NHTSA Complaint #736537 — 1997 DODGE CARAVAN

LEMON OF A CARAVAN - SERPENTINE BELT HAS FREYED AT THE FOLLOWING MILAGE POINTS: 14138, 14661, 47724, 48333, 51280, 97143, 105647. GHOST WHIPERS AT THE FOLLOWING MILE POINTS: 17606, 47724, 105647. TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT THE FOLLOWING MILE POINTS: 27000, 78868. LUCKLY FOR US OUR DEALER WAS UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PROBLEMS, BUT ONLY AFTER GOING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, AND GETTING ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH THE SHOP MANAGER (WHO WAS TIRED OF SEEING OUR VAN IN HIS SHOP EVERY FEW MONTHS IF NOT LESS). I HAVE 24 INSTANCES OF MY VAN GOING INTO THE SHOP, SOME INSTANCES HAVING SERVICE BULLETINS. OUR LATEST ADVENTURE IS YET ANOTHER SERPENTINE BELT WITH THE NEW DEALERSHIP IN BELLEVUE, WA SAYING THAT THE ALTINATOR BRACKET IS MISALIGNED. ALSO, MY DRIVERS SIDE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOLONGER OPEN. THE NEW DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO A BODY SHOP? I'VE HAD MY VAN FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS, AND WHEN IT'S NOT IN THE SHOP, IT ACTS LIKE A GOOD VAN, BUT THAT ONLY LASTS FOR AT MOST 3 TO 4 MONTHS AT A TIME. MY VAN WAS ALSO A DEMO AND WAS PURCHASED WITH 5,822 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *AK