NHTSA Complaint #10239227 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN THE KEY THE ENGINE WILL START AND IMMEDIATELY STALL. AFTER THE THIRD TRY, IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. THE GAUGES AND ODOMETER ALSO FAILS AT THIS TIME. AFTER SITTING FOR ANYWHERE FROM 1 HOUR TO 4 DAYS (SO FAR) THE ENGINE WILL START. IT MIGHT BE OK FOR A DAY OR A MONTH AND THEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING THE GAUGES GO OFF, ENGINE FALTERS AND THEN COMES BACK ON. OTHER TIMES ENGINE STARTS AND IDLES ROUGH AS IF THERE IS A VACUUM LEAK THEN IT STRAIGHTENS OUT. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM OFF AND ON FOR AROUND 2 YEARS BUT IS NOW HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. TODAY I WENT TO A STORE AND WHEN I CAME OUT THE CAR WOULDN'T START. IT IS STILL PARKED AT THE STORE. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A VARIETY OF ANSWERS. DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO INSTALL MANY PARTS AT $250 PLUS LABOR EACH TIME AND STILL HAVE THE SAME SITUATION. I KNOW OF THREE PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR