2000 Dodge Caravan

***BLF NOTE CALL CONSUMER TO GET MORE INFO*** MY MOTHER BOUGHT BRAND NEW MIN VAN FROM DODGE, SHE HAS FOR 8 MONTHS. SHE DROVE IN COUNTY ROAD. SHE HIT POTHOLE IN 40 MPH THEN AIR BAG BLEW UP. SHE NOT ABLE TO SEE ROAD WHEN AIR BAD BLOW UP, THAT CAUSE VAN RUN OFF RIGHT SIDE SHOULDER. COUNTY ROAD HAVE A LOT CURE. VAN HAS NOT HIT TILL, SHE CAN NOT SEE ROAD AND WHEEL GO STAY STRAIGHT WHILE ROAD IS CURE. SHE HAVE CLAIM TO DODGE TWICE AND STILL DENY. SHE LOST EVERYTHING. I GAVE HER MY OLD TRUCK FOR HER TO DRIVE. I AND MY MOTHER HAVE TALK WITH INSURANCE TO FIND OUT WHAT GOING ON. HE SAY IT HAVE TO WAIT FOR RECALL. SO NOW THIS RECALL AIRBAG FINALLY COME OUT. SHE HAVE TO GO HOSPITAL BECAUSE HER HEAD HIT BY STEEL WHEEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONTUSION ON THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IT STARTED TO RAIN AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE HEATER FAN STOPPED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAR THE WINDOWS, THE VEHICLE QUICKLY OVERHEATED, THE LOW BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY AND DISCOVERED THE POWER STEERING BELT HAD DROPPED OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY EVERY TIME IT RAINS EVEN A LITTLE BIT AND IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY HAZARD. IT HAS MADE THE VEHICLE VERY UNRELIABLE. MERELY RECONNECTING THE BELT IS NOT A SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 171,000. ..UPDATED 12/17/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIR WAS MADE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS REPLACED DUE TO POOR GROUND WIRING. UPDATED 12/18/13

TODAY I WAS ON AN URBAN FREEWAY IN HEAVY DOWNPOUR. THE DOWNPOUR WAS SO HEAVY RAIN COULD BE SEEN RUNNING OFF THE ROAD. TRAFFIC WAS WIDE SPREAD, BUT MOVING AT 45-50 MPH, DUE TO THE RAIN. MY WIPERS, AT THE HIGHEST SETTING, SLOW DOWN. CAR DINGS. BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. I TURN OFF THE DEFROSTER (AC AND VENTILATION), REDUCE WIPER SPEED SETTING, SWITCH FROM HEADLIGHTS TO RUNNING LIGHTS, ALL TO REDUCE ELECTRICAL LOAD. I THEN NOTICE THAT THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED. IT WAS REALLY SCARY. TRUE FEAR. THE FEAR WHICH WE DO NOT OFTEN ENCOUNTER. I SAFELY GOT THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY. NO FURTHER FAILURE OF SYSTEMS. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST SHOP I KNEW OF, WITH CAUTION LIGHTS ON. I THERE LEARNED THAT THE ACCESSORY BELT HAD COME OFF OF THE ENGINE, DUE TO THE RAIN. THE BELT WAS STILL IN GOOD CONDITION, SO THEY SLID THE SAME BELT BACK ON. I WILL HAVE MY PREFERRED MECHANIC INSTALL AN "ANTI SLIP" TENSIONER, BELT, AND PULLEY THIS WEEKEND. THIS ISSUE, THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPING OFF THE ENGINE IN RAIN AND SNOW, IS KNOWN TO CHRYSLER, AND KNOWN TO THE NHTSA. BUT IT WAS NOT KNOWN TO ME UNTIL IT THREATENED MY SAFETY, AND THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORISTS AROUND ME. IF I HAD BEGUN GOING AROUND A CURVE WHILE SWITCHING OFF ACCESSORIES, DRIVING ONE HANDED WITH A FAILED POWER STEERING SYSTEM BEFORE I KNEW IT HAD FAILED, I COULD HAVE WRECKED. WHY ONE HANDED? BECAUSE I WAS TURNING OFF ACCESSORIES BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS WRONG, BECAUSE THE WARNING THE CAR PROVIDED SUGGESTED THAT WAS WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING TO KEEP MY CAR FROM STALLING. I DON'T KNOW WHY NHTSA DECIDED THIS DID NOT MERIT A RECALL. THEY WERE WRONG. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT MONEY (TO IMPLEMENT THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NHTSA WON'T SHARE) CAN FIX WHAT WENT WRONG TODAY. DON'T OPERATE A GEN III CHRYSLER MINIVAN WITHOUT A BELT UPGRADE. WE CANNOT CONTROL WHEN IT RAINS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE DRIVE BELT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE IDLE PULLEY BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000. *TR