2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

I OWN A 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (WE HAVE HAD THE VAN FOR 3 MONTHS, THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS AN 81 YEAR OLD LADY). OUT OF NOWHERE MY RADIO STARTED HAVING A MAJOR MALFUNCTION. WHEN I TURN ON THE VEHICLE THE RADIO IS AT FULL BLAST IF YOU TOUCH THE VOLUME KNOB IT GOES OFF BUT WHEN YOU TOUCH IT AGAIN I GOES BACK TO FULL BLAST. THERE IS NOTHING ABNORMAL THAT I HAVE DONE OTHER THAN USE IT LIKE EVERY ONE ELSE. I ALSO DISCOVERED A MYSTERIOUS PUDDLE ON THE PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD WHICH WHEN IT DRIED IT TURNED WHITE. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS TAKE IT TO THE DODGE DEALER AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THE FIRST THING THEY ASKED ME WAS IF I HAD A WARRANTY, I SAID NO. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THEY SAID " WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE HERE THAT CAN LOOK AT IT AND IF WE DID WE COULDN'T FIX IT ANYWAY". THEY SAID " ALL WE CAN DO IS SELL YOU A NEW RADIO FOR $300". SO THEN I CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER, AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING AS THE DEALER. ABOUT A MONTH LATER I WAS GIVEN A RECALL NOTICE FROM AUTOSITE .COM, IT SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL VAN. (CAMPAIGN # 04V531000) I CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER BACK AND ASKED ABOUT RECALL AND REMINDED THEM OF MY PROBLEM. THEY SAID " YOUR SPECIFIC VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IT THAT RECALL AND THERE IS STILL NOTHING THAT WE WILL DO". I HAVE THREE CHILDREN ONE OF WHICH IS A FOUR MONTH OLD BABY THAT RIDE IN THIS VAN. I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF THE POSSIBLE HEARING DAMAGE THAT COULD CAUSE. I HAVE MANY FRIENDS WHO ARE LOOKING AT PURCHASING A NEW VAN AND WE HAVE TOLD THEM NOT TO BUY A DODGE BECAUSE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND THE LACK OF HELP THAT DODGE HAS GIVEN TO US. WE ALSO JUST HAD TO REPLACE OUR TRANSMISSION THAT COST $1500 WITH ONLY 60,000 MILES. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP US. *NM

ON JULY 4, 2002 MY 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS INVOLVED IN A LOW SPEED ROLLOVER IN WHICH THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. IN THE MINUTES FOLLOWING THE ROLLOVER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED COMPLETELY UP. MY WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN WERE TRAVELING IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND ALL 3 BY THE GRACE OF GOD WERE PULLED TO SAFETY BY PERSONS NEAR THE ACCIDENT. TWO MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE VAN FROM THE DEALER INDICATING THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FUEL SYSTEM TO REPLACE A PART THAT MAY CAUSE A FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A ROLLOVER. *NM

