1993 Dodge Caravan Electrical Problems

ON THURSDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2005 MY MOTHER BACKED HER 1993 DODGE CARAVAN INTO HER DRIVEWAY AND BUMPED INTO HER FENCE BREAKING THE LENS ON THE TURN SIGNAL. AS IT WAS COMING INTO A LONG WEEKEND WITH BUSINESS SHUT DOWN, SHE IMMEDIATELY WENT INSIDE TO CONTACT HER MECHANIC TO HAVE IT REPLACED/REPAIRED. AS SHE SPOKE ON THE PHONE, SHE GLANCED OUT THE WINDOW AND OBSERVED A PLUME OF SMOKE RISING FROM THE REAR OF THE VAN. SHE IMMEDIATELY RUSHED OUT AND FOUND A SMALL FLAME IN THE AREA OF THE BROKEN LENS. SHE PACKED IT WITH SNOW AND WENT BACK TO HER CALL TO THE MECHANIC TO ARRANGE A TIME FOR THE REPAIR AND TO DISCUSS WHAT JUST HAPPENED. DURING THIS CONVERSATION SHE AGAIN NOTICED A PLUME (MUCH LARGER AND DARKER) RISING FROM THE VAN. SHE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO RESPONDED QUICKLY, HOWEVER THE INTERIOR OF THE VAN WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE AND SUBSEQUENT INTENSE HEAT. HER INSURANCE AGENT HAS SINCE "WRITTEN THE VEHICLE OFF" AND IS OFFERING $1500.00 (CDN) TO SETTLE. FORTUNATELY SHE DID NOT SIMPLY ATTEMPT TO DRIVE STRAIGHT TO HER MECHANIC FOR THE REPAIRS OR THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE.

NHTSA ID

10116006

Incident

Mar 24, 2005

I HAVE A 1993 DODGE CARAVAN. I HAVE SPENT OVER $10,000.00 ON REPAIRS SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 1993. I AM EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED WITH DODGE. I'VE HAD SEVERAL RECALLS ON VARIOUS COMPONENTS, THEY WERE CORRECTED AND ARE NOW AGAIN DEFECTIVE INCLUDING MY SEATBELTS, ABS SYSTEM, AND STEERING COLUMN. I AM NOW NOTICING THAT THE PAINT IS ERODING ON THE TOP OF MY VAN. I'VE SEEN MANY OTHER DODGE CARAVANS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND THE EXACT SAME PATTERN OF CORROSION. IT APPEARS THE PAINT IS WEARING OFF ON THE TOPS OF THE CARS, THEN THE HOODS AND SO ON. IT EVENTUALLY RUSTS THROUGH AS I'VE SEEN ON AT LEAST 20 DODGE CARAVANS. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED PAINT WEARING AWAY LIKE THIS ON ANY OTHER VEHICLES THAT I'VE OWNED AND MUCH OLDER THAN 10 YEARS. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT SOMEWHERE IN THE PAINTING PROCESS, PERHAPS THE PRIMER OR THE PAINT ITSELF. THIS IS THE THIRD LETTER I'VE WRITTEN AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM ANYONE. I WOULD APPRECIATE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PAINTING PROCESS OF THESE VANS. I BELIEVE IT IS ALSO OCCURRING IN OTHER YEAR MODELS. THANK YOU, SUSAN DEANFRASIO. *JB

NHTSA ID

10063811

Incident

May 1, 2003

I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE A/C, HEATER SWITCHING TO BLOW OUT THROUGH THE DEFROST WHEN ACCELERATING OR UNDER LOAD CAUSING POOR COOLING/HEATING. I TALKED TO CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING IT TO SWITCH. I HAVE HAD THE COMPRESSOR REPLACED WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING FAN AFTER WARRANTY. IT FAILED AGAIN ALMOST A YEAR LATER. BUT THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH ONLY INSTALLATION COST. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT OTHER THINGS CAN BE DONE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF SWITCHING TO DEFROST. SINCERELY [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10070370

Incident

Aug 15, 2000

Mileage

120,000 mi

THE BALL JOINTS AND STARTER FAILED, THE BRAKE LINE WAS BROKEN, THE SIDE DOOR FELL OFF, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED OIL AND COOLANT FAILURES. ALSO THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN OUTER ROD END INSTALLED AND A NEW TRANSMISSION WITHIN ONE YEAR OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. *JG *JB

