Ownership Cost for 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan SE
Estimated: $41309 over the next 5 years
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | $1187 | $570 | $498 | $451 | $403 | $3109 |
| Insurance | $1451 | $1502 | $1554 | $1609 | $1665 | $7781 |
| Fuel | $2690 | $2770 | $2867 | $2982 | $3116 | $14425 |
| Maintenance | $2763 | $2210 | $1036 | $708 | $2291 | $9008 |
| Repairs | $977 | $1138 | $1298 | $1417 | $1627 | $6457 |
| Taxes & Fees | $357 | $357 | $357 | $357 | $357 | $529 |
| Total Ownership Costs | $9425 | $8230 | $7306 | $7199 | $9149 | $41309 |
| Model year | COMPONENT | Complaint |
| 2005 | FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW. HAVE ALWAYS TOPPED GAS PAST INITIAL CLICK. SOMETIME FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AFTER TOPPING OFF THE GAS TANK, VEHICLE STARTED BUCKING AND ENGINE QUIT. FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES, COULDN'T FIGURE OUT PROBLEM. THEN REMEMBERED IT ALWAYS HAPPENED AFTER FILL UP. STARTED VARYING TOPPING OFF, AND WAS ABLE TO NOTICE LENGTH OF PROBLEM RELATED TO AMOUNT OF TOP OFF. LAST COUPLE OF FILL UPS, WENT TO FIRST CLICK AND STOPPED. DID NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM, BUT KEPT SEQUENCE OF VEHICLE BUCKING AND ENGINE QUITTING. ENGINE HAD ALSO DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. ON LAST FILL UP, WAS PREPARING TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CHECK OF PROBLEM. AFTER FILLING TANK (TO FIRST CLICK), WAS AT SIGNAL LIGHT, WAITING TO MAKE A TURN. VEHICLE STARTED BUCKING, ENGINE DIED. PUT TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, STARTED MOTOR, THEN A SOUND LIKE CARBURETOR BACKFIRE OCCURRED. ENGINE WENT TO HIGH IDLE, SIGNAL LIGHT CHANGED, SO PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. HAD SOUND LIKE A/C COOLANT LOW. SPEED WAS BARELY CONTROLLABLE. HAD TO USE BRAKES. GAS PEDAL CONTROL WAS ERRATIC. SEEMED TO STAY AT LEVEL APPLIED. TOOK TO DEALER NEXT MORNING. HAD FAILURE CODE (#PO507), AND EVENTUALLY THEY SAID "PVC VALVE HOSE TO UPPER PELIUNM" HAD CAME OFF. NEVER HAD A "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. HAVE NOT HAD FILL UP SINCE, BUT WILL SOMETIME THIS WEEK. HAVE BEEN LOOKING IN HAYNES REPAIR MANUAL, AND NOTICED THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF CHECK VALVE TO KEEP FUEL FROM ENTERING AIR INTAKE. DEALER DID NOT BRING UP THIS IDEA, BUT DID MENTION ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM BY TOPPING OFF. LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE AND NOTICED TWO VALVES/CONNECTIONS AT LOWER LEVEL OF GAS TANK. *TR |
| 1998 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | I WAS DRIVING MY APPROXIMATELY 10MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED. WE NOTICED THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEGAN TO LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY A WEEK PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL DODGE DEALER, LANCASTER DODGE. THEY IMMEDIATELY IMPLIED THAT THE AIRBAG NEVER WENT OFF AND THAT IT WASN'T A CHRYSLER AIRBAG. THEY REFUSED TO DO ANY WORK ON THE VEHICLE AND REPEATEDLY STATED "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?". MY WIFE AND I WERE SHOCKED AND COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE IMPLYING. I TOOK THE VAN TO ANOTHER DODGE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRBAG DID IN FACT GO OFF (NO SURPRISE TO US). I CALLED TO DISCUSS WITH CHRYSLER AND DESCRIBE THE SITUATION. THE CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WASN'T INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT THE SECOND CHRYSLER DEALER'S FINDING EVEN WHEN I REPEATEDLY EXPLAINED HOW THE FIRST DEALER'S REPORT HAD TO BE INNACCURATE BECAUSE THEY SAID THE AIRBAG DIDN'T GO OFF. I SINCE INVESTIGATED REPORTS SIMILAR TO MINE ON THE NHTSA SITE AND FOUND AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CLOCK SPRING ON MY VEHICLE. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE FIRST CHRYSLER DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ARE FRAUDULENTLY COVERING-UP THIS ISSUE BY PREPARING INACCURATE REPORTS OF THE FAILURE.*AK |
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