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Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

4276 messages,  Last post on Oct 23, 2006 at 2:11 AM

You are in the Chrysler/Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan Forum.

What is this discussion about? Dodge Caravan, Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Town and Country, Van

Messages Page 78 of 429

#763 of 4276 AC Compressor by 4aodge

Aug 20, 2001 (3:14 pm)

We have a 2000 Chrysler Town & Country LX with the 3.3L engine and have not had any problems with any of the air conditioning components. To date, we have exactly 26,300 miles on the van.
 
Joycemartin16, are you taking your van to a FIVE star certified Chrysler dealership? If you have been doing so, I would goto another dealership to get a 2nd and maybe even 3rd opinion on what could be the problem.
 
What exactly is wrong with your right side passenger door? With more information we might be able to point out how you can fix the problem, or at least what the problem is. Hope this helps!
 
-Adam
2000 Town & Country LX

#765 of 4276 carton1 by odd1

Aug 20, 2001 (4:11 pm)

Come on! A rigged test? IIHS is looking for real result for the insurance companies that sponsor their testing. They aren't trying to sell magazine or commercial time. Do you drive a '01 model pre- July ? If you don't how do you know what the owners of these vehicles think about the test results? Do you know for a fact they aren't concern?
 
Adam- How about you. Is your family in a '01 model pre-July D/C? If not, then are why you so readily dismissing this test's results? Because your family is not in one of these vans?
 
I want to know how many people who are defending Chrysler's actions in this matter are actual driving around with their families in a pre-July '01 model year.

#766 of 4276 Problems with AC and passenger door by joycemartin16

Aug 20, 2001 (5:19 pm)

Dear 4Aodge,
We take the car back to the dealership we bought it from. I am not sure if it is a five star. I called Chrysler today and the service manager called and told me he would personally take care of the problem, so we'll see. As far the the door, it makes a scratching noise as if the glass was contacting something when it closes. They replaced all the hardware and the problem got worse for a couple of days but seems to be better. That particular problem has been fixed two times. I like the van but I know once the warranty runs out, it will be about $500 or more everytime this happens and we live in TN and cannot live without AC.

#767 of 4276 odd1 by gcintender

Aug 20, 2001 (6:01 pm)

I can count at least one owner of a pre-July DC van who is unconcerned about the test results - yes, that would be me.
 
The last thing I think about is the possibiliity of a fuel leak, and had I been in the market for a new van now rather that last year when I ordered mine, I'd gladly make the exact same choice. For my needs the DC vans are head and shoulders above the competition.

#768 of 4276 rigged test by cgaydos

Aug 20, 2001 (7:09 pm)

"Since the leak did not occur in 50 similar tests conducted by DC, it appears that the leaky fuel problem could be a rigged test like the infamous rigged tests on GMC/Chevy pickups with the "side-saddle" fuel tanks that was headlined by a TV network in a viewer ratings gimmick. " -- carleton1
 
Get real. We're talking the IIHS here. We're talking a testing methodology that underwent extensive review, was published years in advance, has been utilized on hundreds of other vehicles, and in which all aspects of the test are open to review by vehicle manufacturers (that's why the publishing of the test result was delayed over 4 months to allow DC to fix the problem for the 2002 minivans).
 
As to the 50 crash tests conducted by DC, other posters in Town Hall have correctly noted that DC's carefully-worded press release never said what sort of crashes were involved (frontal, side, etc), what stage of the vehicle development was involved (earlier stages might have generated very different results), whether fuel was put into the crashed vehicles (can't have a fuel leak without fuel), whether DC examined the tank for cracks (won't find any if you don't look), etc. DC clearly wants us to draw the conclusion that many have here ... that DC ran the identical IIHS frontal offset test 50 times without generating the fuel tank crack that the IIHS found two times out of two (the third IIHS test was with the 2002 fuel tank design and did not have the crack). However, the DC press release was carefully worded to avoid making that statement, because it no doubt is not true.
 
I suggest you think twice before trying to start rumors like this in the future.

#769 of 4276 Strange Intermittend AC problem 2001 T&C LMT by kpost2

Aug 20, 2001 (7:33 pm)

I have a 2001 T&C Limited with a AC problem. Its intermittent -- so of course it was working fine when I had it in for service. Thought maybe someone here would have some idea.
 
