NHTSA Complaint #10112138 — 2000 DODGE CARAVAN

SEPT. 7, 2001, THE BATTERY IN MY ONE YEAR OLD DODGE CARAVAN DIED. I ASKED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE BE INVESTIGATED. I WAS BLOWN OFF. APRIL 29, 2003, THE SECOND BATTERY DIED. I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT THIS TIME AND AGAIN I ASKED THAT THIS ISSUE BE INVESTIGATED. NOTHING WAS DONE. EACH TIME BEFORE THE BATTERY DIED, THE ALARM SYSTEM ON MY CAR WOULD ACT FLAKEY. WHEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN, I ASKED LANDERS CHRYSLER TO LOOK AT IT. THEY FOUND NOTHING. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL WITH A CURVE WHEN THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT WARNING. I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND NEARLY HIT A MAIL BOX. I WAS ABLE TO START MY CAR AND CONTINUED BUT NEARLY HIT A CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN SHARP ENOUGH. I WAS LUCKY IN BOTH CASES THAT I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING OR ANY ONE. LANDERS EVENTUALLY LOCATED THE PROBLEM, A FAULTY EVS MODULE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED TO REPAIR THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT BECAUSE I NOW HAVE 63,800 MILES ON MY CAR EVEN THOUGH EVIDENCE INDICATES THE PROBLEM EXISTED WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. LANDERS TOLD ME I COULD DISABLE THE DEVICE BY PUSHING A BUTTON ON THE DASH THAT DEACTIVATES THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, CERTAINLY THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE. I DID A SEARCH ON SOME AUTO FORUMS AND FOUND SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO DESCRIBE VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS TO MINE AND OTHERS WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT SUDDENLY STALLING. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW WIDESPREAD THIS PROBLEM IS. I DO KNOW THAT IT TOOK SOME TIME TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. I THINK THIS MATTER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE ANYTIME A DRIVER LOSES CONTROL BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT STEER OR STOP, OTHER DRIVERS, PROPERTY AND PEDESTRIANS ARE IN DAMAGES. *NM