2000 Dodge Caravan

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A LOCAL MARKET PARKING LOT, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT UNDERCARRIAGE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE WITH THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE HAD FAILED. I REQUESTED THAT THE DEALER REPLACE THE FAILED COMPONENT AND HAD THE DEALER HOLD ONTO THE FAILED PART. WHEN I PICKED UP THE REPAIRED VEHICLE, I LOOKED AT THE FAILED COMPONENT AND SAW THAT IT HAD SHEARED COMPLETELY INTO TWO PIECES. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. I CONSIDER THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. *NM

MY MECHANIC WHILE REPLACING THE FRONT BRAKES POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FRONT LEFT TOWER WHICH HOLDS THE SHOCK. HE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HE SEES WITH THE DODGE CARAVAN. I HAVE A 2000 SPORT MODEL. HE INDICATED THAT FAILURE COULD CAUSE THE SHOCK TO POP OUT, BREAKING THE WINDSHIELD AND POTENTIAL RESULT IN LOSS CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE DEALER AND CHRYSLER HAVE BEEN UN COOPERATIVE IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. DEALER OR CHRYSLER WOULD NOT HELP IN TELLING ME HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *NM

I AM WRITING TODAY BECAUSE I PURCHASED A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN IN FEBRUARY 2005. EVERY MONTH SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES SERVICED. IN MARCH THE BRAKES WERE DUSTED OFF. AGAIN IN APRIL THE BRAKES AGAIN WERE DUSTED OFF ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP. IN MAY THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE BRAKES I BELIEVE BOTH FRONT AND BACK. IN JUNE I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT GARAGE AND PAID TO HAVE THE BREAKS REPLACED AGAIN. THEN IN JULY THE CALIPERS AND BRAKES WERE REPLACED. IN AUGUST THE SAME GARAGE STATED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ABS NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I COULD ONLY HAVE THE BRAKES DONE AT THIS TIME. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1000 MINIMUM SO FAR REPAIRING MY CAR. AT THIS POINT I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE ABS DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS. ALSO I WAS TOLD THAT THE STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AN ALIGNMENT NEEDED TO BE DONE, REAR SHOCKS, AND NEW TIRES. I NEED SOME ONE TO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CAR. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP LAST WEEK FOR MAINTENANCE. HER HUSBAND JUST PUT NEW BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THEM AND EVERYTHING WAS GREAT. SHE LEFT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND NOW THE MASTER CYLINDER MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT SUGGEST HER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, BUT SHE HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON HER VEHICLE FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF IT HAS BEEN COMING ON RANDOMLY. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON WHILE THEY WERE TEST DRIVING IT AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. THE BRAKE FAILURE HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER SHE PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS JULY 8 AND THAT THE SOONEST THEY COULD GET HER VEHICLE IN WAS JULY 15, 2005. SHE HAD A RECALL ON ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , AND THEY WOULD NEVER CHECK THIS. BUT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE INSIDE LIGHT, STEREO, WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO UP OR DOWN, AND HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED. WHEN SHE WENT BACK ON JULY 15TH THEY DID NOT EVEN TEST DRIVE VEHICLE BECAUSE MILEAGE WAS THE SAME WHEN SHE LEFT AS IT WAS WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

DT: CALLER HAD TO HAVE THE MAIN BELT ON THE ENGINE FIXED 6 TIMES. WHEN THE BELT CAME OFF SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING, AND THE ENGINE BECAME RED HOT. CALLER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE BELT CAME OFF THE STEERING AND FROZE. THE CONSUMER COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. DEALER SAID EVERY TIME CALLER BROUGHT IN THE VAN, THE BELT WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING SO MANY TIMES. MANUFACTURER SAID DEALER WAS DOING ALL THEY COULD, AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THE MANUFACTURER COULD DO. CALLER HAD IT TOWED 5 TIMES. A FEW TIMES THE BELT WAS JUST SLIPPED BACK ON UNTIL THEY GOT TO DEALER. DATES OF TOWING ERE: 11-19-02, 2-19-03, 4-15-04, 6-19-04, AND 6-30-05. DEALER SAID THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY VAN THEY SAW WITH THIS PROBLEM. CALLER STATED THE SPEED VARIED WHEN THE BELT CAME OFF.*AK

WITH 79,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO SAFE MODE AND LOCKED IN 2ND GEAR. REPAIR SHOP HOOKED VEHICLE UP TO DIAGNOSTICS AND VEHICLE WILL NEED A TRANSMISSION REBUILD. VEHICLE HAS A HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION LEAKS AND TRANSMISSION LINES LETTING GO DATING BACK TO FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. A TRANSMISSION SERVICE (AT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS) WAS COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY AT 74,000 MILES. OWNED 96 CARAVAN -TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 51,000 MILES. WAS ASSURED BY SALESPERSON AND SERVICE MANAGER THAT TRANSMISSION ON 2000 WAS A COMPLETE REDESIGN OR I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED A SECOND CARAVAN.

PURCHASED A DODGE CARAVAN NEW, DELIVERED 03/19/00. 12/21/00 LEAKING TRANS SOLENOID PACK (NOT SURE IF THAT WAS RELATED TO CONSEQUENT FAILURES OF THE SERPENTINE BELT). THE SERPENTINE BELT, WHICH, ACCORDING TO DODGE MECHANICS SHOULD LAST 70,000 MILES, HAS FAILED FOUR TIMES ALREADY; MILEAGE AT LAST FAILURE: 68,145 MILES. THE BELT BREAKS WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING AT ALL, AND ALL POWER IS LOST, BRAKES, STEERING - WHICH COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, CAUSING MY DEATH OR THE DEATH OF OTHERS. FORTUNATELY, AFTER THE FIRST TIME, I RECOGNIZE THE SOUNDS - LIKE A TWIG BEING CAUGHT IN THE ENGINE - AS THE BELT SUDDENLY FRAYS, AND PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY.THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAULT. DATES AND MILEAGE OF FAILURES: 04/19/01 18,456 - I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRING THE VEHICLE THAT I "HAD A BETTER CHANCE OF WINING THE LOTTERY THAN THIS HAPPENING AGAIN!" 05/18/02 32,229 MILES 02/17/03 40,349 A SHIELD, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN PUT ON THIS YEAR'S MODEL, WAS PUT ON BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE SHIELD WAS ON MODEL YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER 2000, BUT WAS OMITTED FROM THE 2000 LINE. THE SHIELD STOPPED RAIN AND SNOW FROM GOING INTO THE ENGINE, FREEZING THE BLOCK, AND/OR MIXING WITH THE OIL WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE BELT TO SLIDE ON THE PULLEYS AND THE BELT TO BRAKE. IF THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THIS FAULT, SURELY THE MANUFACTURER IS. WHILE THERE IS A LONGER TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE BELT BRAKING AFTER THE SHIELD WAS PUT ON, IT STILL BROKE AGAIN IN UNDER 20,000 MILES. 05/21/05 68,149 INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE REVEALED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON ALL 1997-2000 CARAVANS/GRAND CARAVANS FOR ALL AC COMPRESSOR REPAIRS, PUT OUT BY CHRYLSER IN OCTOBER OF 2003. (HTTP://ALLPAR.COM/DEALERS/WARRANTY.HTML) CAN THIS CAR BE DECLARED DANGEROUS AND A LEMON?