2000 Dodge Caravan

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN AND HAVE READ THE ARTICLES CLAIMING THE BELTS TO BE UNSAFE. MY FAMILY HAS SEEN THIS HAPPEN WE HAVE HAD OUR CHILD'S SEATBELT THAT HOLDS HIS CARSEAT IN PLACE COME UNLATCHED AND AT THAT TIME WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY. NOW THAT WE HAVE READ THE ARTICLES ABOUT IT I UNDERSTAND HOW AND I AM CONCERNED. NOT ONLY IS IT UNSAFE FOR MY CHILD BUT I AM CONTINUOUSLY TURNING AROUND AND CHECKING THE SEATBELT OUT OF CONCERN ALSO AND THIS MEANS I AM TAKING MY EYES OFF THE ROAD. WE HAVE E MAILED CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS AND HAVEN'T GOTTEN A RESPONSE FROM THEM AND I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT AND THEY JUST SAY THAT WHO EVER IS WRITING THESE ARTICLES ARE BLOWING IT OUT OF PROPORTION. I DON'T THINK BEING CONCERNED ABOUT MY CHILD SAFETY IS GOING OVERBOARD. THANK GOD WE HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN MY CHILD'S SEATBELT WASN'T FASTENED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BUT I DO WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THESE SEATBELTS. *JB

ON FEB. 8, 2004, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW (ALSO AN OWNER OF THE CAR) EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM STARTING THE CAR. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, THE CAR STARTED RUNNING BUT VERY ROUGHLY. IT WAS DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY. ABOUT HALFWAY THERE, GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE, SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW PULLED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. A FIRE ERUPTED AS SOON AS THE HOOD WAS OPENED. A MINUTE OR SO LATER, ANOTHER FIRE EXPLOSION OCCURRED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE ARRIVED AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED, THE DASHBOARD WAS BADLY BURNED AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD HAD A BIG HOLE IN IT. BOTH THE FIREMAN AND THE POLICEMAN COMMENTED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE BATTERY MIGHT BE INVOLVED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT BY THAT AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR A COPY OF THE FIRE REPORT. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DODGE DEALER HERE IN HAWAII AND HE MADE THE SAME REMARK ABOUT THE BATTERY. THE DODGE DEALER SAID THE JOB WAS TOO BIG FOR THEM TO HANDLE AND THEY WERE GOING TO CALL ANOTHER JOBBER TO LOOK AT IT. I NEED SOME ADVICE ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD DO NEXT. THIS VAN WAS CONVERTED FOR HANDICAP USE WITH A HYDRAULIC RAMP INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THE VAN IS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR MY SISTER WHO IS TOTALLY WHEELCHAIR AND BED BOUND, HAVING SUFFERED FOUR STROKES ON BOTH SIDES OF HER BODY ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON WHAT I SHOULD DO TO DETERMINE HOW THE FIRE STARTED AND WHETHER OR NOT THE MANUFACTURER IS AT FAULT FOR THE DAMAGE TO THE VAN. WHO CAN CONDUCT A THOROUGH AND VALID INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT? THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANY IMPENDING FAILURES. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, HOW CAN A CAR CATCH ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING? THE CAR MAY BE A TOTAL WRECK.

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. TRAFFIC SUDDENLY STOPPED, AND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK INJURY. FRONT PASSENGER'S CHEST WAS BRUISED FROM THE SEAT BELT. FOUR PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ALL PASSENGER WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. FRONT PASSENGER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OR WARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS BEFORE THE COLLISION. CHRYSLER WAS SENDING A TECHNICIAN TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. *AK

THE STUD THAT FASTENS THE MAIN BELT TENSIONER/ IDLER BROKE DUE TO METAL FATIGUE, CAUSING COMPLETE LOST OF POWER STEERING AND CONTROL OF THE MINIVAN. LOCAL DEALER PARTS DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT HE SELLS A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE DUE TO FAILURE AND "KNEW THAT PART NUMBER BY HEART" PLS INVESTIGATE THESE STUDS SHOULD NOT FAIL DUE TO FATIGUE AND THE RESULTING LOST OF CONTROL IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS A 200 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. *JB