2000 Dodge Caravan

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN THAT MY 2-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON FREQUENTLY RIDES IN. HIS PARENTS ARE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT INSTALLING CAR SEATS CORRECTLY AND SECURELY. SINCE MY VAN CONTAINS YOUR DEFECTIVE GEN 3 SEATBELTS, WHAT GOOD IS IT GOING TO DO IF THE CAR SEAT IS INSTALLED PROPERLY? CAN YOU GUARANTEE, IN WRITING, YOUR SEATBELT WILL NOT OPEN AND MY GRANDSON OR OTHER REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WILL NOT BE INJURED OR KILLED? LUCKILY, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY INCIDENTS. DOES THE PUBLIC HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THERE ARE "ENOUGH" DEATHS FOR YOU TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM?

UPON READING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PAST FAILURES OF THE GEN 3 SEAT BELT I WENT TO MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN SPORT AND SAT IN THE SEAT PUT THE SEAT BELT ON AND DROPPED A LIGHT SHOE ON THE SEAT BUCKLE. I IMMEDIATELY SNAPPED OPEN, AND I WAS STUNNED. THIS IS MY SECOND CARAVAN AND I HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A SAFE VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT MY SELF ,MY HUSBAND AND MY 4 CHILDREN IN. I NOW FEEL VERY DIFFERENTLY. *NLM

I AM HORRIFIED TO KNOW THAT MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN HAS GEN 3 SEAT BELTS INSTALLED AFTER DODGE KNEW FULL WELL THAT THEY COME UNLATCHED UNINTENTIONAL DURING A CRASH TEST. IT MADE ME THINK BACK ABOUT MY VAN AND REALIZE THAT MY SEAT BELTS HAVE BECOME UNLATCHED. I HAVE ALSO PUT MY CHILDREN'S CAR SEATS IN AND THEY TOO HAVE BECOME UNLATCHED. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I WENT AWAY AND BOUGHT MY DOG ALONG, I PLACED MY DOG IN THE SEAT WITH A DOG SEAT BELT AND SHE KEPT BECOMING UNLATCHED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND WANT THE GEN 4 SEAT BELTS INSTALLED IN MY VAN. I AM GOING TO TRY AND SELL IT NOW UNLESS I GET IT CHANGED. WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE PUTTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN DANGER WHEN THE CONSUMER/VICTIM ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY FROM HARM. HOW DARE THEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT SOMETHING DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *JB

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 11/99. ON 02/28/01 OIL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, SO CONSUMER WENT TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALER ADVISED THAT OIL LEVEL WAS SUFFICIENT, BUT LIGHT WAS DUE TO SENSOR WIRES BEING "CHEWED" POSSIBLY BY AN ANIMAL. WHILE DRIVING HOME THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO DEALER WHO TURNED OFF. ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING VAN STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THEN OIL LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, BUT CONFIRMED THAT OIL LEVEL WAS SUFFICIENT. VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THIS TIME TOOK TO A DIFFERENT DEALER WHO ADVISED STALLING PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CAR ALARM INSTALLED BY THE FIRST DEALER. 2ND DEALER DISCONNECTED THE ALARM. WHILE DRIVING HOME VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN WITH OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATING AFTER STALL. *NLM

SOMETIMES AFTER MY 2000 CARAVAN HAS SAT OVERNIGHT, IT WILL NOT GO IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE PARKING BRAKE WILL BE OFF AND THE GEAR SHIFT WILL BE IN REVERSE BUT THE VAN WON'T MOVE. ONLY AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT PUSHING DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR WILL THE GEAR POP OUT AND THE VAN FINALLY GO INTO REVERSE. THE VAN HAS 35000 + MILES AND IS APPROACHING THE END OF THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. WHAT MAKES THIS WORSE IS THAT THE VERY SAME THING HAPPENED AFTER WE BOUGHT THE VAN NEW AND AFTER THREE FAILED ATTEMPTS BY THE DEALER TO FIGURE IT OUT, THEY PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION -- AFTER ONLY 900 MILES! *JB

MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN WITH ONLY 29,450 MILES DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL ACCOMPANIED BY A DISCONCERTING NOISE WHEN BRAKING. PRIOR TO THE VIBRATION DEVELOPING, I NOTICED THE BRAKING POWER HAD DIMINISHED. UPON INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THE BRAKE FLUID WAS BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL AND HAD TO ADD FLUID. THIS IMPROVED THE BRAKE PEDAL PERFORMANCE BUT THE STOPPING POWER WAS STILL SUBPAR. ALSO, WHENEVER I WASH THE VEHICLE THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BLACK BRAKE DUST ON AND AROUND THE FRONT WHEELS WHICH RAISES ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FOR ME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE WORN OUT AND THE FRONT ROTORS WERE RUSTED, PITTED, AND SLIGHTLY WARPED. EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS ONLY 2 1/2 YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 29,450 MILES, DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSED ANY WARRANTY CONSIDERATION ON THE BRAKES. I HAD TO PAY NEARLY $300 FOR REPAIRS. WHEN I CALLED THE DAIMLER CHRYSLER CONSUMER HOTLINE, I WAS GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS CONDITION WAS CONSIDERED "NORMAL." THE MINIVAN IS DRIVEN GENTLY WITH ABOUT 70% OF THE MILEAGE BEING IN-TOWN DRIVING AND ABOUT 30% HIGHWAY DRIVING. ON PREVIOUS VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED, THE AVERAGE LIFE OF FRONT BRAKES HAS BEEN ABOUT 85,000 MILES. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE IF THE BRAKES ARE DESIGNED WITH SUCH POOR DURABILITY. *NLM