED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE ENGINE IN THIS VAN IS THE SAME 2.4L ENGINE THAT WAS RECALLED IN THE DODGE NEONS 1997 WITH FAULTY GASKETS. HE STATED THAT I MAY WANT TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE FOUND COMPLAINTS ABOUT BOTH THE VALVE COVER AND THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I PRAY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS WOULD FILE COMPLAINTS SO THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS AND BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR DIES. *AK

IN OUR 1999 CARAVAN, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THE CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORK. THEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE PARKED. AT THIS TIME NEITHER THE HORN, THE CRUISE CONTROL AND SOMETIMES THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL STILL COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. WE CALLED THE DEALER'S REPAIR SERVICE AND THEY TOLD US THAT THEY THOUGHT IT SOUNDED LIKE THE CLOCK SPRING MECHANISM. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR PHYSICAL INSPECTION/ DIAGNOSTICS, AN OPEN CIRCUIT WAS DETECTED AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING INDEED NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME THE NECESSARY PART IS BACKORDERED (ON A NATIONAL BASIS) AND IS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD US THAT IF WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. SINCE WE DRIVE OUR MINIVAN PRIMARILY WITH OUR ENTIRE FAMILY ON BOARD (IE, MYSELF, MY SPOUSE, AND 4 YOUNG CHILDREN) I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATLY FIXED. UPON VIEWING YOUR WEBSITE I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS HAS BEEN STARTED BUT DID NOT FIND OUT THE STATUS OF THIS INVESTIGATION. IF THESE PARTS ARE "NATIONALLY" BACKORDERED, THAT SHOULD TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM OUT THERE. IF EVEN ONE OF THOSE VEHICLES IS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY, THERE IS SEVERE RISK OF PHYICAL INJURY TO THE DRIVER/PASSENGER AND POSSIBLY ADDITIONAL PASSENGERS IN THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR INVESTIGATION AND REQUEST A RECALL. ISN'T SAVING A LIFE THAT IMPORTANT? WE ALSO ARE BEING ASKED TO PAY CLOSE TO $300 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS AND INSTALLATION OF THIS CLOCKSPRING (IF WE CAN GET ONE), FOR SOMETHING THAT APPEARS EVEN TO AN AMATEUR DETECTIVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AND A VERY SERIOUS ONE! PLEASE HELP!*AK

ON APRIL 18, 2002 I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO INVESTIGATE A NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE METAL ON METAL. SERVICE DROVE MY VEHICLE AND AFTER HEARING NOISE FOR HIMSELF, THEY PUT IT ON THE RACK AND SAID "WE TIGHTENED A FEW THINGS" (ON WORKSHEET STATED "CHECKED ENGINE") AND SAID TO COME BACK IF ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS. ON THE MORNING OF MAY 2, 2002, I RETURNED HOME FROM AN ERRAND AND PARKED MY VAN IN THE GARAGE. LATER THAT DAY I WENT OUTSIDE AND NOTICED DRIPPINGS IN THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOME INTO MY DRIVE AND GARAGE. BACKED THE CAR UP A LITTLE AND DISCOVERED A POOL OF PINKISH FLUID. NEIGHBOR CAME OVER AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID. I CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I DID SO. LEFT THE VEHICLE. THEY CALLED ME LATER IN THE DAY AND INFORMED ME THAT MY VAN NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE EXPLANATION WAS THAT "DIFFERENTIAL PIN CAME LOOSE AND WENT THROUGH CASE. NOT REBUILDABLE." SO, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. I HAVE WRITTEN TO CHRYSLER AND THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THAT; IN FACT, LAST WEEK, DISTRICT PEOPLE WERE TO HAVE BEEN HERE, SUPPOSEDLY TO MEET ON THIS; HOWEVER, I HAVE RECEIVED NO INFORMATION FROM THEM REGARDING THE RESOLUTION OF THIS.*AK

A PART IN THE REAR LATCH ASSEMBLY BROKE AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE MY REAR DOOR UNTIL THE DEALER ORDERED A NEW PART AND INSTALLED IT. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE COST ME $143.95 BECAUSE THE PART DID NOT BREAK FROM ABUSE AND THE VEHICLE IS FAIRLY NEW. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE THE PART THAT BROKE WAS PLASTIC.