1990 Dodge Grand Caravan

CAR KIND OF SPUTTERED AND THEN CONTINUALLY RUNNING GOOD. AS IF IT ALL OF A SUDDEN WAS SHORT ON GAS. HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. ONCE IN WISC., LUCKILY ONLY A FEW BLOCKS FROM A DODGE DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. AGAIN IN ARKANSAS, HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT ON A SUNDAY. STILL HAD PROBLEMS. WOULD RUN A FEW BLOCK AND DIE. ABOUT 4-5 TIMES. WAITED UNTIL MONDAY WHEN DODGE DEALERSHIP OPENED, TOOK IT TO THEM. THEY SAID A WIRE RUNNING TO THE FUEL PUMP RAN OVER THE TRANSMISSION, WOULD RUB AGAINST IT RUBBING IT BARE AND SHORT OUT THE FUEL PUMP. THIS EVENT HAPPENED OUT IN THE BOONDOCKS ABOUT 15-20 MILES. CELL PHONE DIED, FORTUNATELY A STATE PATROL/ SHERIFFS CAR HAPPENED BY AND WAS ABLE TO GET US A TOW TRUCK. THIS WAS ON A SATURDAY LATE DAY. WAS TOWED INTO THE NEAREST TOWN WHERE WAS ABLE TO GET A FUEL PUMP FROM A JOBBER ON SUNDAY, HAD AN INDEPENDENTS MECHANIC INSTALL IT, BUT STILL CAR WOULD NOT RUN RIGHT. ON MONDAY HAD THE DODGE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT. THEY SAID IT WAS THE WIRE LEADING TO THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS RUBBED BARE AND SHORTING OUT. THEY SAID A SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED TO CUT THE WIRE, SHORTENED IT, SPLICE IT BACK TOGETHER AND TAPE IT UP AWAY FROM THE TRANSMISSION SO I DOESN'T OCCUR AGAIN. THIS SHOULD BE A VEHICLE RECALL I BELIEVE. IN THE FAR SOUTH IT IS AN INCONVENIENCE, A NUISANCE IN THE FRIGID NORTHLAND IT IS A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN AT 20 BELOW ZERO WITH A 20 MPH WIND BLOWING AND THE CAR SUDDENLY DIES. FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON A VACATION IN THE SOUTH AND NOT IN MY NATIVE NORTHLAND. AND I DO SILL HAVE THE FUEL PUMP I REPLACED WHILE I WAS IN ARKANSAS. IT WOULD BE NICE IF INFORMATION SITE AS THIS WERE MADE MORE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 5-6 YEARS AGO THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 3-27-04 I DIDN'T REPORT THIS TO ANY AGENCY BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO REPORT IT. *TR

FUEL RAIL FAILED WHILE DRIVING THE VAN. I STARTED TO SMELL RAW GASOLINE IN THE CLOSED CABIN, I WAS ABOUT TO PASS MY MECHANICS SHOP, SO I PULLED IN TO SEE WHERE THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM. MY MECHANIC AND I WERE BOTH SURPRISED TO SEE THE FUEL RAIL HAD FAILED IN TWO PLACES, AT THE SAME TIME!!!, CAUSING THE RAW GASOLINE TO BE SPRAYED ALL OVER THE HOT ENGINE, (3.3L). I AM SURPRISED AT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS THERE ALREADY ARE HERE ON THIS DATA BASE ABOUT THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, AND REPAIR PARTS AVAILABLE, BUT THERE WAS NOT!!! THE NEW FUEL RAIL IS $302.00 PLUS TAX, PLUS MY MECHANIC NEEDS 1.9 HOURS OF SHOP TIME TO INSTALL IT, (AT $75.00/HR) PLUS TAX, PLUS A UPPER PLENUM GASKET SET, ($30.00). THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO OVER $500.00, HEAVEN FORBID IF MY VAN HAD ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND I LOST EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING THAT I HAD IN OUR FAMILY VAN! I HAVE ALWAYS HAD GREAT MAINTENANCE DONE AND HAVE ALL OF THE RECORDS. THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH ABUSE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT IS JUST A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, PERIOD. I HAVE BOUGHT ANOTHER MUCH NEWER DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, AND JUST FOUND OUT THAT IT HAS 6 RECALLS ON IT !!!!!!! I AM GOING TO SELL BOTH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND GET ME ANOTHER MANUFACTURERS VAN, OR TRUCK. *NM

