NHTSA Complaint #757520 — 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

SERVICE AGENT DETERMINED/CONFIRMED ANTI-FREEZE COOLANT LEAK INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE CARPET AND DOOR SILL AREA. THE LEAK MADE AN OFFENSIVE ODOR, FERMENTING THE CARPET, AND THE RESIDUAL SMELL/ANTIFREEZE FUMES APPEARS UNHEALTHY TO BREATH IN. THE LEAK WAS DETECTED BY VISIBLE SUBSTANTIAL WETNESS OF THE CARPET AREA ABOUT THE SILL AREA. CARPET BECAME SLIGHTLY DISCOLORED/STAINED BY THE ANTI-FREEZE LEAK. THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE LEAK COULD NOT BE DETECTED WITHOUT THE COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY OF THE REAR INTERIOR TRIM. A QUOTE OF OVER $230 IN MATERIALS AND $430 IN LABOR WAS GIVEN TO REPAIR THE LEAKING CORE. THIS IS AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF COST, AND OFFERS A POTENTIAL UNHEALTHY SITUATION IF LEFT UNREPAIRED. THE OWNER CANNOT FORESEE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH MAGNITUDE OF COSTS, AND MUST TRY TO SEEK A LESS EXPENSIVE REMEDY. NOTE, THE SERVICE AGENT WOULD NOT DISCONNECT/SHORT CIRCUIT THE HEATER CORE LINES TO DISCONNECT/REMOVE THIS HEATER CORE FROM SERVICE; HENCE AN IMPASSE REMAINS. THE OWNER WILL BE FORCED TO DO SAME TO ELIMINATE THE PERSISTENT LEAK.*AK