WHILE VACATIONING IN ATLANTA, GA. WE WERE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND EXPERIENCED A LOUD THUD. WE HAD DIFFICULTY IN GETTING OUR CAR TO GO FORWARD OR REVERSE. WE DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES DOWN THE ROAD. THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS OUR TRANSMISSION. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAD 64,000 MILES ON THE VAN, AND ALL WORK HAD BEEN KEPT UP ON THE VEHICLE. THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE DEALERSHIP ESTIMATED THAT THE WORK WOULD COST BETWEEN $2900.00 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION, OR $3500.00 TO REPLACE IT. THEY WOULD DETERMINE WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE WHEN THEY PULLED THE TRANSMISSION. WE DECIDED TO GO DOWN THE STREET ANOTHER 2 MILES TO AN AAMCO TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY ESTIMATED THE REPAIR TO BE $1400.00 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION, OR $2900.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. WE DECIDED TO HAVE THEM DO THE JOB SINCE THE ESTIMATES WERE CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT. FOUR DAYS LATER THE JOB WAS DONE, AND THE FINAL COST WAS $3000.00! THEY PUT A REBUILT TRANSMISSION IN. WE HAVE APPROACHED DODGE FOR A REIMBURSEMENT. THEY WILL NOT GIVE US A PENNY TOWARDS THE JOB. THEY CLAIM THAT HAD WE STAYED AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP, A PARTIAL CONSIDERATION COULD HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT. SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE THE OLD TRANSMISSION, THEY SAY THAT WE CANNOT PROVE WHY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS VAN ONLY HAD 64,000 MILES ON IT......THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. AND WHY DID THE DEALERSHIP THAT WE TOOK IT TO, NOT TELL US THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE WORKED OUT WITH DODGE.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED AT A STOP LIGHT WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE HEATING VENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASH BOARD. THE SMOKE BEGAN TO TURN BLACK AND FLAMES ERUPTED FROM THE DASHBOARD VENT. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO PLASTIC BURNING. THE CONTACT REPORTED THE SAME SMELL INTERMITTENTLY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS A HOSE LEAKING FLUID AND IT WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT DOES NOT RECALL THE TYPE OF FLUID LEAKING OR THE TYPE OF HOSE THAT WAS REPLACED. THE SMELL CONTINUED HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL. UPDATED ON 05/30/2006. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED. THE LIGHT OCCASIONALLY GOES OFF, BUT WHEN THE CONTACT HITS A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CLOCK SPRING WAS BAD. THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, # 04V480000, REGARDING THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT WITH 35,000 MILES. RECALLED TWICE FOR STEERING FLUID HOSE REPLACEMENTS IN 2004. AFTER FIRST HOSE WAS REPLACED, MINIVAN STARTED LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE FOR ANOTHER STEERING HOSE REPLACEMENT. TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THAT REPLACED, TOLD THEM TO LOOK INTO THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK, THEY SAID THEY WOULD. THEY FIXED THE RECALL HOSE, MADE NOT MENTION OF LEAKING FLUID. FLUID DID NOT LEAK FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, THEN STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK IN FOR 3RD RECALL (RADIO VENT SLOTS), AS WELL AS SMOKING ENGINE AND AGAIN MENTIONED LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY'D LOOK INTO IT. DEALERSHIP CONDUCTED 27 POINT INSPECTION ON OWN WILL, DID NOT FIND LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID (AUG. 2005). FLUID HAS BEEN LEAKING SINCE THEN. NOISE IN POWER STEERING CONSISTENTLY AUDIBLE, AND INCREASINGLY LOUDER AT ALL TIMES. NOW, DEALERSHIP SAYS THE RACK AND PINION ARE CRACKED AND NEED REPLACING. DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS IN NO WAY RELATED TO POWER STEERING HOSE RECALLS OR NEGLECT TO ADDRESS POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE. AM TAKING MINIVAN TO INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN FOR REVIEW OF RACK AND PINION AND OPINION ON NEXT STEP. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED DOWN HILL THE MANUAL SLIDING DOORS SLAMMED SHUT. THE DOOR GOES INTO THE LOCK POSITION BUT, THE PLASTIC MECHANISM THAT HOLDS THE DOOR LOCKED HAS A CRACK WHICH CAUSES THE DOOR TO SLAM SHUT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED.

I TOOK MY 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN TO A REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE MY BRAKES LOOKED AT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID NEED REPLACED AND I AGREED TO THE SERVICE. I MENTIONED TO THEM THAT MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON PERIODICALLY WHEN PUTTING ON THE BRAKE BUT WENT OUT ABRUPTLY AFTER THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED. THEY WENT AND CHECKED THE BRAKES CAREFULLY AND FOUND NOT ONE BUT TWO BRAKE CALIPERS WERE EITHER CRUSHED IN PIECES OR BROKE COMPLETELY IN HALF. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS AROUND 45,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS TOLD BY THIS SHOP AND THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I CALLED THEM THAT THIS WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. I WAS GRAVELY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SAFETY PROBLEM AND WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN TO THE REMAINING TWO CALIPERS. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL ON IT, IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WERE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. I TOLD THEM THIS WENT BEYOND A "WARRANTY" ISSUE INTO A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PART WAS NOT WORE OUT, IT WAS DEFECTIVE (NOT ONE BUT TWO OF THEM) AND A SAFETY HAZARD. *NM

ACCIDENT, GRAND CARAVAN WAS TOTALED. VAN FLIPPED, EXTENSIVE FRONT END, FRAME, SIDE, ROOF, ETC, DAMAGE. NEITHER OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, NOR DID THE SIDE AIR BAGS. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS, INCLUDING QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS, INDICATE THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED GIVEN THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. ADDITIONALLY, THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT BECAME DISENGAGED DURING THE ACCIDENT (AT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BELT TANG AND ANCHORAGE BUCKLE).*JB

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE EXPERIENCED HEAD LIGHT-INTERIOR FLICKERING TO WHICH THE DEALER CANNOT SOLVE. *JB