2004 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE A FLAT TIRE HOWEVER, SHE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE CABLE WOULD NEED TO BE SEVERED IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED NOR WAS THE WIRE SEVERED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE ISSUE IS WITH THE DODGE CARAVANS 2004 ECM'S, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THESE PARTS GOING OUT ON THESE VANS. I JUST HAD MINE GO OUT ON MY WAY TO OSU HOSPITAL TWO HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. THERE WAS NO WARNING AT ALL ONE MIN MY VAN IS FINE THE NEXT IT JERKED,ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND VAN DROPS IN LOW GEAR AND WILL NOT SHIFT. HAD TESTED BY DEALER WITH SIMULATOR AND IT WAS THE ECM, I DID SOME CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL,TO MY SURPRISE NO RECALL BUT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE VANS. THE ISSUE IS: IF KNOWN PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR PRICE IS VERY COSTLY WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL? IN MY CASE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT THANKFULLY, NOW HAD WE NOT BEEN IN TRAFFIC THAT WAS SLOW MOVING WE WOULD HAVE FOR SURE CAUSED ACCIDENT WHEN IT DROPPED IN TO LOW GEAR. THESE VANS A NORMALLY USED FOR FAMILIES AND MOST OF US CAN NOT AFFORD THE PRICE IT COST TO HAVE OUR VAN FIXED. I MYSELF DID ALOT OF CHECKING AROUND ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE EVEN CONSIDERING TO FILE THIS AND DECIDED THAT WE AS THE OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE VANS IT SHOULD BE THE MAKERS RESPONSIBILITY TO DO A RECALL AND FIX IT. THE PART ALONE WAS TO COST $750.00, TEST DONE TO SEE IF THAT'S WHAT IT WAS COST $140.00 AND GRAND TOTAL WITH LABOR $1200.00 NOW THANKFUL I HAD THE RESOURCES TO GET THIS BUT TO THOSE OF US WHO DO NOT THEY ARE OUT OF FAMILY TRANSPORTATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. *TR

I USE THE EVENFLO CHASE DLX BOOSTER CAR SEAT FOR MY 3 YEAR OLD. MOST OF THE TIME WE DON'T HAVE OCCASION TO REMOVE THE SEAT, BUT BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING HER WITH MY MOM OVERNIGHT, I WANTED TO TAKE THE SEAT OUT FOR HER USE. WHEN I TRIED TO REINSTALL THE SEAT THE FOLLOWING EVENING, THE LOWER "TETHER" SNAPPED COMPLETELY OUT AT THE PLASTIC "BOLT" ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT. THERE WAS NO WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I HAD TO INSTALL THE SEAT WITH THE SEAT BELT AND "H CLIP". MY CONCERN IS IF I HADN'T UNINSTALLED/REINSTALLED THE SEAT, USING THE VEHICLE TETHER SYSTEM, AND I HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP OR BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, MY DAUGHTER MAY HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE SEAT IS STILL USABLE WITH THE SEAT BELT, HOWEVER, THIS MATTER IS OF GREAT CONCERN. I DON'T WANT ANY OTHER PARENT TO NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND THINK THEIR CHILD IS SAFE. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2004, MAKE=DODGE, MODEL=CARAVAN). *TR

CLOSED ALL DOORS USING THE KEY FOB AND WENT TO CHURCH. THE REAR SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WITH THE KEY FOB. GOT INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND YOU CAN NOT MANUALLY PULL THE LEVER UP. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. IT APPEARS THE PASSENGER DOOR IS BEGINNING TO MALFUNCTION ALSO. KEY FOB WON'T OPEN IT, BUT YOU CAN OPEN MANUALLY. TIRES WEAR OUT QUICKLY IN THE FRONT. I ALSO LOST A TAIL LIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. IT JUST SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTICED THE SAME THING BEGINNING TO HAPPEN TO THE OTHER TAIL LIGHT. DODGE IS MAKING A KILLING ON THESE. THEY ARE APPROXIMATELY 113 DOLLARS!!! NOW MY AIR CONDITIONER HAS COLD AIR , BUT NOT BLOWING. *TR

EVAPORATOR CORE LEAKS ALLOWING FREON TO LEAK OUT INTO SEALED INTERIOR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. DESIGN FLAW DUE TO LOCATION OF TEMPERATURE PROBE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE CORE. EVAPORATOR CORE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE. *TR

2004 DODGE CARAVAN SXT. ' WHINE' NOISE AND HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. NOISE IS MOST NOTICEABLE IN COLD WEATHER AND WHEN WHEEL IS TURNED RIGHT OR LEFT. VEHICLE HAS 54 THOUSAND MILES NOW. DEALER DID A FACTORY BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE AT ABOUT 30 THOUSAND, DID NOT FIX PROBLEM AND RESULTED IN THE SMELL OF FLUID/CHEMICAL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT THAT WAS VERY SLOW TO GO AWAY. DISGUSTING ! *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR GETS WET. THIS IS THE THIRD CHRYSLER PRODUCT THAT WE HAVE HAD THAT DOES THIS. WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND WHY IS IT STILL HAPPENING. THE CARPET IS GETTING MOLDY AND COULD MAKE SOMEONE SICK. WE WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT. *TR

I OWN A 2004 DODGE CARAVAN. THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED TWO DAYS AGO. BROUGHT IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BROKEN AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING WHICH IS HOUSED INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN AND ALSO NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED AT TIME I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AT THE DEALER. THIS ITEM CONTROLS THE PROPER AIRBAG AND HORN FUNCTION AND SHOULD NOT "BREAK" UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. I WAS CHARGED 450.00 FOR THIS REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT AND THIS PART DOES NOT REQUIRE MAINTENANCE. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR GETS WET. THIS IS THE THIRD CHRYSLER PRODUCT THAT WE HAVE HAD THAT DOES THIS. WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND WHY IS IT STILL HAPPENING. THE CARPET IS GETTING MOLDY AND COULD MAKE SOMEONE SICK. WE WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN TO JERK BACK AND FORTH. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE DIAL FOR THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS ON FIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITHOUT INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 73,000.