2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A FEW MONTHS MY WIFE STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BRAKES. I THOUGHT IT WAS HER. EVENTUALLY SHE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE CHECKED. THEY REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER 7/31/01. ON AUGUST 29 2001 SHE BROUGHT IT TO THEM AGAIN FOR BRAKE PROBLEM. THEY BLED AND ADJUSTED THE SYSTEM. ON 2/10/02 MY WIFE COMES INTO THE DOOR AND SAYS SHE CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. THERE IS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE WORN TO BACKING PLATES AND THERE IS NO TO LITTLE TREAD LEFT ON THE FRONT TIRES. WE DECLINED THEM DOING THE REPAIRS. WE BROUGHT IT TO KING BEAR. THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED NEW ROTORS. WE HAD THEM CUT THE ROTORS AND PUT NEW PADS ON. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER WE BOUGHT IT FROM ON 2/20/02. I FELT IT WAS RIDICULOUS THAT THE BRAKES, ROTORS AND TIRES ALL NEEDED REPLACING AT 19,000 MILES AND WANTED THE BRAKE SYSTEM CHECKED. THEY SAID IT IS NORMAL BRAKE OPERATION. WE BOUGHT A DODGE MINIVAN IN 1990. WE REPLACED FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AT 48,878 MILES. WE PUT 4 NEW TIRES ON AT 50,000 MILES. WE REPLACED FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AT 82,190 MILES. REPLACED 4 TIRES AT 108,520 MILES. REPACED FRONT ROTORS AND PADS AT 108,537 MILES. MY BROTHER HAS A 1998 DODGE PICKUP AND JUST REPLACED THE BRAKES AT 48,000 MILES. CAN YOU HELP US? *AK (TIRESIZE: P215/65R15)

SPEEDOMETER ERRATIC WHILDE DRIVING FREEWAY SPEEDS. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL JUMP TO 120 CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL IF THE NEED IS NOT RELEASED. THIS HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY AND HAD TO COAST OVER TO THE EMERGANCY LANE "IMEDIATLY" . THE CAUSE WAS THE RSS SPEED SENSOR (203 C 4800879 AND THE OUTPU RSS SPEED SENSOR 204 C) THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTY ISSUE WHEN IT STALL ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY FAMILY IN THE MINIVAN. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A REPAIR PAYED FOR BY THE CONSUMER FOR FAULTY DESIGN! *AK

THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AT 32,716 MILES. THE SYMPTOMS AT THIS TIME WAS A TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE WHEN AT IDLE (AND A GRINDING NOISE) AND A HESITATION TO GO INTO REVERSE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT THE DEALERSHIP (SEALS REPLACE). AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES CONTINUOUSLY THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. WE WERE BARELY ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. HOW CAN A VEHICLE GO THROUGH 2 TRANSMISSIONS IN 33,000 MILES? I HAD MY FAMILY (INCLUDING 2 CHILDREN UNDER AGE 2) IN THE CAR DURING THIS. WE WENT FROM 65 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE LANE TO 20 MPH IN LESS THAN A 30 SECONDS WITH THE RPM'S REDLINED. WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

SUMMARY: SINCE NOVEMBER 2000 MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES RELATED TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILING. THREE OF THOSE TIMES THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. THE MOST RECENT OCCURANCE WAS NOVEMBER 16TH. THEY ARE ONCE AGAIN FAILING. THE FOLLOWING IS THE TIMELINE OF REPAIRS: 11/29/00 MCKINNEY DODGE, 15,396 MILES, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED, FRONT BRAKE ROTORS RE-MACHINED; 02/06/01 @ 19,224 MILES, SYSTEM "SLUSHY"- BRAKES BLED; 02/28/01 @ 20,334 MILES, SYSTEM "SLUSHY"- BRAKES BLED; 03/03/01@ 20, 527 MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED; 04/17/01, BENSON DODGE, 22,097 MILES, SYSTEM "SLUSHY" BRAKES BLED; 04/16/01 DAIMLER/CHRYLSER CONTACTED, REF # 8524982; 11/16/01 @ 32, 328 MILES, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED; 11/16/01 DAIMLER/CHRYSLER CONTACTED, REF # 9367556; 11/19/01 @ 32,500, RETURNED TO BENSON DODGE, MASTER CYLINDER LEAKING FLUID; 01/07/02 DAIMLER CHRYSLER CONTACTED, REF# 9519579. THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO BENSON DODGE TOMORROW (01/08/02) ONCE AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS ONCE AGAIN "SLUSHY" AND THE PEDAL IS GRADUALLY GOING TO THE FLOOR.*AK

FIRST NOTICED BUMPING NOISE UNDER FRONT END WHEN I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND GOING OVER A DIP OR BUMP IN THE ROAD. EVENTUALLY, THE NOISE HAPPENED TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT OR GOING OVER ANY BUMPS OR DIPS IN THE ROAD (EX. RAILROAD TRACKS, SPEED BUMPS ) THE FRONT END OF VAN SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ACTUALLY HITTING THE PAVEMENT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SWAY BAR BUSHINGS THE FIRST FIVE TIMES, THEN THE SIXTH TIME WE TOOK IT IN, THEY REPLACED THE STRUTS AND THE SWAY BAR LINK AS WELL. THAT WAS JULY 2001. AS OF 2 WEEKS AGO (DEC. 2001) THE BUMPING NOISE UNDER THE VAN HAS STARTED AGAIN.