1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The contact owns a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist and then stalled. Additionally, the odometer failed to display the correct mileage and the speedometer failed to display the correct speed of the vehicle while the engine revved. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

The contact owns a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist and then stalled. Additionally, the odometer failed to display the correct mileage and the speedometer failed to display the correct speed of the vehicle while the engine revved. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

THE DRIVER'S HORN DOES NOT WORK AND HASN'T SINCE IT WAS TAKEN IN TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS DONE AS PER A RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA AND DAIMLERCHRYSTLER CORPORATION RELATING TO DRIVER'S AIRBAG BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HE ALSO DID NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK ON THE VAN. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND WHEN I DISCOVERED THE HORN DID NOT WORK. AFTER RESEARCHING AND SUBSCRIBING TO THE THE NHTSA RECALL ALERTS I DETERMINED THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CLOCK SPRING REPLACEMENT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT CLOCK SPRING COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS DONE SO SOON AFTER THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I LIVE AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ISSUED AND THEY WERE SORRY, BUT THEY COULDN'T REPLACE IT AGAIN. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM ORIGINALLY. EVEN WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD PAY THE COST OF THE REPAIR, THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH INVOLVED IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT COULD GO WRONG AND HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO IT. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND HASN'T BEEN SINCE BEFORE AND AFTER I PURCHASED IT. MY CONCERN IS IF THE HORN DOESN'T WORK'THEN HOW CAN I BE SURE THE AIRBAG DOES. I'M STILL DRIVING THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT TO SOMEONE ELSE IN THIS CONDITION. IS THERE NO RECOURSE IF THE VEHICLE AS NOT REPAIRED AS PER THE NHTSA'S RECALL? THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 91054 MILES ON IT AS OF THIS DATE.

THE DRIVER'S HORN DOES NOT WORK AND HASN'T SINCE IT WAS TAKEN IN TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS DONE AS PER A RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA AND DAIMLERCHRYSTLER CORPORATION RELATING TO DRIVER'S AIRBAG BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HE ALSO DID NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK ON THE VAN. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND WHEN I DISCOVERED THE HORN DID NOT WORK. AFTER RESEARCHING AND SUBSCRIBING TO THE THE NHTSA RECALL ALERTS I DETERMINED THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CLOCK SPRING REPLACEMENT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT CLOCK SPRING COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS DONE SO SOON AFTER THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I LIVE AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ISSUED AND THEY WERE SORRY, BUT THEY COULDN'T REPLACE IT AGAIN. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM ORIGINALLY. EVEN WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD PAY THE COST OF THE REPAIR, THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH INVOLVED IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT COULD GO WRONG AND HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO IT. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND HASN'T BEEN SINCE BEFORE AND AFTER I PURCHASED IT. MY CONCERN IS IF THE HORN DOESN'T WORK'THEN HOW CAN I BE SURE THE AIRBAG DOES. I'M STILL DRIVING THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT TO SOMEONE ELSE IN THIS CONDITION. IS THERE NO RECOURSE IF THE VEHICLE AS NOT REPAIRED AS PER THE NHTSA'S RECALL? THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 91054 MILES ON IT AS OF THIS DATE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE CAUSED BY FAULTY ENGINE CONNECTING RODS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. SWANTYS DODGE (2494 SOUTH HWY 95, BULLHEAD CITY, AZ) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 261,000.