1998 Dodge Grand Caravan

DT: 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK AT 20 MPH AND SOMEONE WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT. WHEILE SLOWING DOWN TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ACCELERATED BECAUSE THE CRUISE CONTROL CAME ON, AND HIT THE VEHICLE SITTING AT THE RED LIGHT FROM BEHIND WHEN WAS NORMAL BRAKING. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. THE ROAD WAS DRY AT THE TIME. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS. HAD NOT YET CONTACTED DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER. CALLED THE POLICE, AND THEY TOOK A BREPORT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT. THE ONLY DAMAGE MADE WAS TO THE VEHICLES. *AK

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

MY CAR IS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN LE. IT HAS 120,000 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW. REAR BRAKE LINE FAILURE. FAILURE DUE TO DESIGN FLAW. DISSIMILAR METALS (STEEL AND STAINLESS STEEL) USED ON A JOINT (FLEXIBLE COUPLING) ON REAR BRAKE LINES. DISSIMILAR METALS JOINT CAUSED ELECTROLYTIC CORROSION AND FAILURE (RUPTURE) OF BRAKE LINE. THE BRAKE LINE JOINT WITH DISSIMILAR METALS DESIGN FLAW IS A TIME BOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN IN MANY OF THE DODGE AND CHRYSLER. THE POTENTIAL FOR A VERY HIGH NUMBER OF DEATHS AND MAJOR INJURIES DUE TO THIS DESIGN FLAW IS HUGE. *NM

CONSUMER DASH LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTAINING THE CLUSTER OF THE ENGINE, TEMPERATURE GAUGE, RPM GAUGE, SPEEDOMETER, GAS TANK AND DIGITAL ODOMETER BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF AND COME BACK ON WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON. THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO EFFECT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AND THE GAS THAT WAS LEFT IN THE TANK, IT ALSO EFFECTED THE DOOR LOCKS WHICH DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATE AS THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHICH WAS DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PROCESSOR AND THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE CONSUMER PICK THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE DEALER,WITHIN 20 MINUTES, THE CONSUMER SAW A THIN BLUISH SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED HOME HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT SAW NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DAMAGE TO ANYTHING. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *JB

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

FLAT TIRE REQUIRING NEED FOR USE OF COMPACT SPARE TIRE. THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SPARE TIRE REMOVAL DO NOT SHOW A RELEASE MECHANISM THAT IS CRITICAL FOR LOWERING OF THE SPARE TIRE. THE RELEASE MECHANISM IS REQUIRED TO LOWER A NYLON FIXTURE THAT SECURES THE COMPACT SPARE TIRE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTIONS DID NOT MENTION THE RELEASE MECHANISM, AND THE RELEASE MECHANISM WAS NOT VISIBLE, I HAD TO CUT THE NYLON FIXTURE (SUGGESTED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF A DODGE DEALERSHIP I CONTACTED), WHICH THEN CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO FALL DOWN. I WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED BUT IF SOMEONE HAD THEIR HEAD UNDERNEATH THE SPARE TIRE WHEN IT DROPPED DOWN, THEY COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE NYLON FIXTURE IS NOW RUINED. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN IS POOR AND THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLEARLY LACKING IN THE USE OF THE RELEASE MECHANISM. *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

DT: CONSUMER HAS A DODGE CARAVAN. HAD A FLAT TIRE, AND THE SPARE WOULDN'T COME OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK, AND THEY TOLD HIM THERE WERE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. HAD TO VEHICLE TAKE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE SPARE TIRE OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW TIRE. DEALERSHIP TOLD HIM HAD TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE SERVICE OF REMOVING THE SPARE TIRE. WHEN HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER THEY ALSO TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. *AK