NHTSA Complaint #742274 — 1998 DODGE CARAVAN

ON OCTOBER 6, 2000 I WAS TAKING MY SON TO SCHOOL WHEN I LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING FAST ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO THE PARKING LOT. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT. THEY WERE NOT COOPERATIVE OR FRIENDLY AND WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE MY VEHICLE WITHIN THE 3 DAY TIME FRAME THEY HAD PROMISED. SO ON 10-09-2000 WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE TO BE DIAGNOSED AND FIXED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE HAD TO HAVE THEM FIX IT B/C OUR DEALER WAS GOING TO BE 3-5 WEEKS TO FIX IT, AND WE HAD A RENTAL CAR DURING THIS TIME. THE COST WAS $1455.00, THAT WE PAID OUT OF OUR POCKET. DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION OF OUR PROBLEMS THEY ALSO FOUND AN OIL LEAK. MY HUSBAND IS VERY GOOD WITH CARS AND HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL. ON 3-9-2001 I HAD THE CAR OIL LEAK DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE. THEY SAID THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $600.00 AND DOWN TIME OF THE VEHICLE BEING 2-3 DAYS. AS THIS IS OUR MAIN VEHICLE THIS PRESENTS A PROBLEM. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY PEOPLE AND GARAGES THAT THESE 4 CYLINDER ENGINES ARE WIDELY KNOWN TO HAVE TRANSMISSION AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. ONE GARAGE WENT SO FAR AS TO TELL US THAT CHRYSLER KNEW THEY HAD THESE PROBLEMS BUT JUST WOULD NOT PUT OUT A RECALL. WE HAVE HAD THE VAN FOR 23 MONTHS. NOTHING WENT WRONG DURING THE VALID WARRANTY TIME. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY OVER WARRANTY BY APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES. OUR DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH US WITHIN THE TIME FRAME THEY HAD ORIGINALLY GIVEN US, SO WE WERE FORCED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND PAY OUT OF OUR POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS, AS WE COULD NOT AFFORD A RENTAL CAR FOR THE 3-5 WEEKS THE DEALER WAS GOING TO TAKE TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHRYSLER BE FORCED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PROBLEMS.*AK