2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

DT: WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND THE CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE WENT FORWARD. THE CONSUMER STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 AND IT VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A DEALERSHIP. NO POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE WAS ONLY DAMAGE TO THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACE OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT. THE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THE SERVICE DEALER STATES THAT ONE OF THE TIRES HAS LESS THAN TREAD, THE OTHER THREE HAVE APPROXIMATELY TREAD. THE TIRES ARE UNSAFE IN THE SNOW AND RAIN. VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE WHILE IN REVERSE OR WHEN SLOWLING. HE HAS NOTICED THE SOUNDS BECAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THE CONSUMER MAY HAVE TOWED SOMETHING TO CAUSE THE TIRES TO WEAR, BUT THE CONTACT SAID THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY USED UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE CONTACT FELT IT MAY BE FROM THE FRONT END BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT STATED RACK AND PINION STEERING WASA REPLACED. THE DEALER WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE TIRES, BUT WILL NOT REPLACE THE TIRES. *AK

PREMATURE FRONT BRAKE WEAR,FIRST SET OF BRAKES FAILED AT 12,046 MILES. THE LOW BRAKE SQUEELERS NEVER MADE NOISE AND THE BRAKES WORE METAL TO METAL INTO THE ROTORS. I REPLACED BOTH BRAKES AND ROTORS MY SELF AS THEY FAILED ON A FRIDAY NIGHT JUST BEFORE A 150 MILE DRIVE.I NOW HAVE 33,450 MILES AND THIS IS THE THIRD SET OF BRAKES AND ROTORS.I AM AN ASE CERTIFIED TECH. THIS TIME I INVESTIGATED THE SYSTEM AND FOUND THAT THE SQUEELER TABS HAD BROKEN OFF FROM OVERHEATING.FURTHER THE LOWERCALIPER BOLTS ON BOTH SIDES SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAT DISCOLORATION. IN LOOKING FOR THE CAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS CAUSED BY LACK OF AIR FLOW TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CALIPER AND BRAKES. LOOKING AT THE AIR FLOW SYSTEM TO THE BRAKES THE AIR IS TUNNELED VIA CUTS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT SKIRT AND TRAVELS BETWEEN THE WHEEL AND THE INNER PLASTIC WHEEL WELL.THERE IS AN ANGLED PROTRUSION IN THE INNER WHEEL WELL THAT DIVERTS THE AIR TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE WHEEL. IT APPEARS THE THIS PROTRUSION IS TO FAR BACK AND THE AIR IS NOT FLOWING OVER THE BRAKES AND CALIPER. AS A NOTE THE REAR BRAKES WERE ADJUSTED AND THE SELF ADJUSTERS ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.PLESE CONTACT ME FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. I HAVE SEARCHED TSB'S,IATN (SPONSORING MENBER),RECALLS AND COMPLAINTS. IN TALKING TO CHRYSLER TECH'S THEY SAID THIS IS COMMON AND THE BRAKES AVERAGE 10 TO 12 THOUSAND MILES.THE PROBLEM CAN BE DUPLICATED EVEN AFTER NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS INSTALLED AND TRAVELING DOWN AN EXTENDED STEEP ROAD WITH BRAKING. THE BRAKES EMIT AN OBVIOUS ODOR OF OVER HEATING AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FADES.

DT: THERE IS AN INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT MADE INTO THE VEHICLE. IF THE SEAT IS NOT CLICKED IN PROPERLY IT WILL ALLOW THE ENTIRE SEAT TO TILT FORWARD. CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS INJURED WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING AT 15 KM. HOSPITAL REPORTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF RESTRAINT TO KEEP THE SEAT FROM MOVING FORWARD OR IF THERE COULD BE SOME TYPE OF WARNING SYSTEM ON THE DASH FOR EXAMPLE A CHECK CHILD SEAT LIGHT. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THEY WERE INDUSTRY STANDARDS. THE CONSUMER WAS LOCATED IN ONTARIO, CANDA. THE CHILD SEAT IS A DODGE.

DT: CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE DECEMBER 2003 AND HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2004, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE SERVICE DEALER IN MARCH 2005, AND SHE HAD THE PUMP REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS DOING THE SAME THING, AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE SAME SERVICE DEALER. THE VEHICLE MADE NOISES WHEN TURNING THE CORNER OR WHEN PARKING. IT WOULD HUM ANYTIME THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED.*AK *JB

AT 9,000 MILES, TOOK VAN TO DEALER COMPLAINING OF THE TRANSMISSION SLAMMING INTO GEAR. DEALER PERFORMED A "QUICK LEARN" ON THE TRANS. AND IT WAS FINE. AT ABOUT 27,000, PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE FRONT PUMP. AT 30000, SAME PROBLEM AGAIN, REPLACED TRANSMISSION PUMP A SECOND TIME AND ALSO REPLACED SEALS AND GASKETS. BACK IN DEALER NOW FOR SAME PROBLEM BUT DELAER IS CLAIMING THAT CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

DT: BEGINNING LAST YEAR OWNER WAS HAVING REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END, TWO OR THREE PEOPLE LOOKED AT IT AND COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THEN ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOUND THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS THE BUSHINGS HAD NOT BEEN GREASED, AND ALL FRONT END SUSPENSION BOLTS WERE LOOSE. NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AS FAR AS OWNER KNOWS. AS OWNER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THERE HAS BEEN A CRACKING NOISE AND A SNAPPING NOISE THAT SEEMED TO COME FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THERE ARE NO OTHER PROBLEMS, PROBLEM WITH FRONT END SEEMS TO BE FIXED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED 15 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. THESE REPAIRS HAVE HAD TO DO WITH STEERING AND SUSPENSION NOISE. THERE HAVE BEEN BUSHINGS REPLACED, STEERING FLUID REPLACED, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES.*AK

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON DASHBOARD TURNS ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE AIRBAG, A SENSOR, OR THE WARNING LIGHT ITSELF. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW IN 11/2002 AND HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HAD THE AIRBAG REPLACED OR WORKED ON.

THE VEHICLE BEGAN BUCKING, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT MOVE TO 2ND OR 3RD GEAR, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS MOVING UP TO 60-80 MILES PER HOUR, WHEN THE SPEED WAS ONLY ABOUT 30 MPH. THE ENGINE WAS REVVING VERY HIGH AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING VERY FAST. *JB

CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE SHE CONTINUALLY HAD FRONT END PROBLEMS. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH AIR IN THE TIRES. CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL ODOR. THERE WERE TWO RECALLS REGARDING FUEL. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER THREE TIMES BEFORE THEY COULD TELL HER WHAT WAS WRONG. THEY FOUND THAT BRAKES, AND ROTORS WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT. *AK