1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

EVERYTIME I AM GOING DOWNHILL OR STEEP ROADS, I HAVE NO CONTROL OF MY CARS DECELERATION EXCEPT BY USING MY BRAKES. I HAVE NO MANUAL OVERRIDE FOR DOWNSHIFTING OR ENGINE BRAKING. THIS CAUSES MY BRAKES TO OVERHEAT AND FADE. MY CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOSTICK (MANUAL ELECTRONIC SHIFT), WHICH THE CONTROLS FOR ARE ON THE SHIFTER HANDLE ON THE COLUMN. THE WIRE INSIDE THE SHIFTER HANDLE LOSES ITS CONNECTION OR GETS CUT AT THE PIVOT POINT, MAKING IT NON-OPERATIONAL. I'VE CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER FOR THE PARTS NEEDED (AUTOSTICK SHIFTER LEVER) AND THEY SAID, THAT PART HAS BEEN ON BACKORDER NATIONWIDE. I'VE ALSO WENT ONLINE AND TALKED TO A FEW OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE VEHICLE AND THEY HAD EXACTLY THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE. THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX THE CUT WIRE BECAUSE THE SHIFTER HANDLE IS A SEALED UNIT. *TR

WHILE REPAIRING A FAULTY STRUT IN THE FRONT END I DISCOVERED A RUSTED THROUGH TOWER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE HOLE IS ABOUT ONE-THIRD THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TOP OF THE TOWER. THE TOP IS ALSO PARTIALLY BENT UPWARDS FROM THE FORCE OF THE STRUT PUSHING UP. IF THIS BREAKS THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION WILL COLLAPSE AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DODGE ISSUED TSB 23-044-02 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, THE DEALER I TALKED TO, HERB CHAMBERS IN DANVERS MASS., SAID THE RIGHT WAY TO FIX IT IS TO REMOVE THE MOTOR AND WELD IN A NEW TOWER. THIS IS VERY COSTLY, PROBABLY MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE VAN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT DODGE SHOULD RECALL AND PAY FOR! *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF SEVERAL TIMES IN THE RAIN , ON OUR 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I HAD GONE THROUGH A PUDDLE AND AS I TURNED A CORNER I LOST POWER STEERING. I MADE IT ONTO THE SIDE GRASS AS I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE TURN. I WAS ONLY A COUPLE FEET AWAY FROM HITTING A BRICK BUILDING. THIS WAS A VERY UNSETTLING EXPERIENCE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IN THE RAIN. *TR

WE BOUGHT OUR DODGE GRAND CARAVAN NEW IN 1999. TODAY (MAY 13,2009) I WENT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE STRUT MOUNT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS RUSTING AWAY. ONE-QUARTER TO ONE-THIRD OF THE METAL SUPPORTING THE STRUT MOUNT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. IT WAS LARGE ENOUGH THAT YOU COULD HAVE STUCK YOUR HAND THROUGH IT. I THEN TOOK IT TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP THEY THEN CALLED THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP REGARDING ANY HISTORY OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED A HISTORY OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM AND SAID A "KIT" WAS AVAILABLE TO FIX IT. THE BODY SHOP SAID IF THERE WAS A REPAIR KIT FOR THIS THEN THAT MEANS THAT THIS WAS BY NO MEANS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. HE ALSO SAID HE WAS SHOCKED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL OR INVESTIGATION INTO THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

DEAR STAFF MEMBERS: I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 104,000 MILES ON IT. THE FRONT STRUT TOWERS ARE RUSTING BADLY AND I WAS TOLD BY A DODGE MECHANIC AT SHERMAN DODGE IN SKOKIE, ILLINOIS (WHERE I BOUGHT THE VAN) THAT THE STRUT WILL POP THROUGH THE HOOD ANYTIME AND WOULD CAUSE THE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE DODGE PICK UP SOME, IF NOT ALL OF THE REPAIR COST. I ALSO INSPECT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED PRETTY SERIOUS RUSTING AT VARIOUS STRUCTURAL COMPONENT. DODGE NEED TO SHOW "AMERICAN" RESPONSIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY ISSUES OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THANKS. *TR WL, CHICAGO, IL

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