1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

DT: THE CONTACT'S WIFE DROVE IN THE RAIN AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 96,000 MILES IS BADLY RUSTED AT THE TOP OF THE FRONT STRUT WELLS. EXCESSIVE WATER IS COLLECTING ON TOP OF THE STRUT WELLS AND EATING AWAY AT THE STEEL. I REMOVED THE LOOSE CHUNKS OF RUSTED STEEL AND FOUND HOLES OVER BOTH WHEELS. FIRST NOTICE THE RUST ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRUTS POPPING THROUGH THE HOOD. I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *NM

DT: CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO JACK ELLIS DODGE IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA FOR RECALL REPAIR OF THE CLOCK SPRING, D17. CONSUMER HAD BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW NOT ROLLING DOWN OR UP SOMETIMES. CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO RECALL REPAIR. CONSUMER ASKED DEALER IF THIS MAY BE RELATED TO RECALL REPAIR, AND DEALER CHECKED IT AND SAID HE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS RELATED. MANUFACTURER SAID IT COULD BE A PART OF THE CLOCK SPRING PROBLEM. CONSUMER SAYS THAT WHEN AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON POWER WINDOW WORKED, BUT WHEN IT WAS OFF WINDOW WILL NOT WORK. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT MOTOR FOR WINDOW WAS ON ITS WAY OUT, AND REPAIR WOULD COST $500. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO CLOCK SPRING. CONSUMER MARKED DOOR PANEL TO SEE IF DEALER WOULD TAKE PANEL OFF TO CHECK MOTOR, AND SAID THAT DOOR PANEL WAS NOT REMOVED TO CHECK MOTOR.*AK *NM

I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR (1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE) AND IT INITIALLY WOULDN'T START. THERE WAS JUST A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE STARTER BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I TRIED IT A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND IT FINALLY STARTED. BUT THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL RATTLING NOISE. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND THE ENGINE STOPPED BUT SOME PART ON THE CAR KEPT RUNNING. I HAD MY FIANCE LOOK AT IT - HE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON EITHER. IT DROVE OK AROUND THE BLOCK BUT IT SOUNDED HORRIBLE. HE COULDN'T GET IT TO TURN OFF COMPLETELY EITHER. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. MY FIANCE COULD SEE IT WAS IN THE AREA OF THE STARTER. INITIALLY, IF THE CAR WAS LEFT IDLING, THE SMOKE LESSENED BUT IF THE IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF THE SMOKE GOT WORSE. SO WE LEFT IT IDLING WHILE WE LOOKED FOR POSSIBLE WAYS TO SHUT IT OFF COMPLETELY. AFTER A FEW MORE MINUTES, THE SMOKE BEGAN AGAIN AND THERE WERE FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD AROUND THE STARTER. I CALLED 911 TO GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE WHILE MY FIANCE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AFTER WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH THE EXTINGUISHER AND THEY HELPED US DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE IN A SAFE MANNER SO THAT EVERYTHING SHUT OFF. THE FIREMAN SUGGESTED WE CHECK FOR POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VANS LIKE OURS AND TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING OUR EXPERIENCE. THEY TOOK DOWN MY INFORMATION AND FILED A REPORT FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO THE FIRE. WE REPLACED THE STARTER AND CHECKED ALL THE CONNECTIONS FOR FIRE DAMAGE. THE OLD STARTER WAS TAKEN BY THE AUTO PARTS STORE SO IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE. THE MECHANIC AT THE STORE SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SOLENOID ON THE STARTER WAS STUCK IN THE "ON" MODE AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE ODD NOISE AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. SINCE THEN, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE RUNNING JUST FINE. *JB

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN METAL BRAKE LINE BURST AND THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED A REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR COSTS.*MR WHEN PARKED CONSUMER'S WIFE PUT FOOTON THE BRAKE AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHE WAS LEFT WITHOUT BRAKES. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY AND /OR HEAVY TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CHRYSLER EALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT BRAKE LINE BURST. CONSUMER'S REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT WAS DENIED BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK *NM

THE FRONT UPPER DRIVER'S SIDE STRUT MOUNT IS BULGING UP, OUT OF SHAPE, MAKING THE VEHICLE 1/2 INCH OUT OF LEVEL AND HAS ALLOWED WATER TO UNDERCUT THE MOUNT. THIS IS IN AN AREA THAT IS UNDER THE HOOD AND NOT ACCESSIBLE TO WATER. OUR MECHANIC SAID THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE STRUT WHICH SUPPORTS THE CORNER OF THE CAR COULD RUPTURE THE MOUNT AND GO THROUGH THE HOOD RESULTING IS LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DANGER TO OUR LIVES. THE MOUNT IS PART OF VEHICLE BODY AND SUPPORTS THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S MISTAKE IS THAT THEY BADLY ENGINEERED THIS COMPONENT OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM . THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS NO PROBLEM CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR VEHICLE (1999 GRAND CARAVAN) AT THEIR EXPENSE. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT HE HAS SEEN OTHER GRAND CARAVANS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT CHRYSLER FIXED THEM AT CHRYSLER'S EXPENSE. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS GOING FAST, SHE TOOK FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE DIDN'T SLOW DOWN, SHE THEN TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR TO TRY AND SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THIS ONLY MADE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE FASTER. CONSUMER THEN GOT INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE AND PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO 65 MPH. CONSUMER FINALLY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER CALLED CONCORD STATE POLICE TO ASSIST. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED, AND THE REPAIR MAN STATED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS FRAYED AND GOT STUCK IN THE HOUSING, AND COULDN'T COME OUT OF HOUSING. THE CONSUMER ACTUALLY STILL HAS THE CABLE.*AK THROTTLE CABLE REPLACED. *TT