1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

ON 01/23/17 I TOOK A SHORT DRIVE IN THE CAR AND I SMELLED A SLIGHT STENCH OF GASOLINE BUT DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AT THE TIME, UNTIL LATER ON IN THE DAY WHEN I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR OUT AGAIN AND THE ENGINE STARTED SMOKING AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND THE KEYS WERE IN THE IGNITION THEN I PROCEEDED TO STARTED THE CAR AND THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED, SO IM GUESSING IT WAS FUEL INJECTION PROBLEM.

THREE TIMES IN SIX WEEKS, THE SERPENTINE BELT (WHICH POWERS THE POWER STEERING, ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP) HAS SLIPPED OFF THE PULLEYS. IN ONE OF THE THREE INSTANCES, THE DRIVE BELT WAS SHREDDED. AFTER A QUICK SEARCH OF THE INTERNET, LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS WERE FOUND. FORTUNATELY, IN OUR CASE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INJURY TO DATE, HOWEVER A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT THE WRONG MOMENT COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. LIKEWISE, LOSS OF ACCESSORIES SUCH AS THE ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP COULD LEAVE SOMEONE STRANDED. ON THIS VEHICLE, THE BELT TENSIONER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN 1,000 MILES. *TR

WE WERE ON THE WAY TO OUR VACATION DESTINATION ON 7/30/02 AND PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY FOR GAS. THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON AS WE PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION. ONCE WE WERE ON THE ROAD AGAIN, THE VAN WOULD NOT COME OUT OF SECOND GEAR. WE WERE THEN FORCED TO STOP IN A PARKING LOT AND GOT DIRECTIONS TO THE CLOSEST FULL SERVICE REPAIR SHOP. (THIS ALL TOOK PLACE AT 8:15PM IN BARSTOW, CA) THE MECHANIC RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE VAN AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE SENSOR BUT WOULD HAVE TO RUN MORE TESTS THE FOLLOWING MORNING. WE WERE, AT THAT POINT FORCED TO STAY IN BARSTOW FOR THE NIGHT. WE CALLED THE MECHANIC IN THE MORNING AND GOT THE UNBELIEVABLE NEWS. AFTER RUNNING MORE DIAGNOSTICS HE FOUND TWO ADDITIONAL ERRORS IN THE TRANSMISSION RELATED TO A PRESSURE PROBLEM AND INFORMED US OUR TRANSMISSION WAS THE PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO ORDER A FACTORY REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND WE WERE CHARGED A MERE $2,750.00 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. IN THE MEAN TIME WE HAD TO RENT 2 CARS TO GET TO OUR DESTINATION (NO VEHICLES WERE AVAILABLE TO FIT 6 PEOPLE). WE HAD TO STAY AN ADDITIONAL NIGHT IN A HOTEL, AS OUR VAN WOULD NOT BE READY UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT. OUR VAN HAS LESS THAN 43,000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE RELIABLE THAN WHAT IT WAS. WE NOW HAVE THE FACTORY REBUILT TRANSMISSION, PROBABLY FROM SOMEONE ELSE VAN AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE TRUSTED. WE DO NOT FEEL THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION IS RELIABLE AND NOW WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. IT IS UNSAFE!! WE FEEL FORTUNATE THAT WE HAD EXITED THE FREEWAY AT APPARENTLY THE RIGHT TIME, WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE VAN SHIFTED IN TO SECOND GEAR AT 70MPH. THE STORY WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT.*AK

WHILE IN TRAFFIC TRAVELING APROX.35MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY DROPPED TO LOWEST GEAR,RPMS SHOT UP,SPEEDOMETER FAILED,SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.TO SHOP IMMEDIATELY WHERE MECHANIC SAID HE HAS SEEN MANY DODGE CARVAN TRANSMISSION FAILURES AND TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER.I AM THE 2ND OWNER AND DON'T KNOW IF THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD THIS PROBLEM AND PERHAPS THATS WHY HE TRADED IT WITH ONLY ABOUT 40K MILES ON IT?DEALER SAYS PROBABLY A SENSOR,CAN'T FIX TODAY - COME BACK MONDAY.

THE ON-THE COLUMN GEAR SHIFT LEVER MAY BE PLACED IN PARK AND NOT LOCK IN THE RECESSED PARK POSITION SO THAT THE LEVER AND TRANSMISSION MAY DROPPED INTO REVERSE SPONTANEOUSLY OR WITH VERY LITTLE PRESSURE. MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR BY PUSH IT WITH A TOOTH PICK. HE HAS A SIGNED AFFIDAVIT. THERE ARE IN ESSENCE 2 PARK POSITIONS THAT THE LEVER WILL REGISTER "PARK" ON THE LED INDICATOR ON THE DASH. ONE OF THEM IS THE "TRUE" PARK WHERE THE SHIFT LEVER ACTUALLY SITS BACK AND MUST BE PULLED TOWARD THE DRIVER BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO BE POSITIONED DOWN INTO ANY GEAR. THE OTHER POSITION ALLOWS THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER TO REGISTER "PARK" ON THE LED AND THE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK WHILE SITTING THERE BUT ANY VIBRATION COULD CAUSE IT TO SPONTANEOUSLY ENGAGE INTO REVERSE. IN THIS VERSION OF "PARK" THE SHIFT LEVER IS NOT POSITIONED BACK INTO THE LOCKED RECESS. THE FACT THAT THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IS WANTONLY BEING MANUFACTURED WITHOUT AN INTERLOCK MECHANISM, WHICH REQUIRES THE BRAKE TO BE DEPRESSED PRIOR TO SHIFTING, HAS EXACERBATED THE PROBLEM. HAD IT (AN INTERLOCK MECHANISM) HAVE BEEN ON THE VEHICLE MY WIFE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN HER ANKLE CRUSHED, BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE DAYS, BE FACING FURTHER SURGERY AND SKIN GRAFTING AS WELL AS PERMANENT DISFIGUREMENT. THERE IS AR TWO DEFECTS HERE. A DESIGN DEFECT BY NOT HAVING AN INTERLOCK MECHANISM INSTALLED AS WELL AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THAT THE COLUMN REGISTERS 2 PARKING POSITIONS WHEN ONLY ONE SHOULD EXIST SAFELY. *AK