NHTSA Complaint #10093556 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

IGNITION SWITCH AT FIRST WOULD GIVE ME SOME TROUBLE BY NOT TURNING AT ALL. BUT I WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY GET IT TO WORK. AFTER SOME TIME WITHOUT FAILURE, IT FINALLY DID IT AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME, IT WOULD NOT BUDGE. I TRIED TURNING THE WHEEL, I TRIED TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER, ALL IN AN ATTEMPT TO SEE IF IT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM. BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS COMPLETELY FROZEN, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. WHEN I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL, BECAUSE THE SHIFT LEVER IS IN THE LOCKED STATE WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR, NOT INCLUDING THE TOW, WAS $250.00. DEALER WANTED $325.00. THIS PROBLEM LEAVES YOU STRANDED, AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE MOVED BECAUSE THE SHIFT LEVER IS LOCKED. COULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE IN A REMOTE AREA, HOPEFULLY THE WEATHER WILL BE WARM AT THE TIME! I ALSO KNOW FROM MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN DODGE/PLYMOUTH MINI VANS, RANGING IN YEARS 1997 TO 2000, AND THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. WILL CHRYSLER RECALL THIS, REPLACE FAULT UNITS WITH BETTER QUALITY UNITS, OR EVEN REIMBURSE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN STRANDED FOR THIS COMMON PROBLEM?*AK