2000 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

BOTH POWER WINDOWS FAIL TO OPERATE. DEALERS STATE THIS TYPE OF CAR QUESTION IS COMMON. *TR

MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING, DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR STOPPED WORKING, I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, THIS MIGHT LEAD TO AN FATAL CAR CRASH SINCE THE DRIVER WOULDN'T KNOW THE SPEED THEY WOULD BE GOING AT. *TR

I HAVE 2000 DODGE CARAVAN WITH A 3.0L ENGINE. EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR SNOWS THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF. THIS CAUSES THE POWER STEERING TO LOCK UP, AND THE ALTERNATOR TO STOP CHARGING. THE CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. YOU LOSE CONTROL. THE MALFUNCTION WAS CORRECTED USING THE GATES MICRO V KIT. THIS INCLUDES A RIBBED BELT TENSIONER, RIBBED IDLER AND A DOUBLE SIDE SERPENTINE BELT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V480000; COMPONENT: AIR BAGS AND CONTACTED HIS LOCAL DEALER TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE REPAIR. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE; HOWEVER, THE CLOCK SPRING WAS ON BACKORDER AND THEY COULD NOT MAKE REPAIRS AT THAT TIME. THEY ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT THE CLOCK SPRING FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS ON A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER AND DID NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL. TO DATE, NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 155,000. UPDATED 2/17/10 *CN UPDATED 02/22/10.*JB

THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF OFTEN , MORE WHEN DRIVEN OVER A PUDDLE OF WATER. MORE OFTEN IN WET WEATHER. IT'S SCARY TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE BELT COMES OFF YOU LOSE POWER STEERING AUTOMATICALLY AND ALL YOUR OTHER FACTION. IT'S STARTED ABOUT YEAR AFTER GETTING VAN. *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT ON A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN SLIPS OFF WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER OR WET CONDITIONS SUCH AS IN THE RAIN OR SNOW, RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING (LOSS OF CONTROL); WATER PUMP (OVERHEATING AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ALUMINUM HEADS); ALTERNATOR (NO BATTERY CHARGING) AND AC. THIS WAS AFTER A NEW BELT AND TENSIONER WAS INSTALLED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS INCIDENTS SITED ON RELATED WEB SITES. MY WIFE ALMOST WRECKED BECAUSE OF NO STEERING. IT HAPPENED OVER A DOZEN TIMES TO HER AND 4 TIMES TO ME. COST OF PUTTING BELT BACK ON WAS AROUND $40 EACH TIME. TRIED A FIX USING A DISC OVER THE TENSIONER AND IDLE PULLEY RECOMMENDED BY DEALER, BUT FIRST TIME THROUGH A RAIN PUDDLE, IT SLIPPED OFF. A $200 FIX IS AVAILABLE PLUS $150 LABOR CALLED A GATES KIT # 38379K ALSO BY GOODYEAR #49215K. THEY BOTH COME WITH A DOUBLE SIDED GROOVED BELT, GROOVED IDLE PULLEY AND GROOVED TENSIONER AND STATES THAT IT FIXES THE PROBLEM OF BELTS COMING OFF THE DODGE VANS IN WET WEATHER. IF THIS IS PART OF THE SELLING POINT OF THE KIT, THEN THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER, DODGE, PLYMOUTH VANS AND THE CONSUMER SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS "FIX." THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE PAID FOR AND CORRECTED BY CHRYSLER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IT SEEMED AS IF THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER THAT THE TENSION AND IDLE PULLEY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FURTHERMORE, SHE NOTICED A SQUEAKING NOISE WHICH SHE PRESUMED WAS IN THE BRAKE AREA WHEN THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND OCCASIONALLY FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. SHE SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE WHERE SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, HE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED HER THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER OR AN AUTHORIZED DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 138,830. UPDATED 4/30/10 *CN TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. UPDATED 06/28/10*JB

THE BELT ON MY DODGE CARAVAN SPORT SLIPPED OFF IN THE RAIN LEAVING ME TO DRIVE HOME WITHOUT WIPERS AND OR BLOWER. IDLER PULLEY SHOULD HAVE KEEPERS ON THE EDGES SO THE BELT WILL NOT SLIP OFF. *TR

2000 DODGE CARAVAN SUSPENSION STRUT TOWER RUST AFTER 7 YEARS. THIS COULD BE DISASTROUS WHEN IT BROKEN. AND IT IS VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS KIND OF VEHICLE. DEALER OFFER A FIX QUOTE $1300 + TAX. IT SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS BIG SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MY 4 CHILDREN WERE IN MY VAN WHILE IT WAS PARKED AND MY 5 YR OLD GOT INTO DRIVERS SEAT AND PULLED GEAR SHIFT IN REVERSE AND VAN ROLLED DOWN DRIVEWAY, ACROSS ROAD, AND OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND IT TOTALED THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, THE GEAR SHIFT SHOULD NOT HAVE MOVED WHILE IT WAS IN PARK WITHOUT THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED TO GET IT OUT OF GEAR. MY DAUGHTER HAD TO HAVE STITCHES AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *TR