2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

INCIDENT #1: 1. WE WERE RETURNING HOME FROM A WEEKEND VISIT TO IOWA. WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING ABOUT 5 HOURS. WE WERE SLOWING DOWN TO EXIT OFF HIGHWAY 212 NEAR GLENCOE, MN. 2. THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED AT ABOUT 4:00 PM AS WE WERE SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE OUR TURN. GLASS WAS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE (2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN) AND CHIPPED THE PAINT ALONG THE SIDE OF THE VAN. 3. THE WINDOW WAS REPLACE BY OUR INSURANCE COMPANY (PROGRESSIVE) AND THE VAN WAS REPAINTED AND DETAILED (VACUUMED) TO REMOVE THE GLASS INSIDE THE VAN. INCIDENT #2: 1. ON THE SAME VEHICLE (2003 GRAND CARAVAN) A SECOND WINDOW EXPLODED ON OCTOBER 7, 2004. THIS TIME IT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WINDOW. I WAS ACCELERATING INTO A PASSING LANE EAST OF COKATO, MN. 2. THE WINDOW EXPLODED AT 6:45 AM. GLASS CHIPPED THE PAINT ON THE SIDE OF THE VAN AND WAS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE INSIDE OF THE VAN - AGAIN. 3. THE SIDE WINDOW ON THE SLIDING DOOR WAS REPLACE BY OUR INSURANCE COMPANY (PROGRESSIVE) AND THE VAN WILL BE PAINTED AGAIN SOON. *AK *SC

THE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED. THE POWER STEERING LEAKED AND REPLACED UNDER RECALL 037. *BF THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING HOSE BLEW OFF THE RACK CLAMP WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE GARAGE WAS SMOKE-FILLED AND A POOL OF FLUID WAS ON THE FLOOR. THE REMOTE WAS INOPERATIVE. *SC

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE ALL THE GAUGES WORK. AFTER ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES ALL THE GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. *JB AS OF 10/22/04, THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN WORSE. AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL PARTS IN THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING. THERE WOULD BE NO BLINKER. ALL GAUGES IN THE DASH DID NOT COME ON, THE ELECTRICAL PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND THE HATCH STOPPED WORKING. *SC

2003 DODGE CARAVAN HAD INTERMITTENT FAILURE TO START. WOULD START 5-15 MINUTES AFTER NOT CRANKING. ENGINE DIED WHILE IDLING AND WOULD NOT START. CHECKED BATTERY AND IT WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE STARTED NEXT DAY AFTER BEING TOWED. PROBLEM TRACED TO CHAFED INSULATION ON WIRING HARNESS. CORRECTED INSULATION AND VEHICLE STARTED. ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT RESTART IN NEUTRAL. COASTED AND PARKED VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START. TWO MINUTES LATER VEHICLE STARTED. TRACED PROBLEM TO IGNITION SWITCH OR COMPUTER. CURRENTLY IN PROCESS OF REPLACING IGNITION SWITCH. ENGINE DYING IN TRAFFIC AND REFUSING TO START IS MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. INCIDENTS OCCURRED 10/31/04 THROUGH 11/9/04.*JB

WHILE DRIVING SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE DRIVER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE MORNING FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *SC

I HAD THE CLOCKSPRING IN MY 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN REPLACED (AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED) SOMEWHERE AROUND 40,000 MILES. THE CLOCKSPRING CAUSED MY STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP WHEN TURNING A CORNER. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE CLOCKSPRING ALONG WITH A RELATED AIRBAG COMPONENT THEY SAID WAS ALSO NEEDED. THIS REPAIR WORK WAS DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP IN JULY OF 2004. ON SEPTEMBER 29TH,2004 I WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH A WOMAN WHO RAN A RED LIGHT. I WAS IN MY DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH MY 4 CHILDREN (14,10,6,AND 5). THERE WAS EXTENSIVE FRONTAL DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND MY CAR WENT THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE FOLLOWING THE IMPACT. MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT AND I AM CURIOUS AS TO WHY THIS AIRBAG (THAT I JUST HAD REPLACED) DID NOT GO OFF DURING THE IMPACT.

WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. UPON, IMPACT BOTH PASSENGER FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE PASSENGERS. THIS CAUSED BOTH PASSENGER TO SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

AS REPORTED BY THE 3 OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SEAM TEAR/SEPARATION LOCATED ON TOP OF THE ROOF WITHIN THE WATER CHANNEL AND STRIPPING. THERE ARE TOTAL OF 4 DEFECTS EACH RANGING FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES IN LENGTH AND 1/8 IN WIDTH. 3 OF THE 4 DEFECTS SIT JUST OUTSIDE AND PARALLEL TO THE WEATHER STRIPPING. THE DEFECTS ARE NOT PROTECTED AT ALL FROM THE ELEMENTS AND WILL RESULT IN DAMAGE OR FAILURE TO THE INTERIOR AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OVER TIME. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TEAR REVEALED JAGGERED EDGES (TEAR) SUGGESTING SOME SORT OF STRESS IS OCCURRING, WHETHER FROM THE SLIDING DOOR OR EVERYDAY USE. I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DEFECT, AND SINCE THE DEFECT IS REPEATABLE (ALL FOUR AREAS) AN INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED. THE DEFECT ITSELF IS LOCATED IN AN OBSCURED LOCATION ON THE VAN, WERE MOST CUSTOMERS WOULD NEVER KNOW TO LOOK UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE AND OUT OF WARRANTY, WHICH RESULTS IN ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CUSTOMER. *JB

EVENFLO TRIUMPH MODEL # 359128P1, DOM 10/21/2003. THE CHILD WAS CHOKING OFF THE MATERIAL FROM BOTH SIDES OF ARM REST. CHILD WAS ABLE TO PULL UNDERNEATH THE CAR SEAT AND PLACE THE MATERIAL INSIDE OF HIS MOUTH. *AK

STARTED THE CAR AND NOTICED A HIGH PITCHED NOISE WHICH INCREASED WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED AND THE CAR ACCELERATED - THE STEERING WAS STIFF AND THE IDLE WAS REALLY LOW. AFTER LETTING THE CAR WARM UP FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR THE SOUND WAS GONE, BUT THE IDLE REMAINED LOW. ABOUT A YEAR AGO SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPEND AFTER STARTUP - WE HAD BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES, AND THIS TIME THE CAR'S STEERING WOULD NOT MOVE AND THE CAR WOULD STALL - IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT AN HOUR OF RUNNING TIME UNTIL THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL WAS ABLE TO MOVE.*AK