1999 Dodgen Born Free Problems

THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT INSTALLED ON THE DODGE RAM DAKOTA 1999, ENGINE 3.9 MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT THE DEALERS KEEP HIDING ABOUT, EVERY 15K OR 20K MILES THE COMPUTER LOST ITS PROGRAM AND NEED TO BE UPDATED, THAT MEANS THAT THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK HAS TO PAY EVERY YEAR $99.99 FOR WHAT THE DEALER CALL A ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS, BUT IN FACT WHAT THEY DO IS TO RE-PROGRAM THE ECU AND UPDATE THE SOFTWARE TO THE ACTUAL MILEAGE RESETTING ALL THE SENSORS THAT CONTROL THE ENGINE OPERATION, THE DEALERS REFUSE TO ADMIT THE FACT,WHAT IS WELL KNOWN FOR THOSE WHO REBUILD FAILED COMPUTER ENGINES IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGH OUT THE COUNTRY. (2) THE FAILURE OF THE ECU IS CRITICAL BECAUSE IT MAY HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, IN ANY HIGH WAY, AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH LOST OF LIVES, AND OR PROPERTY DAMAGES TO OTHERS, AND THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK IT SELF. (3) IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE WITH OUT BEING BLEED EVERY YEAR AT THE DEALERS, OR TO PAY MORE THAN $600.00 FOR ANOTHER COMPUTER THAT EVENTUALLY WILL FAIL AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTH AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, ANY WAY REPLACEMENT IS HARD TO GET ANYWAY.

THE KEY CYLINDER ON THE STEERING COLUMN OF OUR 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN "FROZE" AND THE KEY WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. HAD THIS HAPPENED IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN TRAFFIC, IT COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE-THREATENING. WE ARE AFRAID TO USE THE VEHICLE UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE WE MAY GET STUCK SOMEWHERE. WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. IRONICALLY, OUR 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING, WHICH NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM, WAS RECALLED FOR THIS REASON A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO; YET CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT ANOTHER OF ITS VEHICLES COULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COST OF REPAIR IS $300-$400. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, BUT YOUR WEBSITE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND WON'T AFFORD ME THAT CHOICE.*AK

MY WIFE 1999 DODGE DURANGO ENGINE FAILED AT 78,000 PLUS MILES. OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED WAS OF NO USE SINCE OIL SLUDGE ON THE ENGINE WAS IDENTIFIED BY WARRANTY COMPANY (NATIONAL AUTO CARE CORPORATION). COMPANY CAR MECHANIC STATED ON REPORT THAT THE OIL SLUDGE WAS THE REASON FOR ENGINE FAILURE, THEREFORE THIS VOID THE WARRANTY. CALLED THE COMPANY (MR. BEYER) AND NOTED THE FACT THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN OIL SLUDGE ON THE ENGINE. MY RECORDS REFLECT THE FACT THAT OIL WAS CHANGED MORE THAN REQUIRED. AS A PROFESSIONAL MECHANICAL ENGINEER I NOTED HE OIL SLUDGE IDENTIFIED WAS NOT CONTRIBUTE TO LACK OF OIL CHANGES BUT THE FAILURE OF THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM THAT PUMP/SEND OIL THROUGH OUT THE ENGINE. I OFFERED TO PROVIDE PROOF TO THE WARRANTY COMPANY THAT LACK OF MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES) WAS NOT THE MAIN REASON THE ENGINE FAILED. I'M STILL WAITING ON WARRANTY COMPANY TO PROVIDE WARRANTY DATA THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED 2 YEAR AGO. I ALSO NOTIFIED DODGE, BUT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO HELP EVEN THOUGHT REPAIR RECORDS ON SAME MODELS CLEARLY INDICATES THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL VEHICLE. FURTHER RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER SHED MORE LIGHT ON THIS MATTER. IF DODGE REVIEW HISTORY OF REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT OF THE 1999 DURANGO, 5.9 LITER ENGINE THEN THIS MATTER CAN BE RESOLVED. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 DODGE INTREPID, IT HAD 44,000 WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I DROVE MY INTREPID FOR APPROX. THREE AND A HALF YEARS WITH NO TROUBLE. BACK IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR (2005) MY BOSS AND I WENT ON A BUSINESS TRIP TO SC, THE CAR RAN GREAT. ON OUR RETURN TRIP WE WERE ABOUT 165 MILES OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA WHEN THE STARTED JUMPING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND CALLED FOR A WRECKER TO COME AND GET US SO THAT WE WOULD NOT CAUSE ANY TROUBLE WITH THE CAR (SO WE THOUGHT). WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY BOSSES MECHANIC. MONDAY MORNING THE MECHANIC CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT MY OIL PUMP AND WATER PUMP WENT OUT, THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. I WAS OVERWHELMED BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL THERE WAS NO WARNING AND SECOND I HARDLY EVER DROVE MORE THAT A FEW MILES A DAY. THE CAR AT THIS TIME ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT. THE NEXT DAY I GOT ON THE PHONE AND CALLED CHRYSLER AND EXPLAINED WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ONE OF THERE DEALERS LOOK AT MY CAR IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONSIDER DOING ANYTHING FOR ME. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IF I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THEM, THAT CHRYSLER WOULD DO SOMETHING FOR ME. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THEM, FOR THEM TO TELL ME THE SAME THING THAT MY BOSS''S MECHANIC HAD TOLD ME. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT I ALSO HAD SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE, AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HELP ME, BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY CAR. I STILL OWE ABOUT 7,000 ON THE CAR AND THEY WANT 7,000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. NO ONE WANTS TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME, AND IT MAKES ME SICK TO SEE ALL THE COMMERCIALS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF DODGE WHO CLAIMS WHAT GREAT CARS DODGE HAS. CHRYSLER TOLD ME LET THE BANK REPO MY CAR OR DEAL WITH IT AND DON'T CALL BACK AND BOTHER US WITH YOUR PROBLEMS. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE SUED AND MAKE GOOD ON ALL THE INTREPID 2.7 ENGINES AND KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS HAPPY, BUT THEY WON'T. *NM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGEN BORN FREE MOTORHOME. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MUDFLAP AND THE VEHICLE'S BODY. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE. THE TIRES WERE KUHMO, SIZE T155/90R16. THE DOT NUMBER IS H21LYD1P. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 78,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT REAR INSIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. SIZE LT22575R16 DOT#VDIL-1XD-448. PH *JB