NHTSA Complaint #724916 — 1994 DODGE CARAVAN

I WAS LEAVING CHURCH ON 6-11-00 AND HAD 5 OTHER PASSANGERS IN THE CAR. THE LAST PASSANGER INTO THE CAR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY CLOSING THE SLIDING DOOR SO I GOT OUT TO DO IT. THE DOOR WAS INDEED DIFFICULT TO CLOSE AND AS I MANAGED TO GET THE DOOR ALMOST CLOSED, IT FELL OFF OF THE TRACKING AND LANDED ON MY FEET. MY FEET WERE HURT AS WELL AS BAD SCRAPING TO MY ARM AS I TRIED TO CATCH THE DOOR WHEN IT STARTED TO FALL. I WAS IN TOTAL SHOCK AT HAVING A DOOR FALL OFF. WE COULDN'T GET THE DOOR BACK ON AND HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE DOOR OFF. I HAD TWO CHILDREN AND TWO ELDERLY PASSANGERS IN THE VAN BESIDES MYSELF AND MY FRIEND. I HAD NO OTHER WAY OF GETTING THE VEHICLE HOME SO HAD TO DRIVE IT THIS WAY. WHEN WE GOT HOME WE MANAGED TO GET THE DOOR BACK ONTO THE TRACK BUT COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR AGAIN AS IT WAS INOPERABLE. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON THIS BUT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO HELPING ME GET THIS REPAIRED OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY AS THEY SAID THAT THEY DO THIS FROM TIME TO TIME. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO PAPA'S DODGE WHERE I BOUGHT THE VAN I WAS TOLD THAT THEY CALLED CHRYSLER CREDIT AND WERE TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PART AND THE REPAIR AT THE COST OF AROUND 300.00. A SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD MY FRIEND PRIVATELY THAT THEY HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS HAPPENING WITH THIS MODEL VAN. I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. DOORS DON'T JUST FALL OFF OF CARS! I WAS TOLD THAT THE ROLLERS HAD ERODED. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER UNUSUAL WEAR. ONE CAN'T TELL ME THAT EVERYBODY WHO OWNS A DODGE CARAVAN WILL HAVE THEIR DOOR FALL OFF AFTER 6 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I DON'T AGREE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THIS IS ABNORMAL. MY CHILDREN NOW HAVE TO CRAWL THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE CAR TO GET TO THEIR SEATS. I AM ALSO IN FEAR OF THE DOOR FALLING OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING UNTIL I CAN GET THIS FIXED. PLEASE HELP. *AK