BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT WOULD STAY ON, AND IT WAS HARD TO PRESS BRAKE PEDAL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HE REPLACED ABS PUMP ON DECEMBER 22, 2000. ABS PUMP WENT OUT AGAIN, AND IT WAS REPLACED, ON 24TH, THEN RELAY WENT OUT. ALSO, BATTERY DIED.*AK
2000
STEERING
DURING RAIN OR SNOWMELT EVENTS, SPLASHING WATER CAUSES THE SERPENTINE BELT ON THE ENGINE SLIP FROM THE ENGINE IDLER PULLEYS. THEY ARE SMOOTH AND ROUNDED IN DESIGN, ALLOWING WATER TO SLIP BENEATH DURING OPERATION RESULTING IN THE BELT SLIPPING FROM THE PULLEYS. THE STEERING ON THESE VANS IS EXTREMELY INADEQUATE WITHOUT POWER ASSIST, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. OUR BELT HAS SLIPPED OFF IN THE PAST, REQUIRING BELT REPLACEMENT, BUT THIS RECENT EVENT CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, RESULTING IN A CRASH. NO ONE IN MY FAMILY WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, BUT THE VALENCE AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. AFTER CALLING MY LOCAL DMV TO FIND OUT WHERE TO REPORT THIS, AND SEARCHING THE INTERNET ABOUT THE PROBLEM, I FIND IT UNCONSCIONABLE THAT CHRYSLER AND THE NHTSA HAVE NOT ACTED ON A SOLUTION SOONER. *TR