NHTSA Complaint #715424 — 1995 DODGE CARAVAN

RE: DOORS AND LATCHES PROBLEM. CAN DOCUMENT VISIT TO DEALER 3/26/96 ALTHOUGH PROBLEM STARTED EARLIER. THEY ALIGNED DOORS WHICH WERE SAGGING BUT WOULDN'T LOOK AT LOCKS. YESTERDAY, 11/29/99 THE LOCK ON THE DRIVERS DOOR FAILED COMPLETELY. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME HOLDING THE DOOR. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE BODY SHOP, THE GUY SAID, WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT, WHAT WAS WRONG. THE DOORS SAG, A PLASTIC CASING IN THE LOCK WEARS DOWN AND BINDS THE TUMBLERS AND THE SCREWS HOLDING THE LOCK/LATCH IN FALL OUT. HE SAYS HE SEES THIS 2-3 TIMES A WEEK ON CARAVANS BUT CHRYSLER WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE PASS. SIDE DOOR LATCH WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALTOGETHER. HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS WORKING AT ALL GIVEN ITS CONDITION. IT WILL COST ME 375-400 TO FIX BOTH DOORS. THE LATCHES ARE $100 A PIECE, AND THE GUY SAID THEY WOULD FAIL AGAIN GIVEN THEIR CONSTRUCTION. RE: ENGINE/AC PROBLEM I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT. IF YOU USE THE AC FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME, THE CAR CUTS OFF, ESPECIALLY WHEN ROUNDING A CORNER WHILE IN MOTION. IT CAN BE RESTARTED BUT THE IDLE MUST BE KEPT HIGH FOR OVER 10 MINS BEFORE IT WILL KEEP RUNNING AGAIN. IT FORCES ME TO BRAKE WITH MY LEFT FOOT JUST TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING. IT ALWAYS DOES THIS WITH THE AC, BUT ALSO OCCURS OTHER TIMES RANDOMLY. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST DANGEROUS THING ABOUT MY CAR. I AM SCARED TO LET MY TEENAGERS DRIVE IT. I WORKED FOR A COMPANY IN BALTIMORE AND DROVE A VAN LIKE THIS ONE ON MY JOB. THAT VAN HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I PUT IT IN THE SHOP, THEY DID $800 WORTH OF WORK, REPLACED EVERYTHING THEY COULD THINK OF, BUT WHEN I GOT IT BACK, IT DID THE SAME THING THAT VERY NIGHT. I CAN OFFER MORE DETAILS IF YOU CALL. THE DEALER SUPPOSEDLY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. THEY SPECULATED WHAT IT WAS, TOLD ME IT WAS ROUTINE MAINTENACE AND WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. YET WASN'T LISTED IN THE MANUAL FOR MAINTANENCE. RE: PARKING BRAKE. THIS HASN'T WORKED RIGHT FOR ALMOST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.