1997 Dodge Grand Caravan

I PURCHASED MY 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN 2009, AND SHORTLY AFTER THE GAUGE CLUSTER STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE AND ABS LIGHTS CAME ON WHICH ON CHECKING WITH MY MECHANIC SAID MY ABS SYSTEM IS NON-FUNCTIONAL AS IS ALL OTHER INSTRUMENT RELATED READINGS. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE PANEL CAME BACK ON AND WORKED FOR AWHILE THAN SHUT OFF AGAIN. SOMEONE SAID HIT THE PANEL FACE AND THE GAUGES SHOULD COME BACK ON. I DID AND IT DID. FOR AWHILE. OVER TIME THE GAUGE FAILURE INTERVAL GREW SHORTER AND SHORTER, AND HITTING THE PANEL FINALLY FAILED TO RETURN THE USE OF THE GAUGES. TO REPLACE THIS GAUGE CLUSTER IS AN $800.00 PLUS REPAIR IN A SHOP WITH A REBUILD PANEL COSTING OVER $200.00 BY ITSELF. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT A DEALER WILL CHARGE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I HAVE LEARNED THE GAUGE FAILURE CULPRIT IS COLD SOLDER JOINTS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE GAUGE CLUSTER AND IS AN ALL TOO COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CLASS OF VEHICLE. THIS DEFICIENCY CAN EASILY BE AVOIDED BY BETTER QUALITY CONTROL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE STOPPED AND PREPARING TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, DESTROYING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, HOWEVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS KILLED. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000. UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. HE CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V293000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 69,500. UPDATED 05/27/09. *LJ UPDATED 05/28/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE CLOCK SPRING, BUT HE DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED BECAUSE THE DODGE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE SINCE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

DT: 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1996. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO FIXED THE MASTER CYLINDER BECAUSE THE LIGHT TO AIRBAGS STAYED ON. THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHTS BLINKED OFF AND ON OCCASIONALLY. WHEN SEEING THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD THE CONSUMER COULD LOOK AT THIS AS A WARNING, BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE HOW FAST SHE WAS GOING OR HOW MUCH GAS THERE WAS IN THE GAS TANK. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. I THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP IN 2003, AND THEY CHANGED THE CLOCK SPRING. ALSO, THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. FIRST, THE ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF, NOW ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON, BUT NOTHING WAS WORKING ON DASHBOARD. *AK

DT: DT: THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM AN INDIVIDUAL. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE CONSUMER LEARNED OF TWO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, ONE FOR THE FUEL RAIL AND ONE FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON THE LETTER SENT TO CONSUMER. THIS HAPPENED ON JANUARY 17, 2005 . *AK *NM