1996 Dodge Grand Caravan

I BOUGHT A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 3 YEARS AGO. THIS PAST JULY I HAD TO TAKE A LOAN OUT TO PAY $2000 FOR A TRANSMISSION. AFTER SPEAKING TO QUITE A FEW MECHANICS, I WAS TOLD THAT THE DODGES THAT HAVE THE 3.3 LITER ENGINES IN THEM HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS. THE MECHANICS STATED THAT HAVE HAD A LOT OF DODGES THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN AND THE DODGE IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE OWED 2 OTHER VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT DODGES AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION AT ALL AND THEY ARE OLDER THAN MY VAN. I HAD TO PURCHASE MY VAN, SO I COULD PUT MY HUSBAND'S WHEELCHAIR IN IT. IT IS EASIER TO GET IT IN AND OUT OF THE VAN. I AM ON A FIXED INCOME DUE TO MY HUSBAND BEING DISABLED AND WE HAVE SON IN SCHOOL. SO MONEY IS VERY TIGHT. I WAS LUCKY I QUALIFIED FOR THE LOAN TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION, OR I WOULD BE UNABLE TO TRANSPORT MY HUSBAND BACK AND FORTH TO DOCTOR APPTS AND SHOPPING. I HAVE SPOKE WITH OTHER DODGE OWNERS WHO HAVE ALL TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN THEIR DODGE 3.3 LITER VEHICLES. BUT WHAT GETS ME IS THAT ALL THE TRANSMISSION EXPERTS THAT I SPOKE WITH SAID, THEY CHANGE AT LEAST 2 -3 TRANSMISSION A WEEK IN THESE DODGES. AND THAT DODGE IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT DODGE DOESN'T MIND FIXING THE SMALL PROBLEMS, BUT OVER LOOK THAT FACT THAT THEY HAVE A DEFECT THAT CAUSING A TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT AND IT COSTING THE BUYER AT A MINIMUM OF $2000 TO REPLACE. THIS HAS TO BE STOPPED AND DODGE MADE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR COST. THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLASS ACTION SUIT BROUGHT AGAINST THEM FOR THIS. ONE GUY I WORK WITH HAD HIS BRAND NEW DODGE TRUCK LEAVE HIM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND HE HAD ONLY 57,800 MILES ON IT. DODGE KNOWS THEY PUT OUT A DEFECT TRANSMISSION, BUT THEY ARE MAKING THE CONSUMER PAY FOR IT. THIS IS WRONG AND THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *JB

