1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

THE SERPENTINE BELT THAT RUNS THE CAR JUMPED OFF TRACK THE FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER WHEN IT WAS RAINING. I FIRST NOTICED MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THEN A FEW MINUTES LATER IT OVER HEATED. SO WHEN I GOT UNDER THE HOOD TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, IT WAS THE BELT IT WAS NOT BROKEN JUST OFF TRACK. HAD IT FIXED. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON OCTOBER 25, 2003 SOME 3-4 WEEKS LATER. AGAIN IT WAS RAINING. THE PERSON WHO FIXED IT THE 2ND TIME STATES THAT EVERY TIME IT RAINS AND IF I GET WATER IN MY UNDERCARRAIGE IT IS GOING TO POP OFF. THIS IS VERY DISCOURAGING, I AM THE SINGLE MOTHER OF FOUR YOUNG GIRLS AND I SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VAN WHEN IT IS RAINING. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF THIS FOR ME.

FOR 3 SUMMERS IN A ROW, WE HAVE HAD TO RECHARGE THE AIR CONDITION SYSTEM FOR IT TO ONLY WORK 3-4 WEEKS AT A TIME. OUR MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT ISN'T THAT THE AIR CONDITING UNIT HAS FAILED IT SEEMS TO BE LOOSING THE FREON SOME WHERE.THE LOCKS ON THE VAN TO THE TAIL GATE DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK CORRECTLY, 90% OF THE TIME YOU HAVE TO BEAT ON THE LOCK FROM THE OUT SIDE FOR IT TO UNLOCK. WE HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE BRAKE PAD APPROX 3 TIMES AND THEY STILL SQUEAK AND SEEM TO GRAB AT TIMES.

WE TOOK OUR 1996 GRAND CARAVAN IN FOR RECALLS THAT DODGE SENT US. THEY CALLED MY WIFE BACK AND TOLD HER IT WAS CONDEMNABLE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE, BECAUSE THE STRUT TOWER WAS VERY BADLY RUSTED. BY THE TIME I HAD THE CHANCE TO CALL THEM, BECAUSE I WAS AT WORK, THE PERSON SHE TALKED TO HAD LEFT, HOWEVER I DID TALK TO ANOTHER PERSON ACQUAINTED WITH THE VEHICLE. HE SAID BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE AND THAT I WASN'T THE ORIGINAL OWNER DODGE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR US. HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD COST $2000.00 PER SIDE TO FIX AND THE VAN WASN'T WORTH IT. I SAID THIS IS A SERIOUS THING AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY CHRYSLER BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY USED INFERIOR MATERIALS ON THAT PART OF THE VAN. HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT, AND THE WEATHER WHERE WE LIVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. I SAID SO I AM JUST OUT OF A VEHICLE TO DRIVE?, AND HE SAID YOU CAN DRIVE IT BUT IT'S NOT SAFE. NOW THE OTHER MAN TOLD MY WIFE THAT IF SHE HIT A HOLE OR WENT OVER RR TRACKS IT COULD COME COMPLETELY THROUGH AND SHE WOULD LOSE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE AUTO BODY MAN WE TOOK IT TO SAID THAT THE PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN GALVANIZED WHEN THEY MADE IT AND THIS WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE IS THAT OUR 1994 CARAVAN DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT HAD OVER 270,000 MILES ON IT. ALSO THIS 1996 DOES NOT HAVE RUST ANYWHERE ELSE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT OR KILLED IF THEY DON'T RECALL THESE AND FIX THEM. THEY RECALLED A CLOCK SPRING FOR THE AIRBAG, AND THEY DIDN'T ASK THE MILEAGE OF OUR VEHICLE, AND THEY PERFORMED ALL THE OTHER RECALLS ON IT THAT DAY SO THEY COULD GET THERE MONEY, BUT THEY WON?T DO ANYTHING ABOUT A SUSPENSION COMPONENT THAT IS LIFE THREATENING. I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO ADD THAT YOUR CAR DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE AN AIRBAG TO BE SAFE OR RUN, BUT IT DOES NEED A SUSPENSION. THIS IS NOT AN ONLY CASE, WE HAVE ANOTHER 1996 GRAND CARAVAN THAT LOOKS LIKE RUST IS BUBBLING UNDER THE PAINT AT THAT SAME SPOT, SO IT IS A VERY EASY THING TO NOT SEE.

