2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65 MPH THE VAN DOWN SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR WITH A JOLT. FOLLOWING THE OWNERS MANUAL I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUT THE MINI VAN IN PARK. RESTARTED THE VAN PUT IT IN GEAR AND STARTED TO MOVE AND HEARD AND FELT THE TRANSMISSION GRINDING. CALLED A TOW TRUCK. *NM

I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. IT HAD ABOUT 32000 MILES ON IT. AT ABOUT 40000 MILES THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT BEGAN TO COME ON AND THEN GO OFF ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. AT ABOUT 41500 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON MOST OF THE TIME. THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE DIAGNOSIS COST $88.00. THE WIRING HARNESS REPLACEMENT PART COST ABOUT $10.00. THE LABOR TO REPLACE THE PART COST ABOUT $213.00. TOTAL COST ABOUT $310. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM IN THE CHRYSLER/DODGE VEHICLE'S AIR BAG SYSTEM, BECAUSE THE PART CARRIED INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 2002-2006 MODEL YEARS. THIS IS NOT A WEAR ITEM, BUT INSTEAD IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM AND/OR IT'S CONNECTORS. THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE CONSUMER PAYS FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE OF GOOD QUALITY AND EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY SYSTEMS THAT ARE RELIABLE AND WELL CONSTRUCTED. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION JERKED THE VEHICLE AS IF IT WERE STALLING. AFTERWARDS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE ANY FURTHER. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED, ALTHOUGH REGULARLY SERVICED, DUE TO AN UNKNOWN INTERNAL PROBLEM, NOT IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *NM UPDATED 2/28/2006 - *NM

CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY WOUND INCORRECTLY IN AIR BAG AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO RECTIFY THIS VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE IN THE AUTOMOBILE. THEREFORE, I WAS CHARGED NEARLY $200 TO REPAIR THEIR FAILURE TO PROVIDE A SAFE CAR. THE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN THE YEARS 1995-2000 WERE ALL RECALLED FOR THIS SAFETY FAILURE, IT SEEMS THEY NEVER ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS STILL CONTINUING IN MY 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. *JB

POWER STEERING WAS LOCKING IN COLD WEATHER DURING INITIAL START UP. FIRST REPORTED 4/05, DEALER STATED IT WAS CAUSED BY PROBLEM WITH HOSES WHICH HAVE A RECALL, RECALL PERFORMED, AND VEHICLE RETURNED. (NOT FIXED), RETURNED VEHICLE AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER, THEY VERIFIED PROBLEM STILL AND REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP *DUE TO LOW PRESSURE". I THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. HOWEVER, SINE THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURRED IN COLD WEATHER THROUGH THE SUMMER IT WAS FINE UNTIL EARLY DECEMBER AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS BACK BUT EVEN WORSE, THIS TIME IT WAS ALSO HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER "OF COURSE IT WAS NOW OUT OF MANUFACTURE WARRANTY", HOWEVER DEALER AGREED TO FIX PROBLEM SINCE IT HAD PRIOR HISTORY. THEY VERIFIED PROBLEM BY SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC THE DAY I BROUGHT IT IN, HOWEVER THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. THEY HAD MY VAN FOR 3 WEEKS, DURING THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WITH IT BUT WERE NOT GOING TO GIVE IT BACK TO THE SAFETY ISSUE. I EVEN TRIED TO GET CHRYSLER INVOLVED AND THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK EVEN THOUGH I LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES AND WAS PROMISED A CALL BACK. FINALLY THE DEALER DECIDED TO REPLACE THE FRONT STEERING RACK. I GOT IT BACK, IT WAS FINE FOR 4 DAYS AND PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND WOULD LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO WAS HANDLING MY CASE. IT HAS NOW BEEN 4 DAYS AND NO RETURN CALL. MEANTIME IM DRIVING AROUND AND UNSAFE CAR, PAYING OVER $600.00 A MONTH. IM VERY UPSET THERE ISN'T MORE THAT CAN BE DONE AGAINST THESE COMPANIES PUTTING LIVES AT RISK. *NM

2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 69,500 MILES. TRANSMISSION MADE A JERKING AND DID NOT WANT TO SEEM TO SHIFT. TOOK TO DODGE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. THEY ALLOWED SERVICE MAN TO DRIVE HOME AND DROVE APPROX. 100 MILES. THEY CONCLUDED NO PROBLEM THEY COULD FIND. 3 MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING SAME SYMPTOMS AND THEN LOUD CLUNK BUT THIS TIME WAS COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CALLED DODGE 800# TO OBTAIN WARRANTY INFO. DODGE INFORMED ME IT WAS IN WARRANTY. CALLED LOCAL DEALER AND SET UP APPOINTMENT TO FIX. THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID DODGE WOULD NOT WARRANTY IT. I THEN CALLED DODGE 800# BACK AND TALK TO THEM. I ASKED WHY LESS THAN 2HR AGO MY VAN HAD A POWER TRAIN WARRANTY ON IT AND NOW IT DOES NOT HAVE A WARRANTY. THEY INFORMED ME THE VAN DID NOT HAVE A WARRANTY AND THAT I HAD NEVER CALLED THEM (THEY RECORD AND COMPUTER SHOWS IF YOU CALL, BUT DODGE CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO RECORD I CALLED). I INFORMED THEM I CALLED THEM LESS THAN 2HR BEFORE AND THEY REPLIED I WAS MISTAKEN. MY PHONE RECORDS INDICATE DIFFERENT THAN THEIRS. ANY WAY THEY WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS TRANSMISSION THAT FAILED. TOOK TO LOCAL TRANS SHOP AND FOUND HE HAD TWO OTHER CARAVANS WITH COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAITING IN LINE TO BE FIXED. THE SHOP OWNER SAID HE HAS FIXED MANY MANY OF THESE TYPE TRANSMISSIONS. HE SAID IN HIS OPINION THAT THESE WERE VERY POOR PERFORMING TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT THEIR TRACK RECORD OF FAILURES SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. *JB

POWER STEERING PUMP MAKING LOAD NOISES AGAIN. HAD HOSES REPLACED DUE TO PREVIOUS RECALL ABOUT A YEAR AGO. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER HAVING A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V386000 REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS THERE HAS BEEN A SHUDDER IN THE STEERING WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO MOVE THE LEVER A FEW TIMES IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO MOVE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM SHE WAS EXPERIENCING COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED IN THE 2 WEEKS THE MECHANIC HAD THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO ONE SIDE AND VIBRATED WHEN SLOWING DOWN. THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE RESURFACED. THE EMISSION HOSE AND GAS CAP WERE REPLACED. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HAS TO BE OPENED AND CLOSED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE STAYING SHUT. THE OIL PAN GASKET AND AXLE SEAL WERE LEAKING. *JB

DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED ON AND OFF. TURNED ON THE HIGH BEAMS IN ORDER TO GET HOME. DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE. *NM