1997 Dodge Grand Caravan

MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND WHILE STOPPED. THREE SEATS TWISTED FROM THE FORCE. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK(MY SEAT) SNAPPED BACKWARDS CAUSING MY 5 YR. OLD DAUGHTER (WHO WAS SITTING BEHIND ME) TO STRIKE HER FACE, HEAD AND JAW CAUSING INJURY. THE SEAT IS A POWER SEAT AND ALLTHOUGH IT SNAPPED BACKWARDS AND BENT, IT COULD STILL BE OPERATED TO MOVE IT BACK UP INTO DRIVING POSITION. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE SUFFERED A FATAL HEAD INJURY FROM THE IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE FRONT SEAT BACK FAILURE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER.

1)CLOCK SPRING ASSY. FAILED DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. IT CAUSES AIR BAG LIGHT TO COME ON DISABLING AIR BAG, CRUISE AND HORN ALSO WONT WORK. I HAVE A DIGITAL PICTURE OF THE FAILED PART IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT. 2) BELT TENSIONER JUST BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CAUSING NO POWRER STEERING AND VERY LITTLE BRAKES. APPEARED THE STUD THAT GOES THROUGH IT SNAPPED INTO. *AK

WHEN WE TOWED OUR VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY LOOKED AT IT FOR TWO DAYS AND REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH OUR VEHICLE. WE URGED THEM TO INVESTIGATE A BIT FUTHER. TWO DAYS LATER THEY FOUND TRANSMISSION FLUID TO BE CONTAMINATED AND PUMP FAILURE. COST $1200, AND THAT TOO TO REBUILD THE TRANS, NOT NEW ONE. I CHECKED ON THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER WEB SITE ABOUT THE PROCEDURE IN SUCH A CASE, AND TRIED TO FOLLOW ALL THE STEPS THEY HAVE DESCRIBED THERE. IT TOOK ME MORE THAN THREE WEEKS TO CONTACT THE DISTRICT MANAGER; THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME HIS DIRECT NUMBER. IN ALL, MY VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR MORE THAN 6 WEEKS. WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER; I ENDED UP PAYING $600 BECAUSE I NEEDED THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE SUMMER WAS OVER. I HAVE NOT SETTLED IN ANY WAY. I RECEIVED EXTERMELY POOR SERVICE FROM THE DEALER, AND THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THIS IS A HIGHLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE CARAVANS. WHEN THE CLOCK SPRING FAILS, THE AIRBAGS ARE PREVENTED FROM DEPLOYING IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. IF CHRYSLER HAS INTENTIONALLY INSTALLED A FAULTY SAFETY DEVICE INTO THEIR VEHICLES, THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING IT, NOT THE CONSUMER. A CRITICAL SAFETY PART SHOULD NOT FAIL SO EARLY IN THE LIFE OF AN AUTOMOBILE. *AK

ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO OUR 97 GRAND CARAVAN SE, 3.3L V6, 45,000 MILES DIED AT AN INTERSECTION AND WOULD NOT RESTART. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER THAT SUNDAY EVENING. ON TUESDAY I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET ($700) AS TWO ADJACENT CLYINDERS WERE LOW ON PRESSURE. LATER THAT WEEK I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS OK BUT THE CAMSHAFT WAS BROKEN ($1400). ON THURSDAY I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAMSHAFT BEARINGS WERE DAMAGED AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO EITHER PURCHASE A REBUILT SHORTBLOCK OR LONGBLOCK ($3,300/$3,800). I WENT TO THE DEALER TO VIEW MY ENGINE (NOW DISASSEMBLED ON A BENCH) AND THE CAMSHAFT WAS IN TWO PIECES. A CLEAN BREAK WITH NO BLUE COLOR ON EITHER THE CAMSHAFT NOR THE CAMSHAFT BEARINGS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT CAMSHAFT BEARINGS WERE ONLY SERVICED BY USING THE SHORTBOCK (I.E., THEY WANTED TO SELL ME THE WHOLE WORKS. FROM A HAYES MANUAL I PURCHASED I DISCOVERED THAT YOU COULD INDEED REPLACE THE CAMSHAFT BEARINGS (SEEMS LOGICAL AS CHRYSLER DOES REBUILD ENGINES FOR RESALE). HOWEVER I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER DID NOT DO THIS. I ASKED THEM TO FIND AN AUTOMOTIVE MACHINE SHOP THAT WOULD DO THIS. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH NO CALL BACKS I FOUND A COUPLE OF MACHINE SHOPS THAT WOULD DO THE JOB FOR $35-$150. WHEN I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THIS INFORMATION HE SAID THEY COULD GET THE CAMSHAFT BUT NOT THE BEARINGS. THE SERVICE MANAGER ASKED ME IF THE MACHINE SHOP COULD GET THE BEARINGS. THEIR BOOK SHOWED CAMSHAFT BEARINGS FOR MINI VANS UP TO 92 ONLY. THEY PROBED FURTHER AND DISCOVERED THE BEARINGS LISTED FOR THE 3.3L CARS WERE INDEED THE SAME PART NEEDED FOR THE 3.3L CARAVAN. NEXT WEEK I HOPE TO BE BACK ON THE ROAD FOR A LOT LESS $$$ THAN THE OPTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO ME.... STILL NOT SATISFIED AS TO THE REASON FOR THE BREAKAGE. IT WASN'T OIL STARVATION AS THE OIL PORTS ON THE CAMSHAFT BEARINGS WERE STILL IN ALIGNMENT. THE OIL PUMP IS ALSO STILL WORKING. IT LOOKS LIKE THE CAMSHAFT HAD AN UNDETECTED FLAW AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. MY FIRST ATTEMPT.