1994 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

PROBLEM WITH CAR SHAKING (SWAYING, WOBBLE) LEFT AND RIGHT AT 40 MPH. HAVE CHANGED FRONT STRUTS, REAR SHOCKS, RACK AND PINION, LUG NUTS, AND HAD TWO MECHANICS TRY TO FIND PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL. IF THERE IS ANY INFORMATION AS TO A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES I WOULD APRRECIATE KNOWING ABOUT IT AND WHAT THE CURE IS. THANK YOU JA CULLEN

FAILURE OF BOLT ATTACHING THE RIGHT LIFTGATE STRUT ROD TO VEHICLE. THE BOLT BROKE OFF WHEN LIFTING THE LIFTGATE. THIS CAUSED THE LIFT ROD (HYDRAULICALLY PRESSURIZED) TO EXTEND, PUNCHING A HOLE IN THE HEADLINER OF THE MINIVAN. THERE IS NO SECONDARY 'CATCHER' MECHANISM TO RESTRAIN THE STRUT ROD IF THIS BOLT BREAKS. ALSO, THE LIFTGATE IS TOO HEAVY FOR THE OTHER LIFTGATE TO SUPPORT IT ALONE, OR TO SLOWLY LET THE LIFTGATE DOWN. THEREFORE, IF THE BOLT FAILURE HAD OCCURED WHEN THE LIFTGATE WAS RAISED UP, THE LIFTGATE WOULD HAVE SLAMMED DOWN UNCONTROLLABLY. HAD I BEEN UNDER THE LIFTGATE, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. HAD MY TODDLER BEEN THERE, HE COULD HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED. IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT THIS DESIGN IS ALLOWED SINCE ONE FAILURE OF ONE BOLT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES.

MY WIFE WAS CLOSING THE REAR DOOR WHEN THE ANCHOR BOLT HOLDING THE LIFT CYLINDER BROKE OFF, CAUSING THE DOOR TO FALL. *AK

THE VAN, WITHOUT WARNING, LOST POWER AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED ON THE INTERSTATE 75. AFTER LETTING THE VAN SIT FOR 15-20 MINUTES WE WERE ABLE TO START THE VAN AGAIN AND HAVE DRIVEN IT SINCE THAT TIME WITHOUT A REOCCURENCE OF THAT PROBLEM. WE HAVE EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT TO OUR LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND HAVE HAD THE VAN CHECKED OUT. THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS APART BUT TWO OF THEM HAVE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE INTERSTATE AND WE HAVE HAD BEARLY ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. OTHER THAN THESE THREE INCIDENTS THE VAN HAS PERFORMED WELL. I HAD NOT FILED A REPORT BEFORE NOW BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS WEB SITE AND ONLY FOUND IT THROUGH CONSUMER REPORTS WEB SITE WHILE LOOKING FOR A NEW VAN. *AK

WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR THEN IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO 2ND GEAR CAUSING RAPID DECELERATION, ALMOST THROWING VEHICLE OUT OF CONTROL. AFTER SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF THE TRANSMISSION RESET ITSELF, BUT CONTINUED GOING INTO 2ND GEAR SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL WE COULD GET TO A DEALER. REPAIR ORDER STATES TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL, REPLACE FRONT PUMP AND TORQUE CONVERTER. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR DODGE MINIVANS. IF THE ROAD WOULD HAVE BEEN WET OR SNOW COVERED, THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT.

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH HEARD EXPLOSION. LOOKED IN REARVIEW MIRROW AND REAR WINDOW HAD BLOWN OUT INTO LITTLE PIECES. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. IMPACT WAS FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE. GLASS CORP. STATES CAUSE MAY HAVE BEEN DEFROSTER. *AK

BOLT BROKEN ON ONE OF THE GAS FILLED PISTONS THAT HOLD THE REAR LIFTGATE OPEN CAUSING THE LIFTGATE SUPPORT TO FALL DOWN BETWEEN THE LIFTGATE AND THE BUMPER AND THE GLASS TO SHATTER.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN THE "SNAP RINGS". OUR MECHANIC SAID HE SEES THIS QUITE FREQUENTLY. IN LOOKING AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, I'D SAY THIS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS GOING OUT SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR REPAIRS. THIS DOES NOT ONLY SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINIAL TRANSMISSIONS,BUT ALSO WITH THE ONES THAT ARE BEING SOLD AS REPLACEMENTS. IT IS REALLY AMAZING THAT WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY INFORMATION IN THE NEWS ABOUT THIS. I INTEND TO GET EVERY PENNY BACK FROM CHRYSLER,AND WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD GIVE ME SOME ADVICE AS TO HOW I CAN. I ALSO BELIEVE YOU SHOULD ISSUE SOME STATEMENT ABOUT THIS TO THE NEWS. PEOPLE DESERVE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONS. THERE IS NO REVERSE AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPING INTO GEAR. DEALER NEEDS TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

EXPERIENCING ABS BRAKE FAILURE WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. PROBLEM OCCURRED 30 MINUTES AFTER GOING OVER AN OVERPASS. ABS SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. BRAKE CONTINUALLY GRADED TO NOTHING. VEHICLE WAS INVOLED IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK