1998 Dodge Caravan

I PURCHASED A USED 1998 DODGE CARAVAN VAN AT WESTSIDE DODGE 1672 CASSAT AVE JACKSONVILLE FL 32210 AND WAS TOLD BY THE SALESMAN THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS SUPPOSE TO STAY LIT AND THE A/C LIGHTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BLINKING. WHEN I FOUND THE OWNERS MANUAL THE DAY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VAN I READ THAT THE`AIRBAG LIGHT IS SUPPOSE TO GO OFF IN 8 SECONDS AFTER THE CAR IS STARTED AND I ALSO READ THAT WHEN THE A/C LIGHTS ARE FLASHING THE A/C NEEDS TO BE SERVICED. I ADVISED THE SALESMAN AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I DID THEY TRIED TO CHARGE ME $119.00 TO CHECK THE AIRBAG AND $49.95 TO CHECK THE AIRCONDITIONING. I REFUSED TO SIGN ANY CONSENT AND TRIED TO SPEAK WITH THE USED CAR SALES MANAGER AND WAS TOLD "WE ONLY SELL JUNK CARS TO THE PUBLIC AS A COURTESY", AND THAN HE HUNG UP ON ME. I ALSO FOUND ANOTHER COMPLAINT FROM ANOTHER CUSTOMER OF THIS DEALERSHIP WHO BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND HAD THE SAME EXACT AIR BAG PROBLEM AND TO THIS DATE IT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS RESOLVED, I AM DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAS NO AIR CONDITIONING. *TR

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. SERPENTINE BELT FAILED FIVE TIMES. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AS WELL AS THE CHARGING OF THE BATTERY. THIS ONLY HAPPENED IN WET OR RAINY CONDITIONS. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO SAID THEY COULD AGAIN REPLACE THE SERPENTINE BELT, BUT IT WOULD FAIL AGAIN IN WET CONDITIONS OR RAINY WEATHER. THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE. THE LAST TRIP TO THE DEALER RESULTED IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SERPENTINE BELT. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY WAS REPORTED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT ALSO. THE LOCAL DEALER SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06. *JB

I OWN A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN 3.3L AND LESS THAN 55,000 MILES, THE TENSIONER PULLEY WENT OUT OF ALIGNMENT, THE BOLT HOLDING THE TENSIONER IN PLACE WAS SHEARED IN HALF, THE BELT FELL OFF, AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP IMMEDIATELY. THANK GOD THIS HAPPEN IN THE SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT AND NOT ON FREEWAY, THE VAN BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL! HAVE THE VAN TOWED TO C&M AUTO SERVICE, HAVE THE SERPENTINE BELT, THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER REPLACED AND RE-ALIGN THE TENSIONER. THE BELT/PULLEY DESIGN ON THIS VAN IS FLAWED AND A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD! IN BRAZIL, CHRYSLER DID A RECALL BACK IN 2000 - DUE TO SEVERAL ISSUES RELATED TO BELT/PULLEY SYSTEM ON THE CARAVAN AND GRAND CARAVAN MODELS.*AK

I HAVE A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN WITH ONLY 66,332 MILES THE PROBLEM'S THAT HAVE COME UP IS FIRST THE TRANSMISSION HAD A INTERNAL PIN BUST WHICH CAUSED SEVERAL PARTS TO COME APART. THIS CAUSED THE TRANSMISSIONTO BREAK, IT HAD TO BE REBUILT ON 2-17-04 WITH 61995 MILES AT THE COST OF $1685.25. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAD A FAILURE WITH THE EVAPORATOR WHICH SEEMS TO BE VERY COMON ACCORDING TO SEVERAL SERVICE CENTERS THAT I HAVE CONTACTED OUTSIDE THE CHRYSLER COMPANY. WHICH SPITZER DODGE WANTED TO CHARGE $1100.00 TO REPAIR. I KNOW THE VEHICAL IS 6 YEARS OLD BUT WITH THE LOW MILAGE I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE UNCALLED FOR AND THOUGH IT SHOULD BE REPORTED.*AK

5 BATTERIES SINCE PURCHASED NEW. THREE WERE NOTED AS HAVING LEAKED BATTERY ACID. IN MAY/JUNE 2003, THE WIRING HARNESSES (MAIN ONES) HAD BEEN EATEN BY BATTERY ACID CAUSING ALL SORTS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE HARNESSES ARE ROUTED UNDER THE BATTERY PAN. STUPID PLACEMENT. DEALER SPLICED WIRES TOGETHER TO GET IT RUNNING AT HIS COST, AT MY INSISTENCE. VAN CONTINUES TO START INCONSISTENTLY. HORN DOESN'T WORK SINCE DEALER SPLICED WIRES. TURN IGNITION KEY - CLICK, REPEAT 10-20 TIMES, STARTER WILL CATCH ON ONE. DESIGN DEFECT IS ROUTING OF HARNESSES AND LACK OF SHIELD TO PROTECT THEM.

AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES, THE AC UNIT NEEDED TO BE RECHARGED. THIS WOULD BE AROUND AUGUST OF 2001. WHILE OUT OF THE NORM WITH A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE, I CHALKED IT UP TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAD COOLANT ADDED AND WENT ON MY WAY. IN JULY OF 2002, THE AC AGAIN WAS NOT COOLING THE VEHICLE. MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS AROUND 60,000 AT THIS POINT. I SPOKE WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE THEN DAIMLER CHRYSLER (I BELIEVE THAT UNIT HAS BEEN SOLD TO BEHR CORPORATION) HVAC UNIT IN DAYTON, OH. HE ASKED ME TO HAVE THE EVAPORATOR UNIT CHECKED. A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE IS A MECHANIC; I HAD HIM DO THE WORK. HE PLACED DYE IN THE SYSTEM TO CHECK FOR LEAKS AND DYE WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING FROM THE AC DRAIN, POINTING TO THE IMPENDING FAILURE OF THE EVAPORATOR. I RELAYED THIS INFORMATION TO THE CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE AND HE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS INDEED THE EVAPORATOR THAT WAS CAUSING A COOLANT LEAK. AT THAT TIME HE ASKED ME TO CONTACT MY DEALER TO SEE IF ANY SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALL NOTICES HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO CALLED TO VERIFY MY WARRANTY, ETC., TO COVER MY BASES. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THAT I WAS INDEED OUT OF WARRANTY. I ALSO ASKED FOR AN APPROXIMATE PRICE TO REPLACE AN EVAPORATOR AND WAS QUOTED A PRICE THAT WAS APPROACHING $1000.00 I DID NOT REALLY GET AGITATED OVER THIS UNTIL THIS PAST JULY. FIGURING THAT THE ROUTINE OF RECHARGING THE UNIT FOR THE WARM MONTHS WAS A PRUDENT WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM, I WAS PREPARED TO SPEND ABOUT $25.00 FOR COOLANT AND GO ON MY MERRY WAY FOR THIS SUMMER. ONE SLIGHT PROBLEM. THE COMPRESSOR FAILED AT 66,000 MILES. AS I STATED BEFORE, I UNDERSTAND WARRANTIES AND I GET THE PROCESS. BUT FOR A TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE, RELATED ONLY TO NORMAL OPERATION, IN MY OPINION IS UNACCEPTABLE. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE TOLD ME THAT THE EVAPORATOR ISSUE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM IN BOTH MY 1994 VEHICLE AND MY 1998. *JB