2002 Dodge Van

PRIOR TO 50,000 MILES THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON IN THE VEHICLE. DURING A RECALL I PAID $75.00 TO RUN A DIO TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THE RESULT WAS "S10 DIO TIME FOUND THE PASS SIDE AIR BAG BAD, PARTS AND LABOR $1034.00". THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT! THE AIRBAGS SHOULD BE IN WORKING ORDER UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY. THE AIRBAG IS A NON-MOVING PART, HOW DOES IT GO BAD? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT A MECHANICAL FAILURE. DODGE HAS A RECALL FOR AN AIRBAG PROBLEM IN 1996 TO 2000 YEAR CARAVANS. CUSTOMER AFFAIRS AT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER HAS TOLD ME THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE DID COME WITH A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY WHEN PURCHASED NEW BY ME.

WHILE DRIVING THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED THE VAN OVER AND SHUT IT OFF TO READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL, WHICH STATES CERTAIN CONDITIONS SUCH AS A LOOSE OR MISSING GAS CAP, POOR FUEL QUALITY, ETC. MAY ILLUMINATE THE LIGHT AFTER ENGINE START. THE VECHILE SHOULD BE SERVICED IF THE LIGHT STAYS ON THROUGH SEVERAL OF YOUR TYPICAL DRIVING CYCLES. IN MOST SITUATIONS THE VECHILE WILL DRIVE NORMALLY AND WILL NOT REQUIRE TOWING. THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES TO ALERT YOU TO SERIOUS CONDITIONS THAT COULD LEAD TO IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER OR SEVERE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DAMAGE. THE VECHILE SHOUL BE SERVICED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF THIS OCCURS. AT NO TIME DID THIS LIGHT FLASH SO I CONTIUED DRIVING, ON THE WAY HOME THE VAN WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. WHEN MY HUSBAND CAME TO TOW THE VAN HOME IT WOULD ROLL WHEN IN PARK. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VAN. WITHIN THREE DAYS WE WERE TOLD WE WERE NOT COVERED BECAUSE WE WERE OVER THE WARRANTY. THIS IS A 2002 DODGE CARAVAN SE THAT IS NOT EVEN THREE YEARS OLD WHICH COST US AN ADDITIONAL $2909.27 BECAUSE THE" TRANSMISSION HAS INTERNAL PROBLEM" AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW FIRST IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND NOW IT IS ILLUMINATED ALL THE TIME. WENT TO GLENDALE DODGE IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE CLOCKSPRING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED COST IS OVER $300.00 NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY ADVISED TO CONTACT DAIMLER CHRYSLER CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS ADVISED BY THEM THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ON MY GRAND CARAVAN SPORT ADVISED BY GLENDALE DODGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS BUT NOT ON MY VEHICLE. PLEASE ASSIST US WITH THIS PROBLEM. SINCE I READ IN YOUR COMPLAINTS THAT ANOTHER COMPLAINANT SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE PASSENGER TENSION BELT THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER COMPAINANT SAID THAT THE CLOCKSPRING WAS RECALLED BUT HAD THE WRONG VIN NUMBER. PLEASE ASSIST US IN THIS MATTER IF YOU CAN.*AK