NHTSA Complaint #765021 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

STARTING AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES, THIS CAR PRODUCED CLICKING NOISE FROM THE HEAD/VALVE TRAIN. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, A DEALER (NOT THE ONE WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT) TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, AT 35K, DURING A HIGHWAY TRIP, THE NOISE BECAME PRONOUNCED. SOON THEREAFTER, I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL GARAGE AND EXPLAINED THE NOISE AND THAT I NOTICED THE HEAD WAS RUNNING DRY WITHOUT THE TYPE OF OIL SPLASH I HAVE SEEN IN ALL OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED. HE SAID THAT IT SEEMS THAT CHYSLER MINI-VANS HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VALVES AND THAT IT WAS, IN HIS OPINION, AN OIL DELIVERY PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT HE HAD 2 IN DURING THE PRIOR FEW WEEKS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AS THIS WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, ONE THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST IN A CAR WITH 35K MILES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER, TO MY SHOCK, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO MAJOR REPAIRS DUE TO "CAMSHAFT FAILURE". ALTHOUGH I ASKED FOR MORE DETAIL ON THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE MANY TIMES, BOTH IN WRITING AND ON THE PHONE, "CAMSHAFT FAILURE" IS ALL THEY WOULD SAY ABOUT THE PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THEY AGREED TO PROVIDE A FULL "LONG BLOCK" ENGINE REPLACEMENT (UNDER "COURTESY" WARRANTY WITH $300 "DEDUCTIBLE.") BECAUSE OF WHAT MY NON-DEALER MECHANIC SAID (THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN CHRYSLER MINI-VANS OF MY CAR'S VINTAGE AND BECAUSE HE OPINED THAT THERE MAY BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH OIL DELIVERY, PLUS THE FACT THAT WHEN I CHECKED THIS SITE, I FOUND THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD REPORTED LIKE SOUNDING PROBLEMS, I FEEL I SHOULD REPORT THIS. FYI, THIS CAR ALWAYS SEEMED TO RUN DRY (NO OIL SPLASH WHEN ENGINE RUN WITH FILLER CAP OFF). I THINK NHTSA MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER INVESTIGATING TO SEE IF THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ERROR. THANKS FOR THE HELP KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!.*AK