2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager

A SNAPPING SOUND CAN BE HEARD AND FELT INTERMITTENTLY EMINATING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS INCLUDING: STARTING FROM A STOP, BRAKING, TURNING, SLIGHT BUMPS IN THE ROAD, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS GEAR. THE STEERING COLUMN IN THIS VEHICLE IS THE SUBJECT OF A DAIMLERCHRYSLER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. AUTOFAIR CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH REPAIRED THE STEERING COLUMN TWICE. AFTER THE SECOND REPAIR THE NOISE DISAPPEARED FOR TWO MONTHS, THEN RETURNED AND HAS GROWN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. AUTOFAIR CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. CARLSON CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH OF CONCORD, NH AND DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION ARE NOW REFUSING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS A 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE AND AN EXTENDED 7 YEAR/75,000 MILE MAXIMUM CARE WARRANTY. THE SECOND PROBLEM, A DEFECTIVE CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT, WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN ARTICLE IN A LOCAL NEWSPAPER ON MARCH 25, 2001. A COPY OF THIS ARTICLE CAN BE PROVIDED IF DESIRED. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN PUBLICIZED NATIONALLY. THE DEFECTIVE CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINTS CAN BE FOUND IN AT LEAST 1991 THROUGH 2000 CHRYSLER/DODGE/PLYMOUTH MINIVANS (AND PERHAPS OTHER MODELS). THE CONDITION IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED AS A BAD RIM OR TIRE. THE ARTICLE REFERRED TO IN THE CONCORD MONITOR PROVIDES A TERSE, ARTICULATE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. AS THE CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT DETERIORATES THE PROBLEM MANIFESTS ITSELF AS A HIGH SPEED VIBRATION AND EVENTUALLY A BIZARRE WOBBLE WHEREIN THE VEHICLE ROCKS VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE PROBLEM WAS SO BAD IN OUR 1999 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER BOUGHT BACK (EXCHANGED IT FOR A 2000 MINIVAN) THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ADMITTING THE PROBLEM EXISTED. THE 2000 MODEL YEAR WE WERE GIVEN IN EXCHANGE FOR THE 1999 MODEL HAS THE EARLY SYMPTOMS OF THE FAILING CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM WITH OUR 2000 MODEL YEAR "REPLACEMENT" MINIVAN.*AK

WHEN DRIVING MY VAN THE DASH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, AND THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT THE RPM, ODOMETER, AND FUEL GAUGES DROP OFF AS IF YOU HAVE SHUT THE CAR OFF. THESE GAUGES WILL NOT COME BACK ON UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE TAKEN OFF AND REACHED SPEEDS OF 10 TO 25 MPH. INTERMIDENTALLY THE GAUGES INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER WILL QUIT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON UNTIL BASICALLY IT GETS READY TO YOU NEVER KNOW 1 MINUTE OR 5 MINUTES. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN THESE LIGHTS ARE COMING ON BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM OR IF THEY ARE ON BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VALID REASON TO BE ON. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE FRANK FLETCHER DODGE FOR REPAIR AND THEY CHANGED A COMPUTER THE 2ND TIME AND TOLD ME THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM FOR MOST OF THE ISUES. I TAKE THEM FOR A DRIVE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET CHRYSLER TO SHOW ANY REAL CONCERN OTHER THAN TELL ME I SHOULD BE PATIENT WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. MY PATIENCE HAS EXPIRED AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING AN UNSAFE CAR. IF YOU COULD PLEASE HELP ME I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.*AK