1998 Dodge Van

ON AUG. 8, 2017 I WAS DRIVING A LEVEL 2 LANE SECLUDED ASPHALT ROAD IN MY 1998 DODGE CAMPER VAN. THE VAN IS DODGE 3500 EXTENDED MODEL, MODIFIED BY SPORTSMOBILE INTO A CAMPER VAN IN 1999. AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 50 MPH SUDDENLY A LOUD NOISE OCCURRED AND PIECE OF TIRE BEGAN TO FLY OFF. THE TIRES HAS BEEN RECENTLY ROTATED AND PRESSURE ADJUSTED TO ABOUT 80 PSI BY LES SCHWAB TIRES. WE HAD BEEN ON A ROAD TRIP SO I CHECKED TIRE INFLATION ABOUT EVERY DAY. THE TIRE TREAD HAD DISINTEGRATED AND PART OF IT HAD FLOWN OFF BUT THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED (AND STILL IS). ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE TREAD IS GONE. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC AND WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND REPLACE THE TIRE. HOWEVER UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING AND ESPECIALLY IF THE TIRE HAD BEEN IN FRONT I BELIEVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND THE VAN WOULD LIKELY ROLLED.

1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN; RATTLING SOUND FROM ENGINE AREA FOR A FEW WEEKS, INTERMITTENT. SOUNDED FINE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, USED, IN JULY. TOTALLY LOST THE TRANSMISSION OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND, STRANDING MY HUSBAND AND I AND OUR 6-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ALMOST 2 HOURS FROM HOME. NOW HAVE TO INVEST NEARLY $2,000 TO REBUILD THIS TRANSMISSION. *NM

POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR MOTOR FAILURE - TRAPPED PASSENGER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. EXITING THE VEHICLE REQUIRED CRAWLING OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE, AND EXITING VIA ANOTHER DOOR WITH A STILL FUNCTIONAL LOCKING MECHANISM. DEALER HAD TO REMOVE INTERIOR DOOR PANEL AND DESTROY THE ACTUATOR MOTOR, AND INSTALL A NEW UNIT AT APPROXIMATELY $250.00 PARTS & LABOR. OLD ACTUATOR WAS RETAINED BY FLETCHER CHRYSLER-DODGE DEALERSHIP IN ROGERS, AR.

POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR MOTOR FAILURES - TRAPPING OCCUPANTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. OPERATING THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE HAS NO EFFECT, NOR CAN THE LOCKING ROD BE RAISED MANUALLY; DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE BY THE DOOR HANDLE OR TURNING THE KEY LOCKING/UNLOCKING MECHANISM. DEALER HAS TO REMOVE INTERIOR DOOR PANEL, DESTROY THE ACTUATOR MOTOR, AND INSTALL A NEW UNIT AT APPROXIMATELY $200.00 PARTS & LABOR. OLD ACTUATOR WAS RETAINED BY FLETCHER CHRYSLER-DODGE DEALERSHIP IN ROGERS, AR.

POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR MOTOR FAILURES - TRAPPING OCCUPANTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. OPERATING THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE HAS NO EFFECT, NOR CAN THE LOCKING ROD BE RAISED MANUALLY; DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE BY THE DOOR HANDLE OR TURNING THE KEY LOCKING/UNLOCKING MECHANISM. DEALER HAS TO REMOVE INTERIOR DOOR PANEL, DESTROY THE ACTUATOR MOTOR, AND INSTALL A NEW UNIT AT APPROXIMATELY $200.00 PARTS & LABOR. OLD ACTUATOR WAS RETAINED BY FLETCHER CHRYSLER-DODGE DEALERSHIP IN ROGERS, AR.

I STARTED THE VAN THAT MORNING AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINED ON. I WAS NOT AWARE AT THAT TIME THAT MY HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WERE ALSO AFFECTED. I FOUND THAT THE HORN DIDN'T WORK WHEN A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND I ALMOST HIT IT. AFTER THAT I CHECKED THE FUSES AND RELAYS BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I EVEN TOOK THE HORNS OFF THE VAN AND WIRED THEM UP DIRECTLY TO THE BATTERY. ALSO MY CRUISE CONTROL WORKED FINE UNTIL THE PRODUCT FAILED. NOW THAT DODGE FIXED THE CLOCKSPRING THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS OFF, I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIRBAG WILL WORK ? THE HORN WORKS BUT IT'S NOT AS LOUD AS IT USED TO BE, AND OF COURSE THE CRUISE CONTROL DON'T. THE CRUISE LIGHT FLASHES OR STAYS ON FOR A SHORT TIME AND I HOPE IT DON'T SHORT OUT AND CAUSE A ELECTRICAL FIRE OR THE CRUISE SYSTEM TURNS ON AND I CAN'T TURN IT OFF? I CALLED TO TAKE THE VAN BACK THE NEXT DAY AFTER I HAD SAT AT THE DODGE DEALER FOR A COUPLE HOURS THE NIGHT BEFORE TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED, AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE AN $80.00 CHARGE UNLESS IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAUSED. I TOLD THE PERSON THAT IT HAD BEEN WORKING FINE UNTIL THERE PRODUCT FAILED,AND I DIDN'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY. REGARDLESS TO SAY I DIDN'T TAKE THE VAN BACK. I DON'T HAVE AN EXTRA $80.0 O GIVE AWAY. OH AND A STRANGE COINCIDENCE, THE ESTIMATE FOR THE CLOCKSPRING IS $80.00 WITHOUT A RECALL NOTICE, IF YOUR VEHICLE IS ON THE LIST. I WAS SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT BUYING A NEW DODGE TRUCK BUT AFTER THIS I MIGHT JUST GO WITH TOYOTA. I NEVER GOT TO SEE THE PART THAT FAILED. *JB

MY WIFE AND I NOTICED A SMOKY ODOR IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VAN A YEAR AGO. AFTER REPLACING SEVERAL ENGINE GASKETS AND PRESSURE-WASHING THE ENGINE BLOCK TO RULE OUT BURNING OIL, THE SMELL CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. FINALLY, MIDAS DISCOVERED A CRACKED CROSSOVER PIPE WAS ALLOWING ENGINE EXHAUST TO ESCAPE AND ENTER INTERIOR OF THE CAB. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PART HAS BEEN ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER WITH DODGE FOR OVER 3 MONTHS AND OVER 1,000 OF THESE PARTS ARE ON ORDER ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ACCORDING TO MIDAS, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GRAND CARAVANS AND LONG DELAYS DUE TO NATIONAL BACKORDERS IS TYPICAL FOR THIS PART. THE DANGER IS THAT LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE ENTERS THE VEHICLE. MY SON HAS BEEN COMPLAINING OF HEADACHES WHILE RIDING IN THE VAN. AFTER 3 MONTHS OF WAITING, WE FINALLY WORKED OUT WITH MIDAS A CUSTOM RETROFIT OF ANOTHER MANUFACTURERS CROSSOVER PIPE AND THAT SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED. THE DODGE PART NUMBER IS 4694374. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE CARBON MONOXIDE KILLS SOMEONE WHILE THEY ARE DRIVING. *NM