NHTSA Complaint #10074898 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK I WILL LOSE MY DASH GUAGES. THE LIGHTS AND UPPER DASH LIGHT WILL STILL WORK BUT GUAGES WON'T. AFTER NO SET AMOUNT OF TIME IT WILL POWER BACK UP AND DOORS WILL LOCK DOWN, SEAT BELT LIGHT WILL COME ON AND VAN WILL ACT LIKE IT JUST STARTED (GOES THROUGH INTIAL START UP SEQUENCE). SOMETIMES THE VAN WON'T START. KEY WILL BE TURNED AND VAN WILL START UP AND IMMEDIATELY STALL. THIS WILL HAPPEN THREE TIMES AND THEN DOESN'T ROLL OVER OR ANYTHING. LATELY VAN WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ITSELF CONTINUALLY WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES UNLOCKING ITSELF AFTER ALARM HAS BEEN SET RISKING THE LOSS OF VALUABLES IN THE CAR WHILE WE ARE AWAY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY AND WE TAKE IT INTO DEALER AND THE COMPUTERS AREN'T COMMUNICATING SO THEY REPLACE WIRES, ETC AND FIXES FOR A LITTLE WHILE BUT DOESN'T FIX THE STALLING PROBLEM, ETC. DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG AND SUGGESTED REPLACING ALL WIRING AT $2000 BUT NO GUARANTEE THIS IS CAUSING PROBLEM. WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT CLOSE TO $700 ON NEW STARTER, ETC. TO NO AVAIL. ON MESSAGE BOARD SOMEONE SUGGESTED WHEN IT DOESN'T START BEFORE IT COMPLETELY WON'T TURN OVER TO TURN THE KEY OVER AND HIT THE DASH AS HARD AS POSSIBLE AND IT WORKED....STARTED RIGHT UP. SUGGESTED THE CIRCUIT BOARD IS BAD. WHY CAN'T THE DEALER FIGURE THIS OUT. STILL COSTS $500 TO FIX. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO KEEP PUTTING INTO VAN....WE JUST BOUGHT IT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO...BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GET ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT NOW EITHER.*AK