1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

REPORTED PROBLEM TO DODGE CORP. SEVERAL YEARS AGO ABOUT WIPERS COMING ON BY THEMSELVES. WAS ADVISED THAT SINCE NO RECALL, NO REMEDY. ON THIS ISSUE, MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS AND THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE HANDLED BY A RECALL. SECONDLY, AND MOST RECENTLY. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS FAILED. DODGE REPRESENTS THAT TIME/MILEAGE PRECLUDES REPAIR AT THEIR COST. REAR WING VENT WINDOW QUIT WORKING APPROX. A WEEK AGO (MAR. 2004). VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART ELECTRONICALLY. MILEAGE/WARRANTY SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. DEFECTS ARE DEFECTS. RECALL REQUESTED. *JB *NM

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER. THE PULLEY BROKE OFF, CAUSING THE DRIVE BELT TO FALL ONTO THE STREET. *AK THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT WHERE THE CONSUMER WAS MAKING A TURN AND LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THE CONSUMER WITNESSED ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. (THE CONSUMER'S ALTERNATE ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 585 ZIP 03825) *SC *JB

POWER STEERING RACK OPERATES POORLY. WHEN THIS OCCURS THERE IS NO POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING RIGHT. THE STERING FLUID LEAKS OUT. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE STEERING RACK, BUT THE FAILURE RECCURED WITHIN 38,000 MILES. *AK

DRIVER SEATBACK FAILURE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A PARKING LOT, THE DRIVER CLIMBED INTO THE DRIVER SEAT, AND THE SEAT BACK SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED. THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED ONTO THE CHILD PASSENGER SEATED BEHIND THE DRIVER, CAUSING SLIGHT SUPERFICIAL INJURY. EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT THE SEAT BACK SUFFERED METAL SHEER AND SPOT WELD FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF THE SEAT BACK FAILURE, AND HAD NOT BEEN IN ANY PREVIOUS ACCIDENT, NOR HAD THE SEAT EVER BEEN REPLACED. THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S SEAT.*AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN OUR '97 DODGE CARAVAN HAS STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT IS DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT CLOCKSPRING WIRING HARNESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN, MEANING THAT THE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK AS WELL AS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. IT APPEARS THIS CLOCKSPRING FAILURE MODE IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL. I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY THE DEALER TO FIX IT (AROUND $200). *JB

WAS HIT FROM BEHIND IN 1997 DODGE CARAVAN AND PUSHED INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, FRONT SEAT RECLINER ASSEMBLY WENT BACK, THROWING DRIVER TO BACK, CAUSING HEAD, NECK AND BACK INJURY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING REAR RIGHT AUDIO SPEAKER CAUGHT ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH A LARGE BURLAP BAG. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, BUT DISCOVERED THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, IT TOOK THE VEHICLE OVER 100 YARDS TO STOP. *AK THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

WE HAVE REPLACED SIX SERPENTINE BELTS IN THE TWO YEARS WE HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. WE REPLACED THE TENSIONER, BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. WE ARE NOW FACING NUMBER SEVEN AND ARE AT THE POINT OF TOTAL FRUSTRATION. WE NEED TO SEE THIS CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. *AK

THE BELT THAT CONTROLS THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND RADIATOR FAN CAME OFF TWICE TODAY AND SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. IT'S ALL WE CAN DO TO GET IT STOPPED AND PULLED OVER WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND IT HAPPENS IN ANY TYPE OF RAIN.*AK