2001 Dodge Van Problems

ON OR ABOUT APRIL 5, 2007, I BROUGHT MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR OF THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY CAR WHICH STOPPED FUNCTIONING & STOPPED MEASURING THE SPEED OF MY VEHICLE. THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ONE DAY AND CLAIMED THAT THEY RECALIBRATED THE SPEEDOMETER AND "ALL IS WELL." APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SPEEDOMETER CEASED WORKING AGAIN. SO, ON OR ABOUT JULY 19,2007, I CALLED MERRICK DODGE & REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. ON JULY 23, 2007, I CALLED AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BUT WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL 8/8. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS CONDITION AS WELL AS VIOLATION OF NY STATE VEHICLE & TRAFFIC LAW SEC. 375 IF I DROVE A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. THEREAFTER, I WAS GIVEN AN APPOINTMENT ON 7/26/07. ON 7/26, I ARRIVED AT THE NEW ADDRESS OF THE DEALER AT OR ABOUT 8 AM AND WAS ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED THE SAME DAY. I DID NOT RECEIVE A PHONE CALL BY 1 PM SO I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NOT REACHED THE CAR AS OF THAT TIME. THEREAFTER, I CALLED THE DEALER AT ABOUT 4:45 TO INQUIRE AS TO THE STATUS OF MY CAR AND WAS ADVISED THAT A RECALIBRATING OF THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED SO A NEW "CLUSTER FOR THE SPEEDOMETER" WOULD HAVE TO BE ORDERED. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT UNDER MY 7 YEAR 60K MILE SERVICE CONTRACT, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $100 DEDUCTIBLE EVENTHOUGH THIS WAS A RECURRING CONDITION THAT WAS ADDRESSED A MERE THREE MONTHS AGO. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES ON IT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE WHEN THERE CLEARLY IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I ADVISED CHRYSLER THAT I WOULD NOT PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR A RECURRING CONDITION THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED A "LEMON" UNDER NEW YORK STATE'S LEMON LAW. I WOULD APPRECIATE WHATEVER ASSISTANCE YOUR AGENCY CAN GIVE ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

WHENEVER THE DRIVING OR HEADLIGHTS ARE ON THE SWITCH GETS WARM TO THE TOUCH. *NM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING BOX RUSTED FROM SUB FRAME AND DETACHED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE STEERING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,017.

AT APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET IN HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND ATTEMPTED TURNING RIGHT INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE POWER ASSIST WENT OUT ON THE STEERING. I HAD TO USE ALL MY MIGHT TO GET THE WHEEL TO MAKE THE 90 DEGREE TURN. AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS, I HAD TO FIGHT TO GET THE VAN INTO A PARKING SPOT. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, OPENED THE WINDOWS, AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER MANEUVERED THE VAN OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE TO WHERE IT COULD BE TOWED, HE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT HE HAD NO TROUBLE WHATSOEVER TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD THE VAN TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY CHECKED ALL THE FLUID LEVELS AND THE STEERING SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE AND CHARGED ME $45 FOR NOTHING. AT ALMOST 79,000 MILES, THE STEERING PROBLEM SHOWED ITS UGLY HEAD WHILE ON VACATION LAST WEEK AND I WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT IN AGAIN AND INSIST THAT IT BE FIXED. I WILL TAKE IT TO A DIFFERENT DODGE DEALER THIS TIME SO THAT I CAN HAVE A "SECOND OPINION."

OIL PRESSURE GAUGE KEEPS DROPPING AND ENG HAS POWER LOSS. REAREND HAS HIGH PITCH NOISE WHILE DRIVING

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2001 GRAND CARAVAN. WE LOVE THE VAN VERY MUCH. WE STARTING HEARING A STANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. WE TOOK IT IN TO A DEALERSHIP NEAR US AND WE WERE TOLD THE SWAYBAR END LINKS AND BUSHING WE GONE. LUCKILY WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRNATY TO COVER THE COST OF IT. WE FEEL THAT IS IS NOT A WEAR AND TEAR, THIS IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND ARE BEING TOLD THAT IT IS WEAR AND TEAR. WE HAVE OWNED ALOT OF CARS AND NOT ONE OF THEM EVER HAD A SWAYBAR LINK PROBLEM. WE TAKE VERY GOOD CAR OF THE VAN. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS RECALLED BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO SOMEONE.

TRANSMISSION CLUTCHES WENT OUT. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN'S DRIVERS WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP AND DOWN. WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY WITH A NEW MOTOR. IN 2005, I GAVE THIS VAN TO MY SON AND THE PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP AND DOWN AND BY THEN THEY NOT ONLY PUT IN A NEW MOTOR BUT A COMBINATION MOTOR/REGULATOR. THEN THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT WORK AGAIN AND WAS REPLACED WITH A MOTOR/REGULATOR COSTING $1000 TO FIX BOTH WINDOWS. *NM

WE OWN A 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (MINI-VAN) WHICH HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT POWER WINDOWS GETTING STUCK INTERMITTENTLY, EITHER UP OR DOWN OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN. SOMETIMES IT WOULD GET STUCK DOWN WHEN IT WAS RAINING OR STORMY OUTSIDE, OR IT WOULD BE STUCK IN THE UP POSITION WHEN I NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE (I.E. TOLL-BOOTH ATTENDANT). I TOOK IT IN YESTERDAY TO BE REPAIRED, AND THE WINDOW REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO A NUMBER OF OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR, I DISCOVERED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH OUR CAR. SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/REVIEWS/LONGTERM/ARTICLES/45220/PAGE013.HTML, OR HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/REVIEW_78539.HTML, BOTH REPORTING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM APPEARS UNRELATED TO MILEAGE ON THE CAR (I.E. SOMETIMES APPEARS BEFORE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED, OR SOMETIMES AFTER IT HAS EXPIRED). HOWEVER, DODGE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A PROBLEM OR TO PAY TO CORRECT IT.

TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR AT ONLY 12000 MILES.

ON MAY 14, 2006, MY DODGE CARAVAN WAS TOTALLED AFTER A COLLISION CAUSE BY A NEGLIGENCE DRIVER. DURING THE ROLLOVER, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ROLLED OVER TOO EASILY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT DISENGAGED WHEN NEEDED "PUSH" ON. *NM

ON MAY 14, 2006, MY DODGE CARAVAN WAS TOTALLED AFTER A COLLISION CAUSE BY A NEGLIGENCE DRIVER. DURING THE ROLLOVER, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ROLLED OVER TOO EASILY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT DISENGAGED WHEN NEEDED "PUSH" ON. *NM

THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. *JG *JB

SEATBACK LATCH IS FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING LEVER CAN BE BUMPED LIGHTLY, AND SEATBACK COLLAPSES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK DEALER REMOVED LATCH AND ROTATED IT AND CONSUMER HAS HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. *SLC

ON MAY 14, 2006, MY DODGE CARAVAN WAS TOTALLED AFTER A COLLISION CAUSE BY A NEGLIGENCE DRIVER. DURING THE ROLLOVER, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ROLLED OVER TOO EASILY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT DISENGAGED WHEN NEEDED "PUSH" ON. *NM