1999 Dodge Caravan

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS BEING WARMED UP, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. SINCE THEN, THE HEATER AND POWER WINDOWS HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 150,000. UPDATED 10/06/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/08/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS NO SHOCK RESISTANCE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS. HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SUSPENSION HOUSING THAT COVERS THE SHOCKS WAS CORRODING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT END SUSPENSION HOUSING WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. UPDATED 03/18/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/19/09. *JB

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR ROAD (M-59) AND MY MINIVAN MADE A POPPING NOISE (MY INITIAL REACTION WAS MY TIRE BLOWN) AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND ENGINE CUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND PULL INTO A PARKING LOT NEAR BY. I NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING(WHICH LEFT A TRAIL AND A DECENT PUDDLE WHEN STOPPED). AFTER SPEAKING TO 6 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS THEY ALL STATED THAT THERE IS A PIN THAT IS KNOW TO SLIP AND SHOOT OUT CAUSING THE GEARS TO SLIP OUT THAT HAS BEEN KNOW WITH THE 99 DODGE CARAVAN .TWO MECHANICS BELIEVED THERE HAD BEEN A SILENT RECALL BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND DODGE WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. AFTER REVIEWING ONLINE IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT. THERE IS A BRACKET THAT NOW FIXES THIS PROBLEM. I AM GRATEFUL WHAT HAPPENED DIDN'T CAUSE MY 6 YR OLD DAUGHTER AND I TO GET INTO A COLLISION. I TALKED TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE LADY, SAMANTHA, I TALKED TO WAS AWARE THAT THIS ISSUE DOES EXIST. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CONSUMER HAS TO EXPERIENCE THIS EXPENSIVE, DANGEROUS EVENT AND BE LEFT TO BEAR THE COST TO FIX THIS. ALL OF THE REPAIR SHOPS STATE THERE ARE BRACKETS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T OCCUR IN THE FIRST PLACE! THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS ABOUT TO FALTER. THE CONSUMER SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCE OF A FAULTY DESIGN. IF THERE IS SOLUTION THEN DODGE SHOULD HAVE/OR BE FIXING THIS NOT THE CONSUMER! *TR

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH I HEARD A LOUD THUMP. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE VAN STOPPED PULLING ITSELF. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT A PIN IN THE TRANSMISSION HAD BROKE AND TORE UP THE HOUSING OF TRANSMISSION CAUSING ALL OF THE FLUID TO POUR OUT ONTO THE ROAD. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THINK THAT IF IT IS COMMON DODGE SHOULD HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THE DAMAGE. *TR

OUR BELTS SIPS OFF DURING WET WEATHER"FIVE TIMES WE REPLACED THE "S" BELT AND THE TENSIONERS,WATERPUMP,OVERHEATING OUR 2ND YR OF OWERSHIP.NOW THE 3RD YR OF TRANSMISSIONS LEAKING,THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH W/CHILDREN IN CAR ,STARTING TO BRAKE CAUSING TO SLOW WAY DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND MADE A CHIME SOUND,THE HORN WENT OFF AND IT GOT HOT FAST CAUSING THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN. THANK GOD THERE WAS ROOM TO GET OVER. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE FLICKERING ALL OVER THE DASHBOARD. THE CAR JUST LEAKS EVERYWHERE,WATER,OIL,TRANS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THESE CARS. I CANT EVEN GET MINE SMOG BECAUSE I HAVE TO KEEP UNPLUGGING MY BATTERY BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SOMEWHERE. I BROUGHT A LEMON.....OH YEAH! I CALLED THE DEALER, THEY CANT REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL UNLESS THE ABS LIGHT STAYS ON. I HOPE I DON'T DIE CAUSE THE AIRBAGS WONT WORK BECAUSE I HAVE A ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE. 2 BATTERIES WERE REPLACED,ALTERNATOR TOO. THE CLOCKSPRING WONT WORK FOR MY CAR ONLY THE CRUISE CONTROL SO SAID THE DEALER. I WOULD FEEL BAD SELLING THIS CAR TO A FAMILY ,CAUSE WHAT IF THEY WERE KILLED. I COULDN'T DEAL WITH THAT. THE DAY THAT HAPPENED WAS ON MY DAUGHTER 16TH BIRTHDAY. I HAD TO STOP EVERYWHERE ALL DAY TO PUT WATER IN THE RADIATOR JUST TO KEEP IT COOL ENOUGH NOT TO RUIN HER DAY. I HATE HOT DAYS,I FEAR THE RAINY DAYS, I CANT SEE AT NIGHT CAUSE MY HEADLIGHTS ON THE LEFT SIDE BURNED OUT AND THE COVERS HAS A GLASS OVER THEM. *TR

