2004 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AT COSTCO WHERE THEY WERE PURCHASED IN 2012. IN THE SPRING OF 2013, I WAS GOING TO PUT NEW BRAKES ON THE REAR OF MY 2004 MINIVAN, AND COULD NOT GET TWO OF THE LUG NUTS OFF. SO I JUST PUT IT OFF FOR A WHILE. ON JULY 30, 2013, I WENT OUT TO GET IN MY VAN AND HAD A FLAT TIRE ON THAT SAME WHEEL. I ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE TIRE AND TWO OF THE STUD BOLTS BROKE. I REMOVED THE REST OF THE LUGNUTS AND TOOK THE TIRE TO BE REPAIRED AT COSTCO. ON THE 31ST, I TOOK MY VAN TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM, SO I WANTED THEM TO PUT NEW BRAKES ON AND REPLACE THE WHEEL STUDS. AS THEY WERE DOING THE REPAIR, TWO MORE OF THE STUDS BROKE. THIS IS NOW 4 WHEEL STUDS ON THE SAME WHEEL. NONE OF THE LUG NUTS WERE REMOVABLE FROM THESE BOLTS. I THOUGHT THAT COSTCO HAD OVERTIGHTENED THE LUG NUTS. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE AND SEEING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, I AM WONDERING IF THE BOLTS ARE DEFECTIVE. IN 50 YEARS OF DRIVING CARS AND REPAIRING A LOT OF THEM MYSELF, I HAVE NEVER HAD A BROKEN WHEEL STUD. I AM THANKFUL THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE ROAD SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. IF THESE BOLTS ARE DEFECTIVE, HOW STRONG ARE THEY WHEN I AM DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED ON THE FREEWAY. *TR

MYSTERIOUSLY MY HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING LAST NIGHT. HAD TO DRIVE HOME IN THE DARK WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. AS WELL AS MY WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID PUMP WILL NOT TURN ON. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND YEAR. WHY HASN'T DODGE DONE A RECALL IT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM IS FAR TOO WIDESPREAD AND COMMON IN THESE VANS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS, WHENEVER HE FILLED THE FUEL TANK THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BUT THE NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

MY FAMILY BEGAN NOTICING A GAS SMELL SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. IT WAS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE AND WHEN IN A CLOSED GARAGE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE FROM SOME GAS SPILL ON FUELING. I DID NOT SEE ANY LEAKS ON THE GROUND OR IN THE ENGINE AREA. I JUST HAD THE VAN SERVICED AT THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A GAS LEAK. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION IT APPEARS THERE IS A VERY SLOW LEAK (SEEPAGE) COMING AT THE CONNECTION OFF THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL LINE. THIS LOOKS LIKE A TWIST-OFF CONNECTION. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $96/HR TO PINPOINT AND DIAGNOSIS THE EXACT PROBLEM. I JUST FOUND ANOTHER PERSON ON THE WEB WITH THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. I HAVE NOT YET HAD AN "EXACT DIAGNOSIS" OR REPAIR MADE. *TR UPDATED 03/26/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS INSPECTED AND REPLACED BY A LOCAL DEALER. THEY CONFIRMED THE PUMP WAS LEAKING THROUGH A CRACKED HOUSING. THE GAS TANK WAS STAINED BY THE FUEL LEAKING DOWN UPON IT.

WHEN ONE DRIVES AWAY AFTER REFUELING THE GAS TANK THE VEHICLE QUITS RUNNING. IT WILL RESTART. THIS WILL HAPPEN FOR THE FIRST TEN MILES OR SO. OTHER DODGES ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 60MPH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON ALL BY THEMSELVES AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF EVEN WHEN WE STOPPED AND TURNED THE VAN CONPLETELY OFF THEY WERE STILL GOING. EVERYTHING WAS POSITIONED ON OFF THERE WAS NO POWER ON IN THE VAN AT ALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC, I FELT SLUGGISH ACCELERATION FROM A STOP LIGHT. THE NEXT STOP LIGHT THE BRAKES FELT HARD, AND AGAIN ACCELERATION WAS SLOW. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING I SMELLED MY BRAKES BURNING AND I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE CLOSEST REPAIR SHOP. SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF BOTH FRONT WHEEL WELLS. BRAKES LOCKED, PADS AND ROTORS BURNT, MASTER CYLINDER NOT ALLOWING FLUID TO RETURN. MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED WITH FRONT PADS AND OTHER WORK. EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED 15 WEEKS LATER. DIFFERENT SHOP. REPLACED ABS UNIT. SAME PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED 8 WEEKS LATER AFTER MINIMAL DRIVING. SHOP FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT NO WRITE UP BECAUSE HE FIXED FOR FREE. 1 YEAR LATER, SAME PROBLEM. BRAKES LOCKED, BRAKES BURNING, BRAKES SMOKING. IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY AS I TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS CAR. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT ANOTHER 2004 DODGE CARAVAN THAT STALLS AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE STALLING OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING-I.E. IN THE MIDDLE OF CROSSING AN INTERSECTION OR,SAY, PULLING OUT OF THE GAS STATION INTO TRAFFIC! SPOKE WITH CHRYSLER THIS MORNING ABOUT IT AND THEY SEEM OBLIVIOUS TO THE PROBLEM. KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GOOGLE "CARAVAN STALLS AFTER FILLING UP" AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE. MECHANICS ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC ONLY SEEMS TO BE AWARE AFTER THE OCCURRENCE! PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO CHECK INTO THIS BEFORE SOME LITTLE KID GETS HURT. *TR

POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE LEAKING - REPLACED TWO TIMES IN THREE YEARS - NO RECALL ON THIS ITEM, ADVISED BY DEALER THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT REPAIR AND IS SERIOUS. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2004 DODGE CARAVAN THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FILLED. THE VEHICLE STALLS AND RUNS ROUGH FOR SEVERAL MILES AND SOMETIMES MANY MORE. I BELIEVE THE DEFECT IS THE LIQUID/VAPOR VALVE BUILT INTO THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. IT FAILS AND ALLOWS FUEL INTO THE EVAC CANISTER AND VAPOR LINES WHICH COULD EXPLODE OR CAUSE A FIRE AS THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED TO HOLD GASOLINE. CHRYSLER SEEMS TO CARE LESS. I'M SURE WHEN PEOPLE START TO BURN TO DEATH SOMETHING WILL BE DONE. THANK YOU *TR