1998 Dodge Grand Caravan

BESIDES ALL THE 1998 RECALLS ON THIS VAN, I FOUND A PINHOLE LEAK IN THE HEAD ITSELF. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A GASKET LEAK BUT ITS NOT. WHEN IT RAN OUT OF WATER, TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT TELL ME IT WAS HOT BUT INSTEAD REGISTERED COLD. ON TOP OF THE FRONT SPEAKERS GOES OFF AND ON AND THE REAR SPEAKERS DO IT ON OCCASION. STEREO GETS REALLY HOT TO THE TOUCH. TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE DOING STRANGE THINGS LIKE NOT KICKING DOWN WHEN STOPPED AND THEN LUNGING WHILE STOPPED OR ACCELERATING WHEN STOPPED. I THINK THIS WHOLE VAN SHOULD BE ON RECALL. *NM

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLES THE SERPENTINE BELT WHICH CONTROLS THE STEERING AND OTHER ACCESSORIES SLIPS OFF. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE NEW AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. WENT TO DEALER HE INSTALLED TSB BULLETIN 07-02-99 THAT CONSISTS OF A BRACKET TO STOP THE BELT FROM COMING OFF, BUT AFTER I DROVE 7 MILES IN THE RAIN IT CAME OFF AGAIN. WHILE AT THE DEALER THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER CARAVANS TOWED THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, EVEN A 2005. THE DEALER REP SAYS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE THE WATER IS SPLASHED ONTO THE BELT TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEYS WHICH ARE NOT GROOVED AND JUST SLIPS OFF. I DID A WEB SEARCH AT ALLPAR.COM, EDMUNDS.COM, ETC. AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONDITION, PEOPLE CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED WHEN THEY LOSE POWER STEERING CONTROL UNEXPECTEDLY. I CAN'T BELIEVE CHRYSLER CORP. HAS ALLOWED THIS CONDITION TO GO UNRESOLVED FOR SO LONG. *NM

SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON REVEALING A PROBLEM. COMPUTER DIAG SHOWS THAT THERE IS A MISFIRE ON #6. OPENING THE VALVE COVER REVEALED THAT THE CAMSHAFT IS DEFECTIVE - METAL PIECES HAVE FALLEN OFF OF IT. REPLACEMENT OF CAMSHAFT AND ALL OTHER PARTS (ROCKER, LIFTERS ETC.) INCLUDING LABOR WILL COME TO A TOTAL OF CLOSE TO $1800. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE DEFECT.*JB

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A RACK AND PINION STEERING AND OTHER PROBLEMS. CONSUMER DROVE OVER A ROUGH POTHOLE WITH A METAL FLATBED ON TOP AT A LOW SPEED. WHILE DRIVING AT A STREET AT 25 MPH CONSUMER MADE A RIGHT TURN AND THERE WAS POPPING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE NOISE WAS EVIDENT ONLY WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER, WHO SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH FRONT ALIGNMENT , BUT THAT WAS ALL. HOWEVER, INSURANCE COMPANY NOTED THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH RACK AND PINION STEERING /FRONT ALIGNMENT/ RADIATOR, AND THE TRANSMISSION PAN. ALSO, CONSUMER NOTED THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ON AND IT SMOKED AFTER DRIVING A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. OIL WAS CHANGED REGULARLY. VEHICLE HAS HAD A RECENT FRONT END ALIGNMENT BUT NO OTHER REPAIRS. *AK

VEHICLE: MAKE : DODGE MODEL : GRAND CARAVAN YEAR : 1998 BULLETIN NUM : 98771 DATE OF BULLETIN: MAY 01, 1998 NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 601474 COMPONENT: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN SUMMARY: THE RADIATOR FAN RELAY MAY NOT TURN ON THE RADIATOR COOLING FANS, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. *AK ================ THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEP 2004. THE RADIATOR FAN RELAY FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY DEALER, THEY REPLACED THE PART AND CHARGED ME OVER $200. THIS PROBLEM REOCURRED AGAIN IN MAY 2005. THIS DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A FACTORY RECALL AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE

EXHAUST BECAME LOUD AND YOU CAN SMELL IT COMING THROUGH TO CABIN. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CROSSOVER PIPE. DOING RESEARCH ON THE WEB, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM CITING THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY DEALERS IT WAS A BAD DESIGN. THE REPAIR COSTS IN EXCESS OF $900 AND THERE IS A CHANCE IF NOT REPAIR FOR CARBON MONOXIDE TO LEAK INTO CABIN.*AK

THE DRIVE BELT HAS REPEATEDLY COME OFF RESULTING IN THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP EACH TIME, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A FLEXING ENGINE MOUNTING BRACKET. THIS PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THERE IS A CHRYSLER SERVICE BULLETIN #07-02-99. THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED AS A SAFETY RECALL. *JB