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A PROBLEM TRANSMISSION SINCE IT WAS DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE "LURCHING" MOTION MADE BY THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND REPEATEDLY. THE DEALER INSISTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NORMAL AND REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. IN OCTOBER 1991 THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE WE WERE IN TENNESSEE AND WITNESSED BY THE DODGE DEALERSHIP IN SIEVERVILLE, TN. UPON RETURN TO FLORIDA. THE DODGE DEALER IN CORAL SPRINGS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. (OR SO WE WERE TOLD) THE 2ND TRANSMISSION WORKED FOR 5 YEARS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1996. THAT TRANSMISSION WAS A PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. WHILE IN WASH. DC IN JULY 1997, THE CAR WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT. THE ENGINE KEPT RACING AND ONLY STOPED WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CAR. THE DODGE DEALER IN WDC SAID THAT BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE WE CLEARED THE COMPUTER AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE THIRD TRANSMISSION WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED AND NOW I HAVE HAD TO HAVE TWO REPAIRS ON THE FOURTH TRANSMISSION. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE LURCHES AND JERKS SUGGESTING THAT THERE ARE MORE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR CAR. DT

FUEL RAIL WAS LEAKING. MECH SAID THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS-COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE.VEHICLE TOO OLD FOR RECENT RECALL, WHICH COVERS VEHICLES FROM 1995-2000, BUT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.PAID $630.76 ON 1/13/01 FOR NEW FUEL RAIL AND O-RINGS. MECH SAID TODAY (3/30/02) THAT MY CAR HAD SAME PROBLEM THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FIXED ON RECALLED VEHICLE. *AK

A604 TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHIN 3000 MILES AFTER PURCHASE. COMPLETELY REBUILT IN OCT., 1997. MILEAGE AT FAILURE, APPROX. 82,000. PRIOR HISTORY UNKNOWN. TRANSMISSION AGAIN FAILED AT A LITTLE OVER 122,000 MILES. AGAIN, COMPLETELY OVERHAULED. SPOKE WITH MANAGER OF TRANSMISSION SHOP, WHO INFORMED ME OF COUNTLESS FAILURES OF THIS TRANSMISSION TYPE, AND THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS GOOD FOR HIS BUSINESS, HE KNEW OF MAJOR DESIGN FLAWS WITHIN THE A604, AND ITS SUCCESSOR, A606. IN FACT, HE HAD THREE OTHER VEHICLES, WITH MILEAGES RANGING FROM 32,000 TO 65,000, ALL WITH THE SAME FAILURES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD THE HALF-AXLES REPLACED, THREE TIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, TWICE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS TRANSMISSION ON THE INTERNET, IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE HAS A FUNDAMENTAL, KNOWN LATENT DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SPENT MORE ON THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULS ($3000) AND THE HALF-AXLES ($1000) THAN I PAID FOR THE VAN. RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT NHTSA AGRESSIVELY PURSUE THE ISSUE OF THIS EXPENSIVE, RECURRING TRANSMISSION AND DRIVETRAIN DESIGN FLAWS AND THEIR CATASTROPHIC FAILURES WITH THE MANUFACTURER. INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS WITH DEALERS AND THE CHRYSLER CORP. ARE FRUSTRATING AND POINTLESS. THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE A SERIOUS, MULTI-YEAR PROBLEM, AND INDIVIDUALS BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS COSTLY MISTAKE ON THEIR PART. PLEASE NOTE: CHRYSLER'S OVERHAUL KIT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION DOES NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW; IT ONLY PROLONGS THE ISSUE! CHRYSLER CORP., AND ITS DEALERS' ATTITUDE TOWARD ITS CUSTOMERS WITH REGARD TO THIS ISSUE IS BLATANTLY UNFAIR, CRASS, AND AS OF THIS DATE, FULL OF LIES AND DENIALS OF THE ISSUE.