2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT COMES UNLATCHED AT VARIOUS TIMES AND SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JENKINS CHRYSLER SOUTH, LAVALE MD ON 8/24/2001 WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS OBSERVED AND PARTS WERE ORDERED. I WAS THEN TOLD THERE WOULD BE A $100.00 DEDUCTIBLE CHARGE AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOW UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WHEN I QUESTIONED THIS CHARGE AND SAID THAT I DIDN'T FEEL THERE SHOUD BE A CHARGE BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ITEM, I WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT COVER THE OUT OF WARRANTY REPAIR AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY. WHEN I ASKED FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER AND TOLD THEM I WAS GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NTSA ONLY THEN DID THEY SAY THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALERS RESPONSE. *AK

NOTICED TREAD HAD STARTED TO SEPARATE FROM RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT TIRES ON MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, STEEL BELTS SHOWING AT EDGES. TIRE SHOWS EXCESSIVE WEAR AT EDGES (HOWEVER AIR PRESSURE CHECKED OK RECENTLY). REAR TIRES SHOW LITTLE WEAR. RECENT FRONT ALIGNMENT CHECK (8/21/2001) WITHIN SPECS. LOCAL AUTHORIZED GOODYEAR DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR WARANTY FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES. LEFT TIRE DOT M6VFHKDR449, RIGHT TIRE DOT M6VFHKDR449. *AK (DOT NUMBER: M6VFHKDR44 TIRESIZE: P215/65R15)

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH WITH MY WIFE AND 3 KIDS IN MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. SUDDENLY THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AND WE HEARD A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE. I WAS ABLE TO CROSS OVER 2 LANES TO GET TO AN EXIT WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL OR HITTING ANY OTHER VEHICLES, MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE VERY SHOOK UP. AFTER INSPECTING THE BLOWN TIRE I FOUND 3 SEPERATE SLITS IN THE SIDE OF THE TIRE WERE IT APPEARED THE SIDEWALL JUST BLEW OUT. I COULD NOT FIND ANY TRACE OF A NAIL OR ANY OTHER OBJECT IN THE TREADS OR THE SIDEWALL. I BROUGHT THE TIRE TO NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY AND THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THE RIM WAS SLIGHTLY BENT AND THAT THIS CAUSED THE BLOW OUT. I AM EXPECTING TO PAY ABOUT $135 FOR THE REPAIR, BUT I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO KNOW TIRES FAIRLY WELL AND THEY SAID A SLIGHTLY BENT RIM SHOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. I AM MORE CONCERNED THAT THE OTHER 3 TIRES MAY BLOW AT ANY TIME AND THAT MY FAMILY COULD BE AT RISK. I AM ASKING THE TECHNICIAN TO CHECK ALL THE TIRES FOR ANY DEFECTS AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS, HOPEFULLY IF THERE IS AN ISSUE THEY WILL NOT HIDE IT FROM ME SO THEY CAN MAKE A PROFIT. I FEEL LIKE I WAS VERY LUCKY THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THIS CASE, BUT I WORRY ABOUT THE NEXT TIME.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/65R15)

CONSUMER HAS WIND TURBULANT NOISE INSIDE OF VEHICLE WHEN WINDOWS ARE UP. TURBULANCE IS SO HIGH WHERE PASSENGERS HAVE TO TALK LOUD, AND RADIO HAS TO HAVE A HIGH VOLUME TO HEAR. VEHICLE IS IN ARBITRATION.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE NOISE IS ALSO HEARD IN THE REAR, DEALER STATES THEY WILL TRY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM BY ADJUSTING THE LUGGAGE BARS ON LUGGAGE RACK. *SLC

YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITH OUT ANY CONTACT WITH THE BRAKE. NORMALLY IN OTHER VEHICLES, YOU MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER OUT OF PARK. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS A CHILD COULD TAKE HOLD OF THE SHIFT LEVER AND MOVE IT INTO GEAR CAUSING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT/INJURY. I CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEIR RESPONSE WAS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, THEY ALL DO THAT!*AK

THERE IS NO BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK ON THE 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVANS. THE OMISSION OF THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY DEVICE CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO EASILY SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, WITHOUT HAVING TO FIRST PRESS THE BRAKE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN WITH SMALL CHILDREN ESPECIALLY, AND EVEN FOR ADULTS WHO MAY BUMP THE GEAR SHIFTER. I KNOW THAT 12 STATES ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST DAIMLERCHRYSLER REGARDING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE CONTACTED 2 DODGE DEALERSHIPS, AS WELL AS THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION IN MICHIGAN REGARDING THIS. NO ONE WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, NOR WILL THEY ESCALATE THE ISSUE FOR ME. ONE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY THINK IT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A NATIONAL RECALL. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THAT POINT IN TIME COMES (IF IT EVER DOES). THEIR HAVE ALREADY BEEN AT LEAST TWO FATALITIES REPORTED BECAUSE THIS SHIFT INTERLOCK WAS NOT INSTALLED ON THE DODGE CARAVAN VEHICLE. WHEN AND OR WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO HAVE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE?!?*AK