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, VIN NUMBER [XXX]. A WEEK AGO FRIDAY I HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE THAT I HAVE NEEDED TO CHANGE A FLAT TO MY SPARE TIRE AND ALSO USE THE SCISSOR JACK THAT THE FACTORY SUPPLIED WITH MY VEHICLE. I WAS USING YOUR FACTORY SUPPLIED JACK TO RAISE THE VEHICLE WHEN THE JACK APPARENTLY SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND. I PROCEEDED TO EXTRICATE THE JACK AND LOOKED IT OVER AND IT APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE WITH NO INDICATIONS OF ANY DAMAGE; I CONCLUDED THAT THE JACK SOMEHOW SLIPPED. I AGAIN INSERTED THE JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO AGAIN JACK UP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE JACK COLLAPSED AGAIN. UPON GATHERING UP MY THINGS I NOTED THAT THE JACK DID NOT SLIP, BUT FAILED AND THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FALL TO THE GROUND. THE JACK FAILURE WAS IN THE UPPER INSIDE SUPPORT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AND INSERT THE SCISSOR JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SCISSOR JACK LIFTS THE JACK UP. I SHOWED THE FAILED JACK TO A WELDER FRIEND OF MINE WHO KNOWS ABOUT METALS, AND HE STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS METAL FATIGUE AND THAT THAT PART OF THE JACK WAS NOT PROPERLY MANUFACTURED BECAUSE THE METAL WAS NOT CURED AND HARDENED PROPERLY TO ACQUIRE ITS NEEDED STRENGTH. FIRST I EXPECT A NEW REPLACEMENT JACK THAT WILL FIT INTO THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT MADE FOR IT SO THAT I WILL HAVE A FACTORY JACK WHENEVER I DECIDE TO GET A NEW VEHICLE AND THE PERSON WHO BUYS MY VEHICLE NEXT WILL HAVE A GOOD, SAFE, FACTORY JACK WHENEVER NEEDED. SECOND I EXPECT TO BE REIMBURSED THE $20.00 I GAVE THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHO HELPED ME OUT WHEN THE SCISSOR JACK FAILED AND BECAME BROKEN AND USELESS. THIRD, IT WOULD BE NICE BUT NOT REQUIRED AT THIS TIME, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER SOME FAIR COMPENSATION FOR MY BEING LATE, TIRED, DIRTY, SMELLY AND ANGRY WHEN I WAS MEETING MY WIFE FOR DINNER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS NOT THE MOST PLEASANT PERSON TO HAVE DINNER WITH THAT NIGHT.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH MY 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. FIRST THERE IS A SERIOUS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT WHEEL/TIRES. I HAVE REPLACED 8 TIRES (IN 30000 MILES!), BOTH FRONT AXLES, ALL THREE MOTOR MOUNTS, AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED, AS WELL AS HAVING THREE ALIGNMENT CHECKS. THE VIBRATION IS STILL THERE. THE SECOND PROBLEM INVOLVES THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE FRONT WIPERS WERE, FOR A TIME, COMING ON ANY TIME THEY FELT LIKE IT; THIS WAS REMEDIED BY REPLACING THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH ON 09/21/01. SINCE THEN, THE REAR WIPER WILL OCCASIONALLY COME ON FOR ONE SWIPE WHEN I FIRST START THE VEHICLE - ANNOYING, BUT NOT AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD. BUT TODAY, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING AT ALL. THEY WILL ONLY WORK IF I PUT THE WIPERS ON INTERVAL - IN WHICH CASE THEY DO NOTHING FOR A TIME, THEN MAKE TWO TO FOUR SWIPES, THEN WAIT A WHILE, MAKE ONE OR TWO SWIPES, WAIT A WHILE, ETC. THEY WILL MAKE ONE HIGH SPEED SWIPE ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD IF I PRESS THE WASHER BUTTON IN. I SPENT $80 TODAY SO THE DODGE DEALER COULD TELL ME THIS WAS CAUSED BY A BODY CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. THIS REPAIR COSTS OVER $400...AND RESEARCHING A USED PART ONLINE, I LEARNED THAT BOTH THE WHEEL SHIMMY PROBLEM AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEMS ARE NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR BUT ARE VERY COMMON ISSUES WITH THE DODGE CARAVAN/CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY/PLYMOUTH VOYAGER FAMILY. LOSING YOUR WIPERS, HAVING THEM COME ON AT RANDOM WHEN THEY TAKE A NOTION TO, AND A NON-STOP SHIMMY IN THE FRONT ARE EACH, BY THEMSELVES, SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WARRANTING A RECALL. COLLECTIVELY, THEY SPELL OUT A LACK OF CONCERN THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHO DRIVE THEIR PRODUCTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY ONLINE RESEARCH THAT CHRYSLER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS LONG AGO AS 1998 BUT DELIBERATELY IGNORED ITS OWN INFORMATION. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE ONLY WAY THESE SAFETY ISSUES ARE GOING TO BE ADDRESSED IS IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES THEM TO TASK.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR. THE DRIVER TRIED TO SHIFT GEARS NUMEROUS TIMES BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED AND THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS AT ALL. *JB

1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. THIRD OWNER AT 155,000 MILES. HAPPENED TO FIRST OWNER AS WELL. LEAKED TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERYWHERE, REAR GATE WAS COVERED WITH FLUID. WENT THROUGH OVER 2 QUARTS OF FLUID A DAY FOR A 5 MILE DRIVE TO WORK. DIAGNOSED AS A LOOSE PIN WHICH WORE A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. A HOLE THE SIZE OF A FIST WAS BLOWN THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CASE WHEN IT FINALLY FAILED. ALSO, THIS PART IS IN SUCH DEMAND DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FAILURES WITH THIS MODEL THAT A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS ALMOST $2000. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE COST OF THIS REPAIR. WAS ON THE ROAD IN A SNOW STORM WHEN TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH COULD HAVE IN TURN CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHILE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. *JB