NHTSA ID

10006061

THE SLIDING DOOR SEPARATED FROM THE HINGES, ALSO THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL, COOLANT, BALL JOINTS, STARTER, BRAKE LINE, TIE ROD, TRANSMISSION, EXHAUST AND THE FRONT BRAKES. TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10002079

Incident

Dec 28, 2002

IN EVENING CONSUMER TRIED TO START VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID STEERING COLUMN WAS LOOSE AND EFFECTED STEERING COLUMN OPERATIONS. *AK

NHTSA ID

887658

Incident

Apr 30, 2001

VEHICLE STALLED IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER REPLACED FUEL LINES WHICH BECAME CLOGGED, BUT DEFECT HAS REOCCURRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

876543

THE ENGINE STALLS COMPLETLY WHEN GOING AT ANY SPEED WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED TO SLOW DOWN OR TURNING, HAS DONE THIS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW, HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR SEVERAL CHECKUPS AND THE DEALER CANNOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THIS CONSTANTLY PERSISTS AND I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BEACAUSE I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO PURCHASED THE SAME VEHICLES IN 1993, 1994 AND 1995. THESE PEOPLE JUST SOLD THEIR CARS OR TRADED IN TO GET RID OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN APPARENT ENGINE DEFECT THAT CHRYSLER MADE THESE CARS DURING THESE YEARS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, THIS CAN AND WILL CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS.*AK

NHTSA ID

735277

Incident

Dec 1, 1992

I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE/CHRYSLER I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TOYOTA. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

726465

Incident

Jun 30, 2000

FREON WAS LEAKING FROM AIR CONDITIONER. LEAK WAS COMING FROM UNDER DASHBOARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND THEY HAD TO GO UNDER THE DASHBOARD, THEY FIXED THE LEAK. ONE MONTH BEFORE, HAD TO PUT A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. THEN DRIVESHAFT BELT BROKE. CONSUMER HAS HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK LEFT DOOR SWITCH FAILED. HEATER CORE, EVAPORATOR, CONDENSER, O- RINGS AND SEALS ALL REPLACED. STARTER FAILED. ENGINE TIMING CASE COVER, GASKETS SEALS BELT AND TENSIONERS FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

861776

Incident

Apr 11, 2000

THESE ARE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS, NOT RELATED TO WEAR & TEAR, THEY ARE COMPUTER AND/OR ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE CAR DRIVES FINE FOR HOURS WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT NEUTRALS OUT. TURNED THE CAR OFF & ON AGAIN & IT DRIVES FINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

713515

Incident

Jun 1, 1999

I REALIZE THAT ALL VEHICLES NEED REPAIRS BUT THIS ONE GOES TO THE SHOP REGULARLY. WE HAVE HAD THE VAN SERVICED, TUNED UP AND TAKEN CARE OF ON A REGULAR BASIS. I'VE ASK OTHER DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS ABOUT THEIR VAN AND NEARLY ALL HAVE REPLACED THEIR TRANSMISSIONS STARTING AT 50,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION IS MY MAIN CONCERN IN THIS COMPLAINT

NHTSA ID

709532

Incident

Mar 28, 1998

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. SOMEONE SAW IT AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

NHTSA ID

838154

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE BATTERY BLEW UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *AK*JB

NHTSA ID

815989

Incident

Aug 29, 1997

COIL PACK FAILED TWICE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.

NHTSA ID

516979

Incident

Mar 5, 1996

FAULTY POWER STEERING UNIT.

NHTSA ID

516683

Incident

Nov 1, 1994

WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL THE VEHICLE WIILL INTERMITTENTLY HESITATE, MECHANICS CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AFTER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE ADD FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

807618

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS OR WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ID

807019

WHEN STARTING VAN MOPAR BATTERY EXPLODED/ CRACKED. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

985982

Incident

Jun 16, 1996

STARTED VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD POP, OPENED THE HOOD, FOUND EXPLODED BATTERY. *AK

NHTSA ID

986621

Incident

Jul 8, 1996

VEHICLE CUTS OFF, RESULTING IN POWER LOSS, AFFECTING THE BRAKE AND STEERING ABILITY. *AK

NHTSA ID

985974

CONSUMER PUT KEY IN IGNITION TO START AUTO AND BATTERY EXPLODED, NO ONE WAS HURT. *AK

NHTSA ID

985308

WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLS/HESITATES, CAUSING POWER STEERING FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

984651

Incident

May 20, 1996

VEHICLE SUBJECT TO STALLING W/DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO REPEAT FAILURE AND ITS CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

983176

WHILE DRIVING, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT OUT, CAUSING THE VAN TO DIE. *AK

NHTSA ID

980856