2000 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

WITH 79,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO SAFE MODE AND LOCKED IN 2ND GEAR. REPAIR SHOP HOOKED VEHICLE UP TO DIAGNOSTICS AND VEHICLE WILL NEED A TRANSMISSION REBUILD. VEHICLE HAS A HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION LEAKS AND TRANSMISSION LINES LETTING GO DATING BACK TO FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. A TRANSMISSION SERVICE (AT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS) WAS COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY AT 74,000 MILES. OWNED 96 CARAVAN -TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 51,000 MILES. WAS ASSURED BY SALESPERSON AND SERVICE MANAGER THAT TRANSMISSION ON 2000 WAS A COMPLETE REDESIGN OR I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED A SECOND CARAVAN.

DT: CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH HER 2 LITTLE GIRLS. STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BRAKES FAILED AND STEERING LOCKED UP. WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO A PARKING LOT AND HIT TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC SAID THERE WERE NO BRAKES IN THE VAN. *AK VAN. UPDATED 3/20/2006 - *NM

PURCHASED A DODGE CARAVAN NEW, DELIVERED 03/19/00. 12/21/00 LEAKING TRANS SOLENOID PACK (NOT SURE IF THAT WAS RELATED TO CONSEQUENT FAILURES OF THE SERPENTINE BELT). THE SERPENTINE BELT, WHICH, ACCORDING TO DODGE MECHANICS SHOULD LAST 70,000 MILES, HAS FAILED FOUR TIMES ALREADY; MILEAGE AT LAST FAILURE: 68,145 MILES. THE BELT BREAKS WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING AT ALL, AND ALL POWER IS LOST, BRAKES, STEERING - WHICH COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, CAUSING MY DEATH OR THE DEATH OF OTHERS. FORTUNATELY, AFTER THE FIRST TIME, I RECOGNIZE THE SOUNDS - LIKE A TWIG BEING CAUGHT IN THE ENGINE - AS THE BELT SUDDENLY FRAYS, AND PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY.THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAULT. DATES AND MILEAGE OF FAILURES: 04/19/01 18,456 - I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRING THE VEHICLE THAT I "HAD A BETTER CHANCE OF WINING THE LOTTERY THAN THIS HAPPENING AGAIN!" 05/18/02 32,229 MILES 02/17/03 40,349 A SHIELD, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN PUT ON THIS YEAR'S MODEL, WAS PUT ON BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE SHIELD WAS ON MODEL YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER 2000, BUT WAS OMITTED FROM THE 2000 LINE. THE SHIELD STOPPED RAIN AND SNOW FROM GOING INTO THE ENGINE, FREEZING THE BLOCK, AND/OR MIXING WITH THE OIL WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE BELT TO SLIDE ON THE PULLEYS AND THE BELT TO BRAKE. IF THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THIS FAULT, SURELY THE MANUFACTURER IS. WHILE THERE IS A LONGER TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE BELT BRAKING AFTER THE SHIELD WAS PUT ON, IT STILL BROKE AGAIN IN UNDER 20,000 MILES. 05/21/05 68,149 INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE REVEALED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON ALL 1997-2000 CARAVANS/GRAND CARAVANS FOR ALL AC COMPRESSOR REPAIRS, PUT OUT BY CHRYLSER IN OCTOBER OF 2003. (HTTP://ALLPAR.COM/DEALERS/WARRANTY.HTML) CAN THIS CAR BE DECLARED DANGEROUS AND A LEMON?

WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT, THE TIRE PEOPLE SHOWED ME A LEAK ON BOTH REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS. THE FRONT BRAKE CYLINDER NOW ALSO HAS A SMALL LEAK FROM THE GASKET. THE MINIVAN HAS 25,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED DECEMBER 2000. IT IS DRIVEN ON GOOD SUBURBAN ROADS.

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, RING AND PINION SHEARED OFF, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COAST. THERE WAS NO POWER TO GENERATE GEARS FOR MOVING.THE TRANSMISSION LET GO AT THE SAME TIME. ALL THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK TRANSMISSION BLEW A HOLE INTO AND THROUGH ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. *BF *NM

WHILE VISITING A FAMILY FRIEND CONSUMER DISCOVERED A WATER LEAK T IN HIS CARAVAN. THIS LEAK RESULTED FROM WATER RUNNING DOWN THE EXTERIOR ROOF GROOVES AND DOWN TO THE BACK OF THE VAN. IT HAD A CRACK IN THE WELD THAT WAS FOUND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE UPPER PORTION OF THE VAN BODY, WHERE THE REAR HATCH WAS LOCATED. THE WATER ENTERED THE CRACK AND RAN DOWN THE INSIDE OF THE VAN . ALSO, PUDDLES WERE FOUND UNDERNEATH THE CARPET, WHICH RESULTS IN A MILD WET CARPET, BUT EVEN WORSE, RUST.*AK I LIFTED THE REAR CARPET IN MY VAN AND THERE WAS WATER AND THE CARPET PAD WAS WET. I HADN'T NOTICED IT BEFORE BECAUSE WE HAVE A PLASTIC LINER TRAY IN THE BACK. I BELIEVE MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT ARE UNAWARE OF IT.

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER ONLY POWER STEERING FAILED. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. DRIVER PULLED OVER, AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT POWER STEERING BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

CONSUMER WAS CHANGING THE OIL ON THE VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE SPRING ON THE MCPHERSON STRUT WAS BREAKING OFF. THIS COULD CAUSE THE HOOD ON THE VEHICLE TO POP OFF, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. *AK

SUN VISOR WAS DEFECTIVE WHILE IN USE, THE SUN VISOR BROKE OFF ITS ASSEMBLY, PREVENTING THE BLOCKING OF SUNLIGHT WHILE DRIVING. *AK WHEN REPOSITIONING THE SUN VISOR TO BLOCK THE SUN, THE SUN VISOR BROKE OFF IN CONSUMER'S HAND. MANUFACTURE NOTIFIED. *TT

SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING AT TIMES MY VAN (AUTOMATIC 4-CYLINDER 2000 CARAVAN), IT WILL CONTINUOUSLY SHIFT, MAKING THE VAN FELL LIKE ITS PULLING AND GIVING/JERKY (**SCARY WHEN THIS HAPPENS**). THE VAN WILL SHAKE(VIBRATE). THE GAS PEDAL EVEN VIBRATES. THE VAN SOUNDS LOUD(FRONT AREA OF CAR), MY SON SAYS IT SOUNDS LIKE A RACE CAR.HE GETS SCARED. THE WHEELS SEEMS TO BE HUGGING/GRIPPING THE GROUND( ANOTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, IT FEELS AS IF GRAVITY WAS PULLING THE CAR DOWNWARD). THE VAN SEEMS TO LOSE POWER, AND PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL MAKES THE RUMBLING NOISE (ENGINE?) LOUDER.*AK