1998 Dodge Grand Caravan complaints

THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG, CRUISE CONTROL & HORN STARTED APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES OVER WARRANTY. AT TIMES, THE HORN WILL WORK, BUT NOT OFTEN AND WITH NO REGULARITY. IN REGARD TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, I HAVE HAD THEM REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP ONCE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST. I HAVE ALSO REPORTED THE SUSPENSION TO THE DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A PROBLEM. NLM

DOOR THAT COVERS GAS CAP EASILY DISENGAGES, EXPOSING GAS CAP.*AK THE GAS CAP LID BROKE OFF. *YH

1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS GEN-3 SEAT BELTS. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE NEW GEN-4 SEAT BELTS INSTALLED ASAP. THE GEN-3 SEAT BELTS ARE UNSAFE DUE TO ACCIDENTAL RELEASE. I WANT MY CAR TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR MY FAMILY AND A POSSIBLE RELEASE DURING AN ACCIDENT IS NOT SAFE!*AK

VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE GEN-3 SEATBELT WHICH IS DEFECTIVE. ON AT LEAST 8 OCCASIONS MY SONS CAR SEAT HAS BECOME UNBUCKLED BECAUSE IF ANYTHING TOUCHES THE TOP OF THE BELT IT RELEASES. SO IF THE CAR SEAT SHIFTS AT ALL THE SEATBELT IS RELEASED AND OFTEN GOES UNNOTICED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BEFORE MANY PEOPLE ARE INJURED OR KILLED. *AK

MY DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS THE GEN-3 SEATBELTS. AFTER SEEING THE INVESTIGATION ON ABC NEWS, I BUCKLED UP ON MY MINIVAN AND APPLIED SLIGHT UPWARD PRESSURE ON THE BELT AND BARELY TOUCHED THE RED SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON WITH THE PALM OF MY HAND AND THE SEAT BELT EJECTED. I PROCEEDED TO DO THE SAME WITH THE REST OF THE SEAT BELTS BECAUSE I HAVE 2 CHILDREN AND WOULD NOT LIKE TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAVE THE SEAT BELTS EJECT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING HITTING THE RELEASE BUTTON. I THINK IF THE PALM OF MY HAND RELEASED THE BELTS, I REALLY DO NOT FEEL THAT MY FAMILY IS SECURE AT ALL IN THE GRAND CARAVAN. I HAVE TOLD CO-WORKERS THAT ALSO HAVE THESE TYPE OF SEAT BELTS AND ARE GOING TO PROCEED WITH A COMPLAINT. *AK

REQUEST RECALL TO REPLACE SEATBELTS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE STOPPED THE VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER MINI-VAN TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. AS A RESULT LEFT POWER SEAT COLLAPSED TO THE FULLY RECLINED POSITION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK*JG

HORN SOUNDS INTERMITTENTLY WHEN PRESSED. HAD CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND INFORMED CONSUME RTHAT SOP MODULE WAS FAULTY, AND AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE DURING NORMAL OPERATION, IN ADDITION TO HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS FAILING TO OPERATE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED CLOCKSPRING. *AK *TT

WHEN DRIVING AND UPON APPLYING BRAKES THEY WILL MOMENTARILY LOCK UP, AND HEADLIGHTS WILL GET VERY DIM. ALSO A NOISE WAS COMING FROM DASHBOARD AFTER BRAKES WERE APPLIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

DRIVERS SEAT, TOP BACK MOVES BACK WHILE DRIVING. WOULD HAVE TO STOP TO ADJUST SEAT CONSTANTLY. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP YET. *AK *JG

VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP SIGN, AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, FRONT WHEELS LOCKED UP BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTANENCE, IT CAME BACK WITH A RECALL FOR THE FUEL RAIL THAT CAN CAUSE A FIRE. HOWEVER, THE DEALER CLAIMED NO INORMATION YET ON THIS RECALL, SO IT IS NOT YET FIXED. AFTER RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THE RECALL DATE WAS 9/14/2000 . THIS IS 16 MONTHS AGO. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH NOTICE VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL AS REQUIRED. THIS SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME BETWEEN RECALL AND WHEN I FOUND OUT. SHOULD NOT THIS RECALL INFORMATION AND THE FIX NEEDED ALREADY HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE AFTER RECALL TO GET THE FIX TO THE DEALERS?*AK

FIRST, MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, THEN MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED. I FEEL THIS IS ALL TIED IN TO THE CLOCK SPRING WIRE ASSEMBLY IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I'M CONCERNED THAT MY DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND THAT PRIOR TO THAT, MY HORN IS GOING TO STOP WORKING NEXT. IF I GET THESE ITEMS REPAIRED NOW, AND THERE IS A RECALL, WILL THE MANUFACTURER BE REQUIRED TO REIMBURSE ME? *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO PUT OUT THE FIRE, CLAIM 35-W772-194. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 05-4542-179. *SLC

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 20-5406-593. *SLC

WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH PARKING LOT, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, THERE WAS ONE INJURY, CLAIM 22-V298-813. *SLC

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE, CLAIM 75-A337-158. *SLC

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, CLAIM 13-7276-388

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, CLAIM 43-R510-326. *SLC

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES/CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO FUNCTION,AND HORN DOES NOT WORK. DEALERSHIP IS SCHEDULED TO EXAMINE VEHICLE, AND MAKE ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

HORN DOESN'T WORK,AND CRUISE DOESN'T WORK. *AK

CHRYSLER REFUSED TO HELP WITH THE OVER $600 REPAIR BILL FOR HEAD GASKET. DID NOT CALL THEM ON THE VALVE COVER GASKETS IN OCTOBER. NOW WITH THE FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET IT MAKES ME WONDER WHY THE FAILURE OF THEIR GASKETS. THIS IS PREMATURE FAILURE ON BOTH CASES. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES. NO WONDER THEY WILL SOON DROP OUT OF THE BIG THREE. *AK

UNABLE TO GET A FRONT WHEELS ALIGNED BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CAMBER OR STRUT THAT NEEDEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND BOTH REFUSED TO ASSIST BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL, AND OUT OF IT WARRANTY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK

WE HAD TO TRADE IN OUR 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ON 01-05-02 AS THE ENGINE WAS WORTHLESS. WE LOST OVER $7500.

THE DRIVESHAFT SPLIT IN HALF ..THE METAL TWISTED APART...IF I WAS GOING AT A FAST RATE OF SPEED SOMEONE ELSE WOULD BE WIRTING YOU..*AK

AIR BAG LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL STAYS ON DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. ALSO, HORN FAILS TO FUNCTION, AND CRUISE CONTROL IS INOPERABLE. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

THE PROBLEMS BEGAN AS INTERMITTENT ISSUES AND THEN BECAME PERMANENT. NO SAFETY DEFECT STATED. *AK

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE VAN CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. WITH THE THOUGHT OF ENGINE TROUBLE FURTHEST FROM OUR MINDS WITH ONLY 48000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAMSHAFT WAS BROKE AND NO EXPLANATION GIVEN, WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER IT WAS RARE BUT THAT ONE OF THEIR TECHNICIANS HAD SEEN THIS IN ABOUT 2-3 OTHER VANS LIKE OURS. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PAY ANYTHING AND DAIMLER CHRYSLER WAS NOTIFIED AND ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD NOT ADMIT TO FACTORY DEFECT THEY DID RELUCTANTLY PAY HALF OF THE MORE THAN 3000.00 IN DAMAGES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A NONE DODGE DEALER FIRST WHO COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW BAD THE ENGINE LOOKED FOR 48000 MILES. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MARCH OF 2001 FROM THE DEALER AND THE ENGINES APPEARANCE WAS GOOD WE OWNED IT LESS THAN 4 MONTHS WHEN MALFUNCTION OCCURED. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED DIRECTLY BY US AND TOLD US THIS WAS RARE, HOWEVER FOR ONE TECHNICIAN TO SEE 2-3 VANS BESIDES OURS IN ONE STATE DOES NOT SEEM THAT RARE TO US. *AK

