2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

SERPENTINE BELT SLIPS OFF TENSIONER PULLEY IN WET CONDITIONS. TOTAL POWER STEERING FAILURE AND VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 95 MPH. AFTER BEING TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE BENT, AND CAUSED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER TRIED USING THE BRAKES WITH NO SUCCESS, THE CONSUMER FINALLY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE CONSUMER USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSIONS IN TO LOW. UPDATED 12/28/06. *JB

WATER LEAKS ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR FROM THE HVAC DURING AC USE AND IN HEAVY RAIN. *NM

SERPENTINE BELT HAS COME OFF MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 4 TIMES. FIRST TIME, I HIT A POCKET OF WATER ON A SMALL HIGHWAY IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA. DROVE VEHICLE TO A SAFER LOCATION, LEFT MY WIFE AND 3 KIDS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT WHILE I WALKED A MILE HOME IN THE RAIN TO GET MY FORD RANGER TO LOAD ALL 5 OF US IN TO GET HOME SAFELY. HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE BELT TENSIONER AND BELT. SECOND TIME, ABOUT A YEAR LATER, MY WIFE HIT WATER WHICH ALSO KNOCKED THE BELT OFF AND STRANDED HER AND MY 3 CHILDREN 15 MILES FROM HOME. BROTHER IN LAW WAS ABLE TO COME AND SPENT AN HOUR OF GUT WRENCHING LABOR TO PUT THE BELT BACK ON. THIRD TIME, A MONTH LATER IT CAME OFF AGAIN SHREDDING THE BELT AND LEAVING MY WIFE STRANDED BY HERSELF AFTER DROPPING MY KIDS OFF FOR SCHOOL. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPUTABLE REPAIR SHOP WHO SAID IT NEEDED ANOTHER BELT TENSIONER AND ASSURED ME THE NAPA PRODUCT WOULD PERFORM BETTER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE. HE TRIED TO SEE IF A KIT WAS AVAILABLE FOR OUR LARGE 6 CYLINDER ENGINE BUT COULD NOT FIND ONE. FOURTH TIME, ONE MONTH LATER AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING 2 OF MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL IN THE RAIN, THE BELT CAME OFF AGAIN BUT THIS TIME SHE DIDN'T HIT ANY WATER. HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY CHECKED ALL COMPONETS CONNECTED TO THE SERPENTINE BELT AND TRIED FOR 30 MINUTES TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BY POURING WATER OVER THE BELT, ETC. WITH NO SUCCESS. OWNER SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH HE IS AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR DODGE VANS. QUESTION: IF THIS IS SUCH A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AS SHOWN BY ALL THE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS WEBSITE WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL TO CORRECT WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM? ANSWER: BECAUSE IT WILL COST DODGE/ CHRYSLER TOO MUCH MONEY. SOLUTION: UNLESS YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE A DODGE VAN ON WARM SUNNY DAYS DON'T BOTHER BUYING A DODGE VAN. ESPECIALLY IF YOU VALUE YOUR FAMILY'S SAFETY. *JB

LOST BRAKES ON 2000 DODGE CARAVAN WITH 58K MILES. ALL THE BRAKE LINES WERE BADLY CORRODED AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE FLEX TUBING AND THE SOLID TUBING. IT LOOKS LIKE DISSIMILAR METAL TO ME. THE BRAKE LINES SHOULD NOT RUST OUT IN THAT SHORT OF A TIME AND LOW MILEAGE ALL LINES WERE REPLACED. NOT BY A DODGE DEALER. *JB

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN A YEAR THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT HAS SHREDDED AND/OR FELL OFF. I REPLACED THE TENSIONER THE SECOND TIME. IT LOOKS AS IF THE PULLEYS ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE TENSIONER SO THE BELT EVENTUALLY RIDES OFF THE EDGE OF THE TENSIONER. ALL TIMES IT WAS NOT RAINING OR SNOW LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE RESEARCHED ON THE WEB. DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 107,000 MILES. 3.8L WITH A/C. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, 3.0 L ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE BELT SLIPPING OFF THE TENSIONER DURING WET WEATHER. THE FIRST TIME WE HIT A SMALL (1 - 2" DEEP) PUDDLE OF WATER WHEN TURNING A CORNER. WE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER STEERING. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL, INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH 1996 - 2000 CARAVANS. HE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PRINT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN DETAILING THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WAS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, HIT A SMALL PUDDLE OF WATER ON A RAINY DAY, LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN. LUCKILY, I WAS GOING SLOWLY BOTH TIMES, BUT WORRY ABOUT A SERIOUS SITUATION OF GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DODGE/CHRYSLER, AND NO "FIX" - ONLY TO REPLACE BELTS AND TENSIONERS. I THEN RESEARCHED THROUGH INTERNET, FOUND SITUATION AS STATED BY FIRST (INDEPENDENT) MECHANIC LISTED ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES BY MANY OWNERS. CHRYSLER IS AVOIDING ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM, YET 2 AFTERMARKET PARTS COMPANIES HAVE DEVELOPED PARTS TO FIX THIS ISSUE. BOTH GATES AND GOODYEAR ACKNOWLEDGE A SAFETY ISSUE, SO I BELIEVE CHRYSLER/DODGE SHOULD HAVE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR VEHICLES. THESE ARE MINI-VANS. SOLD PRIMARILY TO FAMILIES. SO, THE TYPICAL SCENARIO IS A MOTHER WITH KIDS STRANDED IN THE RAIN. I NOW FEAR DRIVING MY VAN IN THE RAIN, AND AM PETRIFIED OF DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN THE RAIN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, A CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE LEFT FRONT STRUT TOWER WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

SERPENTINE BELT HAS COME OFF DURING HIGHWAY SPEEDS TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE. APPEARS THE TENSIONER PULLEY DESIGN IS NOT ROBUST. SECOND TIME THE ENGINE OVERHEATED DESTROYING 2 CYLINDERS AND THE HEAD STRANDING MY WIFE AND 5 BOYS ON THE INTERSTATE. THE RESULTING FAILURE MODES COULD HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES - RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENT TO THE DESIGN BY RECALL. *JB

WAS DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY WHEN VEHICLE ENGINE TOTALLY SHUT OFF. PULLED VEHICLE OFF ROADWAY. STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE PRESENT. UPON CHECKING VEHICLE, GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING FROM UNDERCARRIAGE ON RIGHT SIDE. WHEN TOW TRUCK ARRIVED; MECHANIC CHECKED VEHICLE AND SAID THAT GAS LINE HAD CAME OFF. NEXT DAY WHEN RESPONDING TO ALARM WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT - IT WAS FOR A GAS LEAK; THERE WAS ALSO A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEM. *NM