2003 Dodge Caravan Water Leak - WARNING

Hey All,

I just purchased a 2003 Dodge Caravan ES AWD about a month ago. Whenever it rains I notice that water is coming in from the passenger assist handle mounted on the front "A pillar." The dealership kept my van for just over a week and they told me it was fixed (replaced the drainage tubes on the sunroof and performed the water leak TSB for

2003 vans). About 2 weeks later I noticed that the problem persisted. So, off I went to the dealership. They have had my van for a week-and-a-half now and tell me they have been in contact with Chrysler engineering (again). They say that this has only been seen twice in all of North America and want to send a guy from the states (I live in Canada) to document and fix it. They say this could take a month!!!! Apparently the problem exsists because I have a sunroof and rear A/C (this is the first year chrysler offers a sunroof in the vans). The only reason I noticed this problem is because I have an ES which has the passenger assist handle. Lower level trims DO NOT have this handle and if you have a sunroof with rear A/C you could be in for a shock in a few years when your roof rusts from the inside out!!!

I feel completely helpless! I called the customer service 1-800 number and was told they would document that I was unhappy but NO ONE would be following up!!! I asked if they could give me a new van and they could study mine all they wanted but they said "that was not chrysler policy." I purchased a nearly $50,000 van which I have only had 50% of the time and they could care less. What the heck am I supposed to do? Any suggestions?!?

Kibosh

Reply to
Kibosh
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Sounds like you might want to involk the "lemon Law" if you have one in your province

Reply to
98stratus

In the US you could go into arbitration. It is explained in the owners' manual. Perhaps they have a similar procedure by you. Check your car manuals to see. You do not need a lawyer in the US and the decision is binding only on the manufacturer. Typically the manufacturer is given one more chance to fix the car and then must either replace it or return money.

passenger

persisted.

out!!!

Reply to
Art Begun

Above all, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! Save your service recipts, copies of all correspondence, and make notes of all conversations, both at the dealer and on the phone, with dates, times, subject, and who you were speaking with. Also, it wouldn't hurt to speak with an attorney, if possible.

Reply to
Bruce Yelen

You need to speak to Chrysler Engineering directly in my opinion, it will shortcut all the BS. Just tell them if Chrysler Engineering wants the van that bad, they have to give you a loaner while they have it. Have the dealer give you their contact # or better yet, visit the dealer and plonk yourself down in the service manager's office until he makes a call to Chryler.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

Does your province have a lemon law? I don't know about how things work in Canada, but in many states south of the border, there is a lemon law which addresses situations just as the one you're experiencing. Check on your province's web site or call your local consumer rights agency, if one exists, to see what legal remedies may be available.

Reply to
stan

Surely to GOD the dealership would be willing to give you a loaner car???

GM Gave me a loaner for a week while they worked on a pesky ignition problem on my Oldsmobile.

I can't believe that you would not be offered a loaner - especially if you bought the car new.

Talk to the Service Manager at the dealership.

Reply to
Cloaked

That is part of the problem. People buy their vehicles new or used from another dealership then expect some other dealer to treat them as good as his own customers. Some people never go to a dealership except when they they think the work should be free. They may be the manufactures, or some other dealers, customer but the are not his customer. Dealers have a tendency to take better care of their own customer first.

mike hunt

Cloaked wrote:

Reply to
BrickMason

Sorry if I led anyone astray . . . the dealership has provided a rental car. But it is certainly not the equivalent of my van. Actually I cannot complain about the dealership, just the fact that no one at the supposed Chrysler "Customer Service" number seems to care. I even asked to speak to a supervisor and they told me there was no one else to talk to!!

Why should I be paying for a car loan for a car I have only had 50% of the time? All they keep telling me is "at least I have a rental." Well, what happens if engineering tries a fix and it doesn't work?!?!? Am I supposed to be without my brand new van for another month until they dream something else up? Obviously there is a design flaw with the sunroofs (the dealership told me the engineering department contacted the sunroof manufacturer to have the roof increased in size by about 1 mm to give it a tighter seal). I feel like I have a tester car that they want to play with so they can revise the 2004 design.

I think Ontario implemented a lemon law but I think that it gives the dealership 3 tries at fixing the car before they have to give you a new car or your money back.

Reply to
Kibosh

Who said anything about taking the car to a different dealer?!?!?

Reply to
Kibosh

Hey K,

Not much help but I purchased a 2003 ES FWD (not AWD) with the sunroof about

3 months ago ... I haven't noticed this problem and, yes, I do have a passenger assist handle.

Also, I've taken it thru one of those "touchless" car washes (lots of water pressure everywhere) at least four times and always examined the interior for leaks afterwards. None to be found.

So, perhaps its not an engineering flaw as they claim but merely a "mistake" done by manufacturing when they assembled your vehicle.

G.

Reply to
George Borges

I'm not sure I understand what your concern is, other than impatience. They're treating the situation according to reasonably good engineering practice, it seems to me- sending someone to look firsthand at one of the two problem vehicles they have detected in all of North America to try to positively identify (and presumably fix) the problem. Let them do their investigation and solution, and then worry if it doesn't fix the problem. Don't worry before it becomes necessary.

As for the dealer, that is EXACTLY who you have a beef with if they gave you a loaner that isn't the equivalent of the car you bought.

Kibosh wrote:

Reply to
Steve

Reply to
mic canic

Personally I think he has been patient enough. He bought a car... not a research project. Plus water/cars do not mix well. Who knows if he'll have electrical problems, mold or rust resulting from this after the warranty is over.

impatience.

engineering

work?!?!?

design.

ignition

especially if

passenger

persisted.

sunroof and

Reply to
Art Begun

I would let them do their research and repair, but I would start asking for some sort of compensation. IE a free 100,000 mile extended warranty or something like that. Something to show they care about your Dodge experience.

KS

Reply to
Kevin

A dealer who treats potential new customers poorly enough will not be getting many new customers. Some folks will test a dealer by going in to get thier car serviced and see who they are treated. If the dealer doesn't pass the test, they take their business elsewhere.

----------------- Alex __O _-\

Reply to
Alex Rodriguez

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