SERPENTINE BELT WILL COME OFF IN HEAVY RAIN, THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. DEALER WILL PUT ON NEW BELT. *AK

BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PULLING INTO A GAS STATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE OR OBSTRUCTION.*AK

ENGINE BELT HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED FIVE TIMES SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE. ALSO, ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS INCLUDING LIGHTS AND HAZARD LIGHTS AND POWER STEERING ARE LOST. VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN MORE THAN TWENTY MILES PER HOUR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TENSIONER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED FOR THE FIFTH TIME ON 1-04-02. *YD

HORN IS NOT WORKING, AND AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. *AK CONSUMER STATED AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, POSSIBLE CLOCKSPRING FAILURE. *JB

I WANTED TO ADD TO THE LIST OF PEOPLE REPORTING PROBLEM OF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMING ON - THEN HAVING TO PAY FOR THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.*AK

DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME ON. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND REPLACED CLOCK SPRING MATERIAL IN STEERING COLUMN WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. IN OCTOBER OF 2001, AIR BAG LIGHT CAME BACK ON WITH ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS OF HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE FOR THE SECOND INCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

BUCKLE ASSEMBLY FOR THE INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT IN LEFT-MIDDLE SEATING POSITION DEVELOPED STRESS CRACKS. CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED ONE MONTH AFTER CONSUMER TOOK POSSESSION OF VEHICLE. COMPONENT WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. *AK *YD

THE CHILD SEAT PLASTIC BUCKLES HAVE WHITE STREAKS SHOWING IN THE PLASTIC AND APPEAR READY TO BREAK ON BOTH SEATS. MANUFACTURER STATES I AM NOT PART OF A RECALL BUT WILL NOT INVESTIGATE AND CONFIRM ISSUE WITH COVERED CORRECTION, IF NECESSARY.

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE AND CALLED FIRE DEPT, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 35-W772-194. *SLC

CLOCK SPRING FAILURE, AIRBAG LIGHT ON, CRUISE CONTROL INOPERABLE. *AK

EMERGENCY BRAKE GOES RIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND DOES NOT HOLD VEHICLE ON INCLINE. FRONT ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE WITH ONLY 20000 MILES AND PADS ALSO REPLACED.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

THE FAILURE OF THE TENSIONER BELT CAUSED THE SERPENTINE BELT TO COME OFF RESULTING IN POWER STEERING FAILURE. *YH

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 20-5406-593. *SLC

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, AND HORN/ CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO FUNCTION. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT CLOCK SPRING WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

SERPENTINE BELT FAILED X3 OVER 3D INCL. ON HWY -> LOSS OF POWER. STEERING, ALTERNATOR AND OTHER FUNCTIONS. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET FOR THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A HAIR LINE CRACK WHICH LEAKS ANTIFREEZE DOWN THE BACKSIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS OCCURRED AFTER STANDARD WARRANTY EXPIRED WITH A MILAGE OF ONLY 57000 MILES. THE LEAKING CREATES AN ODER FROM THE EVAPORATION OF ANTIFREEZE WHICH IS CLEARLY DETECTABLE FROM WITHIN THE VEHICLE CAB. THIS PROBLEM EQUATES TO AN ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OF $1000.00+. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT THIS IS AN EPEDEMIC TYPICAL OF THIS ENGINE. THE AUTO MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS DONE NOTHING, THAT I'M AWARE OF, TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM FOR CURRENT OWNERS APART FROM MAKING THE OWNER REPAIR THE DEFECT AT THEIR EXPENSE (WITHOUT HAVING PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY). I'M DEEPLY DISGUSTED WITH THE MANUFACTURERS ATTEMPT TO IGNORE THIS DESIGN FLAW.*AK