1998 Dodge Grand Caravan

THE DRIVER'S HORN DOES NOT WORK AND HASN'T SINCE IT WAS TAKEN IN TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS DONE AS PER A RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA AND DAIMLERCHRYSTLER CORPORATION RELATING TO DRIVER'S AIRBAG BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HE ALSO DID NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK ON THE VAN. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND WHEN I DISCOVERED THE HORN DID NOT WORK. AFTER RESEARCHING AND SUBSCRIBING TO THE THE NHTSA RECALL ALERTS I DETERMINED THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CLOCK SPRING REPLACEMENT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT CLOCK SPRING COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS DONE SO SOON AFTER THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I LIVE AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ISSUED AND THEY WERE SORRY, BUT THEY COULDN'T REPLACE IT AGAIN. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM ORIGINALLY. EVEN WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD PAY THE COST OF THE REPAIR, THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH INVOLVED IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT COULD GO WRONG AND HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO IT. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND HASN'T BEEN SINCE BEFORE AND AFTER I PURCHASED IT. MY CONCERN IS IF THE HORN DOESN'T WORK'THEN HOW CAN I BE SURE THE AIRBAG DOES. I'M STILL DRIVING THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT TO SOMEONE ELSE IN THIS CONDITION. IS THERE NO RECOURSE IF THE VEHICLE AS NOT REPAIRED AS PER THE NHTSA'S RECALL? THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 91054 MILES ON IT AS OF THIS DATE.

MY ELDERLY MOTHER PURCHASED A USED 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM THE LOCAL CHRYSLER-DODGE DEALER IN APRIL 2002 AND ALSO PURCHASED THE POWERTRAIN CARE PLUS COVERAGE. NOT TOO LONG AFTERWARDS, THE DASH INSTRUMENTS FAILED TO WORK, SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIRS. NOTHING COULD BE FOUND WRONG AND WE WERE TOLD TO SIMPLY "KEEP AN EYE ON IT AND BRING IT IN WHEN IT'S NOT WORKING." WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TWICE MORE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM -- SPEEDOMETER, TACH, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE -- ALL NOT WORKING, BUT THESE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AIRBAG AND ABS LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THESE THREE TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER THIS EXTRA COVERAGE AND ALL THREE TIMES, WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG! THE LAST STRAW CAME ON OCTOBER 13, 2004 WHEN WE TOOK THE VAN IN FOR THE 4TH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS TIME, WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE MASSIVE OIL LEAKS WHICH HAD SPRAYED OIL ON THE WIRE HARNESS, POSSIBLY CAUSING THE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WE HAD THAT REPAIRED TO THE TUNE OF OVER $300. THEN WE WERE TOLD THAT THE REASON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED WAS NOT DUE TO THE WIRE HARNESS, BUT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) HAD FAILED. IT WOULD COST ANOTHER $500 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AS IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. WE POLITELY TOLD THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WE'D TAKE THE VEHICLE ELSEWHERE FOR REPAIRS (WE'VE GOTTEN THE QUOTES, BUT NOT HAD REPAIRS DONE AT THIS TIME). IT JUST SEEMS STRANGE TO US THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS FINALLY ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED!

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).

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?

WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SLIPED INTO THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT, I HAD OPENED THE SIDE DOOR TO PUT HER IN HER CAR SEAT AND IN A MATTER OF SECONDS SHE SLIPPED INTO THE OPENED FRONT DOOR WHERE I HAD JUST TURNED ON THE AC TO COOL THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN I WENT TO TAKE HER OUT OF THE SEAT SHE GRADED THE GEAR SHIFT AND WITH ME HOLDING ONTO HER AND THE STEERING WHEEL I WAS DRAGGED BY THE MOVING VEHICLE UNTIL WE RESTED UPON THE FENCE THAT SURROUNDS MY SIDE/REAR YARD. SHE WAS NOT INJURED BUT I STRAINED MY BACK BUT DID NOT RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE ABILITY OF THE VEHICLE TO MOVE SO EASILY AND WAS WITHIN ARMS REACH THE ENTIRE TIME. I HAVE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY BUT NO POLICE WERE INVOLVED.

HAD JUST FILLED FUEL TANK, GOT INSIDE VEHICLE, AND SMELLED AN ODOR OF GASOLINE FUMES. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON & STAYED. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST. MECHANIC RESET THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, AND IT CAME BACK ON.*AK CONSUMER STATES ENGINE LIGHT IS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED AND THERE IS A STRONG ODOR COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK DOOR. *SLC