| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 006093335 | Incident Date: Nov, 23 2006 |
| Consumer's City: PORTLAND | Consumer's State: OR |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO | Manufacturers Name: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| Model Name: CARAVAN | Model Year: 1998 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Steering:hydraulic power assist system |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 0 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: 2B4FP2534WR | Date added to File: May, 23 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Jan, 28 2007 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: Aug, 15 1998 |
| Was Original Owner: Yes | Anti-lock Brakes: No |
| Number of Cylinders: 6 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: Subject: defective serpentine belt design i have a concern about a recent malfunctioning serpentine belt in my 1998 caravan. the belt has slipped off twice last month while driving in the rain. the first incident left me stranded off the side of the freeway waiting for a tow truck. the second incident occurred when backing out of a parking spot on damp payment (no standing water) while at a rest stop many miles from home. both incidents occurred on normal pavement and driving during rainy days, and without any warning. the van has the standard 3.0 liter v6 engine with 88k miles, but the serpentine belt installed was less than 1 year old. two sets of professional mechanics found the belt, the belt tensioner, and all related parts of the system in good working order (including the engine mounts). in summary, the system was well maintained and working as designed. the concern we have is the design of this system. the vehicle has been very reliable during the last eight years. but this particular problem is greatly distressing. not only is the range of the vehicle limited to a couple of miles with a strong battery, the loss of power assisted steering makes this both a safety and reliability issue. *nm |
