NHTSA Complaint #721483 — 1995 DODGE CARAVAN

WE BOUGHT OUR CARAVAN USED THROUGH A PERSONAL SALE, BUT THE WARRANTY WAS UP TO 36,000 MILES. AT 38,000 WE WERE DRIVING ALONG (WITH MY YEAR-OLD SON IN THE CAR) AT 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN IT FELT LIKE THE ENGINE WAS GOING TO FALL OUT OF THE CAR, AND THE CAR HAD TO BE BROUGHT TO A STOP ON A VERY BUSY ROAD WITH NO SHOULDER. WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO OUR MECHANIC WHO TOLD US THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. ROBINSON'S TRANSMISSION IN BUXTON, MAINE DID THE REPAIRS. HE DID A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH COST US $950. NOW AGAIN,IN APRIL 2000, JUST OVER A YEAR SINCE THE LAST TIME, AT 61,000 MILES , WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF A BUSY STREET CROSSING (AGAIN WITH MY SON), AND THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT INTO A CRAWL. I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH MY FOOT ON THE GAS, BUT UNABLE TO GO ANYWHERE. LUCKILY, OTHER CARS SAW US. AGAIN, WE TOOK IT TO ROBINSON'S GARAGE AND AGAIN HE DID THE OVERHAUL OF THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAD JUST GONE OVER OUR WARRANTY WITH HIM, SO HE ALLOWED US TO SPLIT THE COST OF THIS SECOND-TIME REPAIR. THIS TIME IT WAS $400. AFTER OUR FIRST INCIDENT, I CONTACTED THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE I WAS 2,000 MILES OVER MY WARRANTY, THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. I HAD A VERY DISTURBING CONVERSATION WITH A WOMAN NAMED DIANE, WHO OFFERED ME NO COMFORT WHATSOEVER. WE BOUGHT THIS MINI-VAN SO THAT WE COULD RIDE COMFORABLY WITH OUR SON. BUT NOW AFTER THESE 2 INCIDENTS, WE ARE NO LONGER FEELING THAT WE ALL ARE RIDING IN A SAFE VEHICLE. OTHER MECHANICS HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY OFTEN SEE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH CARAVANS. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, --PAM GILLINGHAM. *AK