NHTSA Complaint #10231417 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

OUR DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS IDLING AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT DURING LATE OCTOBER OF 2007. THERE HAD BEEN NO PROBLEMS UP TO THIS POINT. I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE HAD GONE ALL THE WAY TO THE HOT POSITION AND MY HUSBAND GOT OUT TO LOOK. THE COOLING FANS WEREN'T RUNNING. MY HUSBAND OPENED THE HOOD. HE HEARD THE RADIATOR BOILING LOUDLY, AND THEN THE CAP BLEW OFF WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED, GIVING HIM SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE AND CHEST. AFTER AN EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT, WE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE COOLING FAN RELAY SYSTEM IS A FAULTY COMPONENT LISTED AS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR ALL CHRYSLER MINIVANS AND AS A RECALL ITEM ONLY FOR CERTAIN CHRYSLER MINIVANS. THE FUNNY THING IS THEY USED THE SAME CONTROL UNIT ON ALL OF THE CHRYSLER MINIVANS BUT WON'T FIX THEM BECAUSE THEY AREN'T ON THE "OFFICIAL" RECALL LIST. THE VAN WAS TAKEN TO THE DODGE DEALER IN PENSACOLA FLORIDA AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT WITHOUT AN $80.00 INSPECTION. THE PROBLEM PART IS A FAN RELAY. IT IS CALLED A SOLID-STATE SPEED CONTROL WHICH IS A COMPUTER UNIT CONTROLLING SEVERAL DEVICES ALTHOUGH DODGE CALLS IT A RELAY. WHEN LOOKING TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE, PART STORES EITHER SAID THAT IT IS A RECALL ITEM OR THAT IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLY THROUGH CHRYSLER AS THE ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE "FLASHED" AFTER INSTALLATION AND ONLY A DEALER CAN DO IT. WE CONNECTED A HOT WIRE DIRECTLY TO THE FANS FROM A POWER SOURCE TO RUN THE SYSTEM FULL TIME. AS FOR THE RADIATOR EXPLOSION, IT IS UNCERTAIN WHY THE CAP BLEW OFF. WE THOUGHT THE RADIATOR TOP WAS TO BLAME BUT THE PLASTIC MOUTH IS NOT NOTICEABLY BROKEN. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE OR DEFECT IN THE CAP. WE HAVE SINCE REPLACED IT. PEOPLE ON THE WEB SAY THAT THE BOILING OVER HAD GOT SO VIOLENT IN THE RADIATOR THAT IT MAY HAVE WORKED THE CAP LOOSE AND BLOWN IT OFF WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAPPEN. AS A SIDE NOTE, A RELIABILITY REPORT AT MSN AUTOS STATES THAT THIS IS A "MODERATE PROBLEM". *TR