A/C INTERNAL FAN SWITCH FAILS IN AT LEAST TWO POSITIONS AND HAVE HAD SMOKE ENTER INSIDE THE VAN WHILE DRIVING, FROM I THINK THE FAN. ONCE THE FAN IS TURNED OFF THE SMOKE GOES AWAY.

I HAVE A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND IT HAS HAD 4 TRANSMISSION FAILURES. CURRENTLY, THE 5TH TRANSMISSION IS IN THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE OWNED THE CARAVAN SINCE 1/97 WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED WITH ABOUT 50K MILES ON IT. IT WAS A LEASE TURN IN VEHICLE USED BY A SALESMAN NOT HAULING HEAVY LOADS BUT MAKING TOBBACCO SALES CALLS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLE OWNERS AND THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION FAILING. I FEEL THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL THE TRANSMISSION FOR REPLACEMENT WITH A SATISFACTORY ONE.*AK

I HAVE A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND MY AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL HAS GONE OUT. I HAVE 3 OTHER FRIENDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FIX IF SO MANY OTHER SAME YEAR VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. I EVEN FOUND A WEBSITE WITH MANY OTHERS LISTED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM KUWAIT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND WHEN I BEGAN DRIVING MY VAN AGAIN THIS PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I CAN TAKE TO A DEALER NEAR ME TO HAVE FIXED FREE OF CHARGE? *LA

WHILE DRIVING, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN OVERDRIVE AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED FROM THE IDLE POSITION, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD/STALLED OUT. THIS WAS CAUSED BY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE.*AK AT 60,000 MILE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND CHRYSLER WOULD NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY.*CB *JB

I WAS TRAVELLING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN THE TREAD BLEW OFF THE LEFT REAR TIRE. IT HAPPENED WITH THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO THE SAME WAY. THE TREAD WAS NOT WORN, THE TUBE WAS INTACT, BUT THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THE FIRST TIME IT BROKE MY BRAKE LIGHT AND DENTED MY REAR FENDER AND BUMPER. THIS TIME THE DAMAGE WAS MUCH WORSE. IT CAUSED THE FUEL TANK CONNECTION TO BECOME LOOSE, TORE THE FENDER ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TIRE AND RIPPED THE BUMPER OFF OF THE CAR.

UR 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN'S FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONE DAY WENT ON, AND STAYED ON WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS ON {NO MATTER WHAT WE DID, NOTHING WOULD SHUT THE WIPERS OFF -- NO WAY -- NO HOW ! WE TRIED EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL TO GET THEM TO TURN OFF.}. I HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR DAYS/WEEKS WHILE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ON AND COULDN'T BE TURNED OFF, AND NEARLY GOT IN TWO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I WAS SO DISTRACTED. THIS WENT ON FOR SEVERAL DAYS WHILE I WAITED FOR THE PROBLEM TO AUTOMATICALLY CEASE OF ITS OWN ACCORD, WHICH IT NEVER DID. THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE WITH TIME. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WENT ON OF THEIR OWN ACCORD INTERMITTENTLY IN THE BEGINNING, THEN AFTER DAYS/WEEKS, WE COULD NOT SHUT THEM OFF AT ALL. I WAS FORCED TO BRING THE MINIVAN TO A CHRYSLER AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE BCM (BODY CONTROLLER OR BODY CONTROL MODULE) AT A COST OF $574 AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. I HAVE ASKED CHRYSLER CORPORATE TWICE IF THEY WILL REIMBURSE US; BOTH TIMES THEY REFUSED. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT THAT WAS NOT IN ANY WAY CAUSED BY US. CHRYSLER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF THIS DEFECT, AND DOING THE RIGHT THING BY REIMBURSING US THE $574. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. A PERSON CAN NOT DRIVE WHILE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ON WHILE IT IS NOT RAINING!*AK