Here is the situation -- the car has three zones -- the problem is with the rear zone. The rear zone can be controlled from the front or the rear (set by a nob in front). Every once in a while I'll have it set at 70 or so (controlled from the front/auto control)then suddenly (not when the car is hot but in the middle of a drive when the temp is stable at 70) the rear fans will come on full blast with cold air. They keep going at full blast regardless of what temperature I set the control to (I went up to 86 or so and it kept blowing full blast max fan cold air). However, if I switch it to the rear control (which lets you control temp from a dial on a panel above the middle row seat instead of from the main AC panel) it works fine. Usually it does this on hot days -- but the car isn't hot inside when its doing it. It clearly is some sort of fault in the front control of the rear AC. The guys at the dealer had no clue and seemed to think I didn't set something right -- but its all right and just out of nowhere blasts cold max fan air like that (it doesn't stop either -- but when I shut of the rear or switch the controls to the rear and then another day switch back to front it works -- if I switch back to front in just 5 minutes or so it keeps blasting the cold air).
 
Does anyone know what this could be? What I could tell the dealer to help them figure it out. I'll try to drive by there when it is happening.
 
Kelly

#770 of 4276 re: Strange AC problem by cgaydos

Aug 20, 2001 (8:04 pm)

Kelly -- I haven't seen this on my Ltd. I assume that you have the unit in full auto mode when the problem occurs? Do you usually have it on High auto or Low auto? Do you notice if the recirculate function turns on when this happens? Do you have rear passengers when this happens (this may affect the rear temp sensor)? If not, do you carry any special cargo?

#771 of 4276 Gotogonow by hayneldan

Aug 20, 2001 (8:29 pm)

The IIHS tests were reported to the National Highway Transportation Safety Board (NHTSB). They can order a recall if they feel it is a saftey problem. None of your posts will. Were you the one who posted in the NHTSB customer complaints that the test resulted in a catastropic fire? (It did not, as IIHS does not use fuel in their crash tests) If you live in a large city and your newspaper has a "Cars" section try reading it under recalls, DC does do recalls. (i.e Chicago Tribune) This sundays issue listed a half page of recalls by ALL manufacturers.

#772 of 4276 odd1 by 4aodge

Aug 20, 2001 (9:26 pm)

No, my family and I are not in a 2001 DC minivan. As I've said numerous times before, we have a 2000 Chyrsler Town & Country LX. In no way am I trying to "readily dismiss" the "questionable" results of the 2001 Dodge Caravan. However, I do not feel as though a minor fuel leak in one of many performed crash tests warrants this kind of paranoid "anti-Chrysler" response, especially from Honda Odyssey owners.
 
Even if my family and I were driving a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country (pre-july) instead of a 2000, I would not be nearly as concerned and frantic about this issue as others here are, such as GATOGONOW and SCOYLE1. I've also asked my dad about how he would feel if our van was an affected 2001 model. As my dad points out, a fuel leak can occur in any vehicle and in any crash.
 
Do the Honda Odyssey owners here feel as though their vehicle are immune to a fuel leak? If so, I have news for you. It's not. I'm rather possitive that if you took a 2001 Odyssey and crashed it into a certian object, at a certain angle, and at a certain speed you just may get similar if not worse results than the 2001 DC minivan tested by the IIHS.
 
If this is such a horrendous problem, than why haven't we heard of numerous DC minivans suddenly exploding into flames after a real-life crash? Surely out of the thousands of pre-july DC minivans out there, some if not many have been involved in serious accidents. And please do not tell me there have been such instances in the past but the report was covered up by greedy and devious Chrysler lawyers.
 
If this was such a serious problem as GATOGONOW would like us to believe, than the government would FORCE Chrysler to reacall it's minivans. That hasn't happened yet and probably never will. Why? Simply because there is no need to recall over 400,000 minivans because a minor fuel leak occured in one test of out of many performed by both Chrysler and the IIHS.
 
-Adam
2000 Chrysler Town & Country

Messages Page 78 of 429

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