NHTSA Complaint #10146645 — 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

POWER STEERING WAS LOCKING IN COLD WEATHER DURING INITIAL START UP. FIRST REPORTED 4/05, DEALER STATED IT WAS CAUSED BY PROBLEM WITH HOSES WHICH HAVE A RECALL, RECALL PERFORMED, AND VEHICLE RETURNED. (NOT FIXED), RETURNED VEHICLE AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER, THEY VERIFIED PROBLEM STILL AND REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP *DUE TO LOW PRESSURE". I THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. HOWEVER, SINE THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURRED IN COLD WEATHER THROUGH THE SUMMER IT WAS FINE UNTIL EARLY DECEMBER AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS BACK BUT EVEN WORSE, THIS TIME IT WAS ALSO HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER "OF COURSE IT WAS NOW OUT OF MANUFACTURE WARRANTY", HOWEVER DEALER AGREED TO FIX PROBLEM SINCE IT HAD PRIOR HISTORY. THEY VERIFIED PROBLEM BY SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC THE DAY I BROUGHT IT IN, HOWEVER THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. THEY HAD MY VAN FOR 3 WEEKS, DURING THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WITH IT BUT WERE NOT GOING TO GIVE IT BACK TO THE SAFETY ISSUE. I EVEN TRIED TO GET CHRYSLER INVOLVED AND THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK EVEN THOUGH I LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES AND WAS PROMISED A CALL BACK. FINALLY THE DEALER DECIDED TO REPLACE THE FRONT STEERING RACK. I GOT IT BACK, IT WAS FINE FOR 4 DAYS AND PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND WOULD LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO WAS HANDLING MY CASE. IT HAS NOW BEEN 4 DAYS AND NO RETURN CALL. MEANTIME IM DRIVING AROUND AND UNSAFE CAR, PAYING OVER $600.00 A MONTH. IM VERY UPSET THERE ISN'T MORE THAT CAN BE DONE AGAINST THESE COMPANIES PUTTING LIVES AT RISK. *NM