NHTSA Complaint #10049430 — 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WE BOUGHT OUR DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ON MARCH 11TH 2000, WITHIN THE FOLLOWING MONTH WE TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE LEITH DEALER SHIP THAT WE BOUGHT IT FROM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A VERY LOUD POPPING NOISE THAT WAS COMMING FROM THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WELL AND WE WERE TOLD AND I QUOITE " THAT IS A NOISE THAT IS VERY COMMON TO DODGE VEHICLES" AND BASICLLY TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. IT GOT WORSE SO WE TOOK IT BACK AGAIN TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DEFFIANTLY WORSE AND WOULD YOU PLEASE LOOK AT IT, AGAIN WE WERE TOLD THE SAME THING. ALL IN ALL WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 3 OR 4 DIFFERENT TIMES AND EVERYTIME THE ANSWER WAS THE SAME. IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR (2003) WE TOOK OUR VAN IN TO A LOCAL FIRESTONE TO HAVE NEW TIRES BUT ON THE VAN AND I ASKED ONCE AGAIN IF THEY WOULD CHECK AND SEE IF THEY COULD FIND THE SOURCE TO THE NOISE, AND THEY DID. FOR 3 YEARS WE DROVE AROUND WITH THE WHEEL HUB COMMING OFF, IT TURNED OUT THE THE WHEEL HUB ASEMBLEY WAS LOOSE AND COMING OFF YOU COULD PULL THE WHEEL IN ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH IT TIGHTLY BOLTED TO THE VAN ITSELF, THE GAS STRUTS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE SWAY BAR LINK KIT HAD TO REPLACED ON IT ALSO. ALL IN ALL THE TOTAL BILL ENDED UP AS $800.09 TO GET THE VAN FIXED. WE HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE CALIPERS REPLACED TWICE ON THE VAN AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD ONCE AGAIN THAT THIS IS ALSO COMMON TO DODGE VEHICLES. WE WOULD LOVE TO BE REIMBERSED FOR THIS BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SOLD US THIS VEHICLE IN THIS SHAPE AND KNEW IT AND THEN LIED ABOUT IT NOT ONCE BUT SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE DEALERSHIP IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS.*AK