2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED, THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE VEHICLE HAD EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE STRUT TOWERS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THE VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN A SALT BELT STATE. UPDATED 5/2/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO ITS DESTINATION AND WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE DIFFERENTIAL CROSS PIN CAME LOOSE, LOGGED INTO THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE AND RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

I AM A DAY CARE PROVIDER AND WHILE I WAS TRANSPORTING FIVE SMALL CHILDREN, MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN'S TRANSMISSION BLEW ON THE INTERSTATE WITH NO WARNING. I WAS HORRIFIED AND WE WERE LEFT STRANDED FOR NEARLY AN HOUR. I RECENTLY HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED, AND OIL CHANGED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MY VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 80 THOUSAND MILES ON IT. I KEEP UP WITH MAINTENANCE. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FINDING OUT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $2000 TO FIX, I MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS. I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL LOCAL SERVICE SHOPS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AND THAT ON AN AVERAGE THEY SEE THIS HAPPEN ON A WEEKLY BASIS. ONLINE RESEARCH TURNED UP THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE ALSO HAD THIS HAPPEN. THE TRANSMISSION BLOWS, SOMETHING ABOUT A PIN FLYING THROUGH THE CASE AND THE VEHICLE IS RENDERED USELESS UNTIL A $2000 PLUS REPAIR IS MADE. CONTACTED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY AND THEY STATED THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS, YET THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT WHETHER THIS WILL OCCUR WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION, I WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WOULD BE CORRECTED, IF THERE IS A PROBLEM TO CORRECT ...THEN CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX IT TO BEGIN WITH. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION AND I STRONGLY FEEL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR AT LEAST PART OF IT SINCE IT IS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS IN THE 97-2002 MODELS FROM THE INFORMATION I GATHERED ONLINE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILS AND THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE OR PROCEDURE THAT A CUSTOMER CAN DO TO PREVENT IT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE SLID OFF OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED A PIN IN THE TRANSMISSION CAME OUT, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP. UPDATED 3/17/2006 - THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE PIN BROKE THROUGH THE HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND EXPLAINED TO THE CONSUMER THAT THEY NOW HAVE A RETROFIT KIT TO LOCK THE PIN IN. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHT COVERS ARE OXIDIZING CAUSING ONLY 40 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL LIGHT OUT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 10/4/2006 - THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. *NM

THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN DRIVING MY 2000 GRAND CARAVAN. THE LIGHT SEEMS TO COME ON WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN, BUT AT TIMES IT STAYS ON FOR A WHILE, THEN GOES OUT; THEN AT TIMES IT STAYS ON FOR A WHILE, AND THEN GOES OUT. NO SET PATTERN. *JB

MY LOCAL AUTO SERVICE SHOP RECENTLY IDENTIFIED A CORROSION CRACK IN THE LEFT STRUT HOUSING OF MY VAN. I WENT TO A BODY SHOP AND THEY INDICATED THE STRUT COULD EVENTUALLY BREAK THROUGH THE HOOD ALLOWING THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL TO COLLAPSE. THEY CONTACTED A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHO INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THEY HAD A CORROSION KIT FOR THAT PROBLEM. THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT CHRYSLER HAD A PROGRAM TO HELP PAY FOR REPAIRS BUT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NEAR 100,000 MILES AND IT MIGHT NOT QUALIFY. HE PURSUED IT AND CHRYLSER DID PROVIDE THE KIT AND $200 TO THE AUTO BODY SHOP, WHICH JUST PAID FOR THE KIT AND A SMALL BIT MORE. THE TOTAL BILL WAS $555.00 OF WHICH I PAID $355.00. THE BODY SHOP INDICATED THAT ACCORDING TO THE CHRYSLER INSTRUCTIONS, IF THE PROBLEM GOT MUCH WORSE BEFORE IT WAS CAUGHT, THE ENTIRE STRUT HOUSING MIGHT HAVE TO BE REPLACED, COSTING $2,000 OR MORE. IN TALKING TO THE ORIGINAL SERVICE SHOP, THEY HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES OF THIS APPARENT DEFECT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS PROBLEM APPARENTLY GETS WORSE WITH THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND SINCE CHRYSLER VANS ARE SO POPULAR THIS COULD BE A LIFE SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THOSE NOT AWARE OF THE CORROSION DEFECT, ESPECIALLY SECOND OWNERS (LIKE ME). IF THIS IS A KNOWN POTENTIAL LIFE SAFETY MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WHY ISN'T THE REPAIR COST TOTALLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER AND SHOULDN'T OWNERS BE NOTIFIED EVEN IF THEY BOUGHT IT AS A USED CAR? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT DETECTED AN ODOR OF GASOLINE AFTER DRIVING AND SUSPECTED THERE WAS A LEAK. BUT WAS UNABLE TO PINPOINT THE SOURCE. THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V268000, REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *AK

I HAD AN OIL CHANGE DONE AT A CHRYSLER DEALER THE SERVICE ADVISOR NOTED ON THE REPAIR ORDER AND TOLD MY WIFE THAT THE FRONT STRUT TOWERS WERE RUSTING OUT AND THAT THE STRUT COULD BREAK THOUGH THE TOWER CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VAN. *JB

I BROUGHT MY 2000 GRAND CARAVAN IN FOR ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. SERVICE MGR. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY LEFT STRUT TOWER/STRUT SEATING WAS BEGINNING TO RUST AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $700 TO REPAIR. STATED IT SHOULD BE REPAIRED SOON OR COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF IT FAILS. THE RIGHT ONE IS PERFECTLY FINE. I PROCEEDED TO DO RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON "FAILURE". WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED OTHER THAN TSB 2304402? ISN'T THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL? WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE BEFORE I SPEND THIS MONEY THAT I DON'T FEEL IS MY FAULT OR CAUSE? *JB