1998 Dodge Grand Caravan

1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN - WHEN NEW, RECALLED FOR SAFETY BELT REPAIR/REPLACEMENT AND AIR BAG CLOCK SWITCH REPLACEMENT. FOR ABOUT THE PAST 2 YEARS, THE INTERIOR LIGHT SWITCH AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS SWITCH FROM DIM TO LIGHT WITH A CLICKING SOUND BUT HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM I FEEL NEEDED IMMEDIATE ADDRESSING. MORE RECENTLY, REAR AIR VENTS BLOW COLD/WARM/HOT AIR WHEN A/C IS TURNED ON. HOWEVER, FRONT VENTS BLOW ICE COLD AIR. REAR AIR VENTS FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY EACH TIME WE START THE CAR. ALL THESE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS CAUSE ME GREAT CONCERN FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 REGARDING OTHER ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED IN THE FUTURE. AFTER READING ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS BRAND, I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN WE WILL BE PURCHASING A MORE REPUTABLE BRAND WHEN WE REPLACE OUR CAR. WHAT IS CHRYSLER DOING TO ADDRESS THESE NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS? *JB

AFTER I HAD CLOSED THE LIFTGATE ON MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, I HEARD A "POP". I HAD HEARD THIS "POP" BEFORE - I HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1992 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL. WHEN I RE-OPENED THE LIFTGATE, THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT SHOT THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LIFTGATE AND THE ROOFLINE. IT WAS STILL SECURED BY THE LOWER BOLT, BUT THE TOP BOLT HAD SHEARED, JUST AS HAPPENED ON THE 1992 PLYMOUTH MODEL . HOWEVER, DUE TO DESIGN CHANGES IN THE AREA OF THE WHERE THE STRUT IS, THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THE STRUT TO GO BUT TO SCRATCH THE PAINT ON THE VEHICLE. THE 1992 PLYMOUTH HAD A "POCKET" THAT THE UPPER BOLT SAT IN AND IT WOULD FORCE THE STRUT INTO THE AREA BETWEEN THE ROOF AND ROOF LINER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ON THIS 1998 DODGE, I HAD TO FORCIBLY REMOVE THE STRUT FROM THE LOWER BOLT, SINCE IT WAS ATTACHED WITH A STAR DESIGN HEADED BOLT, THEREFORE EFFECTIVELY RUINING THE LOWER PIVOT AREA OF THE STRUT. THIS IS THE FIFTH (5TH) STRUT (1ST ON THE 1998) THAT I HAVE HAD FAILURE WITH, AND ALL HAVE BEEN TO BOLT FAILURE IN THE THREADED AREA OF THE BOLT. I WILL CONTACT LOCAL DODGE DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF FIXING UNDER SAME RECALL AS 1992 RECALL. *NM

MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (3.3 L ENGINE VIN: [XXX] ), THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN, OR WHEN DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLE. WHEN THIS HAPPEN, THE VEHICLE LOSE POWER BRAKES POWER STEERING, CAUSING VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES DURING THE LAST 18 MONTHS OUT OF WHICH 2 WERE ON FREEWAY AT 60MPH. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. REPLACED THE BELT, TENSIONER ETC, STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. TOOK IT TO DODGE DEALER (DAYTON DODGE, DAYTON, NJ) ON 01/10/2006, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX, SITING "CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT HAS NO FIX" A SEARCH ON GOOGLE SHOWS NUMEROUS HITS FOR THIS PROBLEM ON CHRYSLER MINIVANS. I BELIEVE CHRYSLER HAS A TSB FOR THIS, BUT HAS NOT A RECALL. SEE BELOW LINKS BELOW. HTTP://WWW.DODGETALK.COM/FORUMS/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-4450.HTML HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_30931.HTML. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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