1999 DODGE CARAVAN WITH APPROX 195,000 MILES. PLASTIC FUEL LINE ATTACHED TO GAS TANK EXPERIENCED SPONTANEOUS RUPTURE AND SPEWED GASOLINE ONTO MUFFLER. I NOTED A TRAIL OF LIQUID COMING FROM VEHICLE WHEN BACKED OUT OF DRIVE. STOPPED AND LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE TO SEE GASOLINE POURING OUT AND ONTO HOT MUFFLER. CAR TURNED OFF IN MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND EMERGENCY EXITED VEHICLE TO BEGIN REMOVING CONTENTS IN FEAR OF EXPLOSION. DODGE REPORTS NO RECALL AND TO REPLACE FUEL LINE ENTIRE GAS TANK NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT COST OF $530 FOR JUST THE PART. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT IF I HAD NOT NOTED THE LIQUID TRAILS BEFORE THE MUFFLER HEATED UP MORE. WHEN MOVING THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET, THE DRIVER DOOR WAS DAMAGED AS THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND CONTROL WAS DIFFICULT. *TR

1. VEHICLE: 1999 DODGE CARAVAN SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPAGE WHEN ROAD IS WET. 2. THE BELT SLIPS OFF THE PULLEYS, STEERING POWER IS LOST AND I GET STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY STREETS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! (I WONDER IF I WOULD HAVE MADE IT OUT ALIVE IF I WAS DRIVING ON I-95!) ON THE INTERNET THERE ARE 100S - IF NOT 1000S - OF STORIES/COMPLAINTS: WIVES STRANDED IN THE SNOW WITH CHILDREN, ELDERLY PEOPLE STUCK IN A STREET IN A RAINY NIGHT, AND CARAVAN /VOYAGER OWNERS CHANGING BELT AND PULLEYS 2 OR 3 TIMES, WITHOUT THE PROBLEM BEING CORRECTED. IT SEEMS THAT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS WILLINGLY IGNORED THIS PROBLEM SINCE 1996! I AM READING OF MISALIGNED PULLEYS AND MOTOR MOUNDS. THIS ISSUE NEEDS A RESOLVE AND A RECALL! AND.... THERE IS A FIX!!! PLEASE CHECK GATES PART #38379K AND GOODYEAR PART #49215K. SO, THERE IS A PROBLEM WHICH IS TOTALLY IGNORED BY CHRYSLER IN A FINAL NOTE, I AM GOING TO BUY "THE FIX" IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE MY VEHICLE WITH NO FEAR OF GETTING STRANDED SOMEWHERE IN A RAINY DAY OR NIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER CORPORATION SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF PARTS - NOT MY FAULT- THEIR SCREW UP! AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I CALLED CHRYSLER CORPORATION TO FIND OUT IF THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME. I CALLED THE WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE AND MY CALLED WAS ROUTED TO A CALL CENTER IN INDIA (!). I ASKED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUPERVISOR AT THE CORPORATE OFFICE IN THE US, WHICH I WAS. I SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR, WHO TOLD ME "I AM SORRY. YOUR VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND CHRYSLER CORPORATION WILL NOT RE-IMBURSE YOU FOR ANY REPAIRS PERTAINING TO THIS PROBLEM." I WENT OUT TODAY WITH MY HUSBAND'S FORD AEROSTAR, TO CHECK THE ROADS AFTER TROPICAL STORM FAY (WON'T DARE TAKE MY CARAVAN) AND THERE WERE DOZENS OF CARAVAN LIKE MINI VANS STRANDED IN THE STREETS OF OUR CITY. SUPPOSE WE HAD EVACUATION ORDERS FOR FLOODING OR A HURRICANE EMERGENCY..... PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! *TR