1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

I HAVE REPEATEDLY HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT COME OFF WHILE DRIVING IN MY 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THIS IS UNSAFE. I LOSE POWER STEERING, A/C OR DEFROSTER, THE VAN OVERHEATS UNLESS YOU PARK IT INSTANTLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES AND I HAVE REPLACED THE TENSION PULLEY AND IT STILL DIDN'T HELP. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *JB

1) TRAVEL TO LOCAL OIL CHANGE GARAGE. 2) IN PARKING LOT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE WITH DRASTIC LOSS OF BRAKING. 3) VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED HOME (COST $85.00). I REPLACED BOTH RUSTED (ONE RUPTURED) BRAKE LINES (WHICH RAN FROM THE ABS CONTROLLER TO THE REAR BRAKES) WITH AUTO PARTS STORE HARDWARE ($41.00 LINES & FITTINGS, & $5.00 FLUID) AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT RUSTING LINES ARE NOT THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT MANUFACTURER REPLACEMENT LINES ARE NOT STOCKED AFTER 2 OR 3 YEARS. (THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AS I WOULD EXPECT THAT BRAKE LINE FAILURES WOULD NOT OCCUR IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF SERVICE.) I HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE LINES RUNNING TO THE MASTER CYLINDER SHOW SIMILAR DETERIORATION WHICH WILL SOON REQUIRE THEIR REPLACEMENT AS WELL. THE LINES ARE CORRODING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE STAINLESS STEEL BRAIDED HOSE SECTIONS WHICH APPEAR TO BE OF METAL DIFFERING FROM WHAT THE BRAKE LINE ITSELF IS MADE FROM. GIVEN THAT THE FAILURE IS OCCURRING IN AN AREA WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE DISSIMILAR METALS (AN OBVIOUS FAILURE POINT IN AREAS USING SALT ON THE ROADS DURING WINTER - SEE ARTICLES COVERING "GALVANIC CORROSION") THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE MADE EFFORT TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AND SHOULD OFFER SOME SORT OF REPAIR / RECALL ARRANGEMENT. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT, NOT AT SEVENTY MILES PER HOUR ON AN INTERSTATE OR IN RUSH OUR TRAFFIC, BUT I'M SURE THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE RIDING AROUND WITH THIS TICKING TIME BOMB ON BOARD. COULD YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20-40 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLS. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO TWO DEALERSHIPS, BUT THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWS NO CODES.

STARTER SOLENOID FAILED, STUCK IN "ON" POSITION. WOULD NOT SHUT OFF WHEN ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. CLOUDS OF ACRID SMOKE POURED OUT FROM UNDER VEHICLE. I REMOVED BATTERY CABLE AND TOWED CAR TO MECHANIC. DEALER REPLACED STARTER. 67,000 MILES SIMILAR TO COMPLAINT #10138490. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE SLID OFF OF THE ROAD INTO A SNOW BANK AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED A PIN IN THE TRANSMISSION CAME OUT, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP. THE PIN IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 03/15/06. *JB

ON MY 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AWD 3.8 LITER 4 SPEED AUTOMATIC THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO LIMP MODE,SPEEDOMETER,ODOMETER QUIT WORKING AND THE GAS GAUGE IS WACKY. HAD THE CODES READ AND THEY CAME BACK AS SPEED SENSOR MALFUNCTION AND TCM NOT COMMUNICATING WITH PCM. I CHANGE THE SPEED SENSORS AND THE TCM AND PAID A DEALER TO DO A "QUICK LEARN PROCEDURE"AND DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE PROCEDURE WON'T WORK BECAUSE ONE OF THE COMPONENTS WON'T COMMUNICATE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURED WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH A CANYON IN UTAH ON HIGHWAY 6 KNOWN AS "ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS HIGHWAYS IN UTAH"WHILE MY 4 CHILDREN AND WIFE WERE IN THE VEHICLE.IT HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE DEALER AND I HAVE NO WARRANTY. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FIX MYSELF IF SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER WOULD AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT TO FIX! THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE SPEEDO GOING OUT AND THE TRANNY NOT SHIFTING!!! THIS HAPPENED AT NORMAL DRIVING SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON UNTIL AFTER IT WENT INTO LIMP MODE. *NM

1999 CARAVAN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED. *TS THE AIR BAGS SHOULD ONLY HAVE DEPLOYED DURING A FRONTAL COLLISION, HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER WROTE THE CONSUMER EXPLAINING, THAT BASED ON THEIR INSPECTION, IT WAS REVEALED THE VEHICLE HAD SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, AT 48,000 MILES I HAD TO HAVE THE RACK & PINION REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE AT THE COST OF $1300.00 DOLLARS. CHRYSLER WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THE PRODUCT. I HAVE HEARD OF ANOTHER CASE IN POINT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THIS IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF MILES SINCE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN BY MY WIFE TO AND FROM WORK ONLY ON STREET SURFACE. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CHECKED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND REQUIRE CHRYSLER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *JB

MY 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WARNING LIGHT CAME FOR THE AIRBAG. I ALSO LOST THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE HORN. THIS ALL HAPPENED ON 11/4/05. I STARTED UP THE CAR AND THEN ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER BECAUSE THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO MY FRIENDS DODGE. THE DEALER STATED THIS HAPPENS A LOT ON THIS MODEL AND THE REPAIR IS AROUND 150 DOLLARS. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD A RECALL OR RECEIVED ANY OTHER COMPLAINT ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU IN ADVANCED. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT'S WIFE DROVE IN THE RAIN AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK