1998 Dodge Grand Caravan

NOVEMBER, 2003 - 1998 GRAND CARAVAN WITH 73500 MILES. HEAD GASKET FAILURE. LEAKING COOLANT TO THE OUTSIDE OF ENGINE FROM REAR HEAD. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEAD GASKET AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. DRIVEN BY "SOCCER" MOM. ALSO, COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE-SEE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SECTION. *JB

FEBRUARY, 2004 - 1998 GRAND CARAVAN WITH 75100 MILES STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. NO PREVIOUS WARNING OF PROBLEM. TOTAL REBUILD OF TRANSMISSION COSTING $1500.00. VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. DRIVEN BY "SOCCER" MOM. OBVIOUS THROUGH RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. *JB

THE CAR IS ON IT'S THIRD TRANSMISSION. WE LIKE THE CARAVAN AS A PACKAGE, BUT QUALITY IS LACKING AND PROBLEMATIC. THE MOST CRITICAL PROBLEM IS BODY RUST THROUGH. THE DRIVERS SIDE SHOCK MOUNT TOWER IS RUSTED THROUGH AND CHRYSLER OWNER RELATIONS REFUSING TO FIX IT. NEVER MIND THAT THE DEALERS SAY THE PROBLEM IS PREVALENT AND CHRYSLER USED TO FIX IT BUT RECENTLY STOPPED PAYING FOR (PERHAPS DUE TO FINANCIAL AND MARKET CONDITIONS).

THE VAN STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS LAST WEEK.IT DOES NOT WANT TO GO INTO FIRST GEAR AFTER REVERSE OR AFTER STOPPING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE THE DIFFERENTIAL PIN IS BROKEN AND WILL TAKE ANYWHERE FROM $1700 TO $2300 TO REPAIR. I AM TRYING TO GET CHRYSLER TO COVER THE COST OF THIS AS IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE VANS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE AGAIN.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN BEGAN TO SLIP AND STAY IN SECOND GEAR AROUND 50K MILES. I HAD IT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THE COST OF REPAIR IS MORE THAN I COULD EVER AFFORD. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO OTHER MECHANICS AND THERE IS NOT MUCH VARIATION IN PRICE. GENERALLY THE COST IS GOING TO BE FROM $16,000 TO $2,400. I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR EITHER. I AM READING ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, SO WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL? THE DEALER SHOULD GLADLY REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS SINCE THEY ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS OCCURRING ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT IS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO ABSORB THE COST THEMSELVES. THEY WILL RECALL SOMETHING SMALL LIKE BRAKES OR FAN BELT. I ALSO HAVE HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIP OFF TWICE WHEN DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLES OF WATER. BOTH TIMES MY ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED, BOTH FATALLY SERIOUS PROBEMS. WHAT IS THE DEAL? I DEMAND RELIEF! NO ONE IS GOING TO TRADE THIS PIECE OF JUNK WITH ME. WHAT IS THE DEALER WILLING TO DO?

I HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH UNEVEN SHIFTING FROM THE BEGINNING OF OWNERSHIP OF THIS GRAND CARAVAN. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP TO A HIGHER RPM THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEFORE SHIFTING INTO HIGHER GEAR. INITIALLY WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WOULD ADJUST TO THE DRIVER AND THUS ACCEPTED THE EXPLANATION. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT RECENT OCCURRENCES, WHEN IN GEAR, THE CAR DID NOT ENGAGE AND SEEMED TO BE STUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE THIRD TIME, WHILE MOVING AND MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN, THE CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND PUT ME IN THE PATH OF INCOMING TRAFFIC. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE, DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND THUS NEEDED TO TAKE TRANSMISSION APART. UPON DISASSEMBLY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GEARS HAD BEEN GROUND OFF AND NOT REPAIRABLE AND I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NO FAULT OF ANYTHING I DID. THE REMEDY WAS A $3000 COST TO PUT IN A FACTORY-REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT EXCEPT THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED LATE AT NIGHT ON A MAJOR ROAD WHEN TRAFFIC WAS LOW. THIS FAILURE IS NOT UNIQUE TO THIS VEHICLE AS OTHER COMPLAINTS AGAINST IT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE NHTSA. THIS GRAND CARAVAN TRANSMISSION DESIGN FLAW NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER BEFORE FATALITIES OCCUR. THE CAR OWNERS LIVES SHOULD NOT BE PUT AT RISK, NOR SHOULD THEY HAVE TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FIXING A PROBLEM WHICH IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER DESIGN FLAW.