NHTSA Complaint #10074713 — 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I OWN A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH THE MILEAGE AROUND 128,000 MILES. STARTING IN APRIL , WE SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD . WE TOOK IT TO AAMCO AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AT THAT TIME USING THE DIAGNOSTICS. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON STEADILY AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VAN AT THAT TIME EITHER . THE *CODE* THEY FOUND SAID *OXYGEN SENSOR* BUT THEY RESET IT . FOUR DAYS LATER, WE WERE HEADING BACK TO CHARLESTON (100 MILES) AND HAD MADE IT AROUND 40 MILES ON INTERSTATE GOING AROUND 65-70 MILES AN HOUR WHEN, WITHOUT NOTICE, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER . WE HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE EMERGENCY LANE AND WAIT UNTIL A TOW TRUCK COULD TOW US BACK TO LEXINGTON ... THE VAN WAS TAKEN AGAIN TO NASCO WHERE THEY THOUGHT THE PROBLEM COULD BE THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRING SO THEY CHANGED ALL THAT OUT TO THE TUNE OF $400.00 PLUS THE $80.00 FOR TOWING... THEN....TWO DAYS LATER THE VAN WAS DRIVING AGAIN TO CHARLESTON ON INTERSTATE AND AT ALMOST THE EXACT SAME SPOT --IT CUT OFF AGAIN !! THE VAN HAD TO GET TOWED YET AGAIN TO ORANGEBURG ( CLOSER TO WHERE IT CUT OFF ) AND THE MECHANICS THERE COULD FIND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VAN !!! IN TOWN, THE VAN DOES FINE ...BUT WHEN YOU ARE ON INTERSTATE AND GOING A HIGH RATE OF SPEED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME ...AND IT CUTS OFF ---SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THE VAN !! IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND THEN LOSING POWER ..AND MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A DEATH OCCURS !! LAST WEEKEND , MY HUSBAND TOOK THE VAN ON THE INTERSTATE AGAIN TO TRY IT OUT AND SURE ENOUGH AROUND 50 MILES OUT IT CUT OFF YET AGAIN WITH THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON .I NOTICE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING TO THE GRAND CARAVANS AND THINK IT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE INVESTIGATED AND A RECALL ISSUED. *JB