1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER, ILLUMINATION OF ALL WARNING LIGHTS, AND THE RISING OF THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT BECAME DETACHED DUE TO WATER SPLASHING UP INTO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BELT, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE SERVICE DEALER MENTIONED THAT A SPLASH SHIELD KIT WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 10/30/06. *JB

DURING A HARD RAIN SHOWER, THE SERPENTINE BELT WHICH DRIVES THE ALTERNATOR, A/C, POWER STEERING AND WATER PUMP JUMPED OFF OF THE PULLEYS RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIRS. REPAIR SHOP COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON FOR THE BELT TO JUMP OFF. BELT WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. THIS FIRST OCCURRENCE OCCURRED ON 12/16/2005. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OCCURRED ON 7/28/2006 UNDER THE SAME WET WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP AND CHECKED OUT BY THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS. THE BELT WAS EXAMINED AGAIN AND FOUND NOT TO HAVE ANY SIGN OF DAMAGE. THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS REPLACED THE BELT WITH A NEW ONE AS HE COULD FIND NO REASON FOR THE BELT TO JUMP OFF. STEERING OF THE VEHICLE WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THE LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING. I CHECKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID HE HAD NOT HAD ANY SERVICE BULLETINS FROM CHRYSLER ON THIS PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE TRAVELS ROUGH AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TOP OF THE MACPHERSON STRUT TOWERS WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT REPLACED THE STRUTS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION FOR NORMAL MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE STRUT TOWERS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WERE RUSTED. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A SERVICE BULLETIN, DESCRIBING HOW TO TREAT THE RUSTED PARTS. UPDATED 8/30/2006 - *NM

STRUT TOWER CORROSION-DRIVER SIDE-RUST AND METAL BREAKING UP-1998 GRAND CARAVAN-PURCHASED NEW-HAS 83,500 MILES- HAVE HAD BELT PROBLEMS SEVERAL TIMES-ALSO WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMIT FAILURE -RUSTED OUT POWER STEERING MECH. TOTALLY REPLACED-MANY BRAKE JOBS-AND ALSO HEADLIGHT INTERIOR SWITCH SEEMS TO FAIL AT TIMES. I NEED TO MAKE A DECISSION TO BUY A NEW VAN WITH "HAND CONTROLS" OR HAVE THIS VAN "HAND CONTROLS" INSTALLED. ME THINKS I NEED TO BUY A NEW VAN AND BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER MANUFACTOR. AS IT SEEMS LIKE CHRYSLER/DODGE IS NOT STEPPING UP TO ALL THESE FAILURES THAT ARE SEEN BY TOO MANY OTHER VAN OWNERS;OF THIS 1998 MODEL CARAVAN. SAW ON LINE A NEW REPAIR FOR THE STRUT RUSTING CALLED ""FUSOR #112B/MOPAR 05083855AA. CAN BE USED TO FIX THIS PROBLEMTHE TSB #23-044-02 THRU A COMPANY CALLED LORD CORP. LISTED UNDER THEIR OEM BULLETINS AND REPAIR RECOMMENDATIONS USING FUSOR ADHESIVES. THINK I MAY USE THIS ON MINE. HOPE OTHERS CAN USE THIS ALSO. THANKS. *NM

THIS IS FOR A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 3.0 WE HAD TO REPLACE THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER TWICE IN TWO YEARS. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER SO WE WANTED TO ADD THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO OURS. *JB

1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN - WHEN NEW, RECALLED FOR SAFETY BELT REPAIR/REPLACEMENT AND AIR BAG CLOCK SWITCH REPLACEMENT. FOR ABOUT THE PAST 2 YEARS, THE INTERIOR LIGHT SWITCH AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS SWITCH FROM DIM TO LIGHT WITH A CLICKING SOUND BUT HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM I FEEL NEEDED IMMEDIATE ADDRESSING. MORE RECENTLY, REAR AIR VENTS BLOW COLD/WARM/HOT AIR WHEN A/C IS TURNED ON. HOWEVER, FRONT VENTS BLOW ICE COLD AIR. REAR AIR VENTS FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY EACH TIME WE START THE CAR. ALL THESE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS CAUSE ME GREAT CONCERN FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 REGARDING OTHER ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED IN THE FUTURE. AFTER READING ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS BRAND, I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN WE WILL BE PURCHASING A MORE REPUTABLE BRAND WHEN WE REPLACE OUR CAR. WHAT IS CHRYSLER DOING TO ADDRESS THESE NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS? *JB

THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND THE HORN AND CRUISE DON'T WORK. THEY REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING A FEW YEARS AGO BUT I WASN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS THEN BUT I AM NOW. *NM

AFTER I HAD CLOSED THE LIFTGATE ON MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, I HEARD A "POP". I HAD HEARD THIS "POP" BEFORE - I HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1992 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL. WHEN I RE-OPENED THE LIFTGATE, THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT SHOT THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LIFTGATE AND THE ROOFLINE. IT WAS STILL SECURED BY THE LOWER BOLT, BUT THE TOP BOLT HAD SHEARED, JUST AS HAPPENED ON THE 1992 PLYMOUTH MODEL . HOWEVER, DUE TO DESIGN CHANGES IN THE AREA OF THE WHERE THE STRUT IS, THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THE STRUT TO GO BUT TO SCRATCH THE PAINT ON THE VEHICLE. THE 1992 PLYMOUTH HAD A "POCKET" THAT THE UPPER BOLT SAT IN AND IT WOULD FORCE THE STRUT INTO THE AREA BETWEEN THE ROOF AND ROOF LINER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ON THIS 1998 DODGE, I HAD TO FORCIBLY REMOVE THE STRUT FROM THE LOWER BOLT, SINCE IT WAS ATTACHED WITH A STAR DESIGN HEADED BOLT, THEREFORE EFFECTIVELY RUINING THE LOWER PIVOT AREA OF THE STRUT. THIS IS THE FIFTH (5TH) STRUT (1ST ON THE 1998) THAT I HAVE HAD FAILURE WITH, AND ALL HAVE BEEN TO BOLT FAILURE IN THE THREADED AREA OF THE BOLT. I WILL CONTACT LOCAL DODGE DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF FIXING UNDER SAME RECALL AS 1992 RECALL. *NM

MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (3.3 L ENGINE VIN: [XXX] ), THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN, OR WHEN DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLE. WHEN THIS HAPPEN, THE VEHICLE LOSE POWER BRAKES POWER STEERING, CAUSING VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES DURING THE LAST 18 MONTHS OUT OF WHICH 2 WERE ON FREEWAY AT 60MPH. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. REPLACED THE BELT, TENSIONER ETC, STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. TOOK IT TO DODGE DEALER (DAYTON DODGE, DAYTON, NJ) ON 01/10/2006, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX, SITING "CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT HAS NO FIX" A SEARCH ON GOOGLE SHOWS NUMEROUS HITS FOR THIS PROBLEM ON CHRYSLER MINIVANS. I BELIEVE CHRYSLER HAS A TSB FOR THIS, BUT HAS NOT A RECALL. SEE BELOW LINKS BELOW. HTTP://WWW.DODGETALK.COM/FORUMS/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-4450.HTML HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_30931.HTML. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)