2000 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER STEERING BELT DETACHED SEVEN TIMES. THIS OCCURRED FOUR TO FIVE TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD ON EACH OCCASION. THE STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHEN THIS OCCURRED.

THE STRUT TOWERS ON MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE DRIVER SIDE IS MUCH WORSE THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE MAIN BELT OF THE ENGINE SLIPPED OFF. THE POWER STEERING, WATER PUMP AND ALTERNATOR FAILED TO WORK. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO MOISTURE ON THE BELT. THE BELT WAS REPLACED HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT.

DRIVER SIDE STRUT TOWER RUSTING OUT VERY BAD. CARAVAN ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES AND IT HAS TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE INSTALL OF NEW STRUT. IT IS ONLY ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND LOOKS TO BE THAT MY 2000 CARAVAN IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. THE BATTERY IS ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE RUSTED TOWER. THE PASSENGER SIDE IS NOT AFFECTED AT ALL. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE IS SEEING A LOT OF THE CARAVANS AND TOWN AND COUNTRIES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TOP HALF OF THE TOWER HAS TO BE CUT OUT AND A NEW ONE WELDED IN. THANK YOU DAIMLER CHRYSLER FOR NOT STANDING BEHIND YOUR PRODUCTS. AND YOU WONDER WHY THE AMERICAN MARKET IS GOING TO THE JAPANESE AUTO MAKERS. *JB

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. BOTH STRUT TOWERS IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ARE RUSTING OUT. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS DEFECT & RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS SHOWN NUMEROUS SERVICE BULLETINS OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. AND CHRYSLER IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THIS MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD! THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FAILURE AS OF YET, BUT IF NOT ADDRESSED QUICKLY THERE IS A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR A MAJOR ACCIDENT!!! CHRYSLER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT!*JB

I WAS DRIVING 200 CARAVAN ON A SURFACE STREET IN BUSY TRAFFIC. THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPED OFF AND I WAS LEFT WITH NO POWER STEERING. THERE WAS NO WARNING UNTIL I HAD TO TURN. I PUT THE BELT BACK ON AND LATER THAT EVENING IN THE RAIN THE BELT SLIPPED OFF AGAIN. AT THIS TIME IT WAS DARK AND I WAS ON A HIGHWAY. I REPLACED THE BELT WITH AN OLD SPARE I KEEP IN THE VAN AND I MADE IT HOME. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT 40MPH THE CONTACT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONTAL DAMAGE AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY. THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND BOTH WERE WEARING SEATBELTS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

RIGHT FRONT STRUT TOWER WAS NOTICED TO BE SHOWING SIGNIFICANT RUSTING, ASKED DEALER TO INVESTIGATE, THEIR RESPONSE WAS THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. BODY SHOP SAID THEY HAVE SEEN ON OTHER VEHICLES AND IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND A COSTLY REPAIR. SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS ARE SERIOUS IF ONE WERE TO EXPERIENCE A FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE CLAIMS TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY SIMILAR PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM DID NOT JUST START BUT HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. I WOULD NOT CONSIDER THIS A "WEAR" PROBLEM BUT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AT LOW SPEED, THE FRONT TIE ROD END BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE TIE ROD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN HAS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE PART OF THE UNIBODY (BILATERAL STRUT TOWERS) ARE RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUTWARD. THE DRIVER SIDE IS IN SUCH POOR CONDITION THAT IT WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. THE METAL IS SO CORRODED YOU CAN POKE A PEN THROUGH THE METAL ON THE STRUT TOWER LOCATED ON THE DRIVER SIDE. ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP, MECHANICS, USED PART DISTRIBUTORS: "THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CARAVANS OF THIS TIME FRAME ('96-2000). THE DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS EVEN COME OUT WITH A "PATCH KIT" BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE ALTHOUGH EXPERIENCED MECHANICS RECOMMEND REMOVAL OF STRUTS AND WELDING NEW ONES IN PLACE. THIS IS A COSTLY FIX DUE TO BEING LABOR INTENSIVE. REGARDLESS... AFTER SEVERAL CONTACTS WITH DAIMLER CHRYSLER CONSUMER LINE, THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR FIXING THIS DEFECT OR FOR PATCHING IT. THEY DO NOT FEEL IT IS A RECALL ITEM AND APPARENTLY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I WILL FIX MY VEHICLE AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND WILL NEVER BUY A PRODUCT FROM THEIR LINE AGAIN SINCE THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO STAND BEHIND THE SAFETY/QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCT. THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT YET AND I WILL NOT BE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED PROPERLY. *JB