2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

AFTER HAVING MY 06 DODGE GC SERVICED AT THE LOCAL DEALER FOR A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AT 72,000 MILES, I WAS INFORMED MY RACK AND PINION WAS BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR $1100. JUST THE RESPONSE FOR THIS SITE ALONE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THIS IS A BIGGER PROBLEM AND DODGE SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

2006 GRAND CARAVAN RACK & PINION WENT BAD. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH ALL CHRYSLER VANS. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 8, 2011 WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN MY 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. ON FEBRUARY 14, 2011 I READ ONLINE ABOUT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 10V008000 AND NHTSA ACTION # RQ09003 THAT STATED THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE COVERED BY CHRYSLER FREE OF COST. ON FEBRUARY 17,2011 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DODGE FOR THIS TO BE FIXED AND THEY STATED M VIN WAS NOT ONE OF THE VINS COVERED BY THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN SO I HAD TO PAY $225 TO HAVE THE FRONT AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR AND WIRING LEADING UP TO THE SENOR REPLACED. *TR

I HAVE 2 2006 GRAND CARAVANS, BOTH WITH ABOUT 80K MILES. BOTH OF THE AIRBAG LIGHTS CAME ON AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND THEY STAY ON. CHECKING THE INTERNET, CHRYSLER HAS ISSUED RECALLS FOR OVER 300K 2005 AND 2006 VEHICLES. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND ONE OF THE CARS IS COVERED AND THE OTHER IS NOT. THE VIN IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ON MY VAN THAT HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. IT IS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. *LN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT PRESSED HARDER BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES SINCE OCTOBER 2010. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, I HAVE HEARD A WHINING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE, NORMALLY AFTER DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MILES. WHEN I SLOW DOWN, THE WHINING LOWERS IN PITCH; WHEN I ACCELERATE, THE PITCH GOES UP. IN RECENT WEEKS, THE WHINING HAS GOTTEN LOUDER. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR UNDER TWO YEARS. IT HAS HANDLED WELL AND HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP, AFTER SPENDING SEVEN HOURS, INFORMED ME THAT THE STEERING FLUID WAS LOW DUE TO A LEAK AND THAT THE STEERING RACK WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1250 PLUS LABOR (IT WOULD BE AN ALL DAY JOB). THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT I WOULD SOON NEED A SERPENTINE BELT, WHICH WOULD COST $125 PLUS LABOR. UPON RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN COMMON IN 2006 GRAND CARAVAN MODELS BUT THAT DODGE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO RECALL THEM. I HAVE LOOKED AT PRICING OF THE PARTS NEEDED TO DO THIS AND FIND THE RACK AVAILABLE FOR A TENTH OF THE PRICE THIS DEALERSHIP (SHELBY MOTORS IN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS) WANTED TO CHARGE. I HAVE ALSO READ NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THE SUCCESSFUL REMEDIES THAT WERE USED INSTEAD, INCLUDING REPLACING A FAULTY STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR. THE POWER STEERING HAS NOT WORKED ANY DIFFERENTLY THAT IT DID THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE PITCH IS NOT AFFECTED BY TURNING. I ALSO READ THAT THESE PARTS SHOULD NOT NEED REPLACING IN A CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE OF ANY LEAK ON MY GARAGE FLOOR.

1. NORMAL USE 2. AUTOMATIC CLOSE/OPEN DOORS FAIL EVERY TIME THEY ARE USED. DOOR SLIDES OPEN FULLY, DOES NOT CATCH IN OPEN POSITION, THEN CLOSES ON YOU. THE FIRST TIME OR TWO OUR KIDS ALMOST GOT CAUGHT IN DOOR CLOSING. NOW OPEN MANUALLY ONLY. DRIVER SIDE DOOR STARTED FIRST AND NOW PASSENGER DOOR. 3. LOOKING FOR OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF MULTIPLE VISITS TO DEALER. *TR

BACK REAR WINDOW IMPLODED FOR THE SECOND TIME(FIRST TIME 2009, SECOND TIME 2010), NOBODY SEEMS TO HAVE AN ANSWER FOR WHY THIS HAPPENS OTHER THAN IT WAS COLD AND SNOWY OUTSIDE SO THE WEATHER MUST HAVE CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR, (THAT IS WHAT THEY SAY) MY FAMILY WAS IN THE VAN IN THE DRIVEWAY GETTING READY TO LEAVE SO I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT "NOTHING" WENT THRU THE WINDOW JUST A MAJOR DEFECT OF DODGE. NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THIS VAN STARTING WHEN VAN HAD 5000 MILES, AIR BAG SENSOR ON, SLIDING DOORS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY, LOUD SOUND FROM ENGINE, TIE RODS NEED REPLACED FOR THIRD TIME, CONTROL ARM BROKE, LOCKS MAKE A WHINY SOUND, CHECK SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON TOLD 3 TIMES THAT WE NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS . REALLY AT 30,000 MILES. WE CHANGED THEM, LIGHT STILL ON TODAY. AFTER AN INSPECTION OF VAN NOW DEALER SATES THAT THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, SERPENTINE BELT, EGV VALVE, VALVE GASKET, ALL NEEDS REPLACED AND THE LIGHT ON HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SPARK PLUGS, GO FIGURE. I HAVE SENT DEALERSHIP AND CHRYSLER LETTERS IN REGARDS TO MY SAFETY CONCERNS. THIS WOULD BE MY FOURTH TIME CALLING CHYRSLER ABOUT MAJOR ISSUES. THEY LACK CUSTOMER SERVICE AND NOTHING EVER DONE. WE PURCHASED NEW AND VAN IS NOW 5 YEARS OLD WITH SAME AND NEW PROBLEMS SINCE 5000 MILES, NOW HAS 77,000. I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING A DODGE VAN AGAIN!! *TR

THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR ON THE 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT STOPPED THE CLOSING CYCLE WITHIN 6 INCHES OF BEING CLOSED. DUE TO THE CYCLE STOPPING, THE DOOR DID NOT REVERSE THUS TRAPPING A 3 YEAR OLD BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE FRAME. THE DRIVER HAD TO WALK AROUND THE VAN AND MANUALLY PUSH THE DOOR OPEN THE FREE THE CHILD. THE DOOR HAS NOT FULLY CLOSED USING THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FEATURE SINCE THIS OCCURRED. *TR