1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, ALL OF THE BRAKE FLUID DRAINED FROM THE BRAKE LINES AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I PURCHASED MY 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN 2009, AND SHORTLY AFTER THE GAUGE CLUSTER STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE AND ABS LIGHTS CAME ON WHICH ON CHECKING WITH MY MECHANIC SAID MY ABS SYSTEM IS NON-FUNCTIONAL AS IS ALL OTHER INSTRUMENT RELATED READINGS. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE PANEL CAME BACK ON AND WORKED FOR AWHILE THAN SHUT OFF AGAIN. SOMEONE SAID HIT THE PANEL FACE AND THE GAUGES SHOULD COME BACK ON. I DID AND IT DID. FOR AWHILE. OVER TIME THE GAUGE FAILURE INTERVAL GREW SHORTER AND SHORTER, AND HITTING THE PANEL FINALLY FAILED TO RETURN THE USE OF THE GAUGES. TO REPLACE THIS GAUGE CLUSTER IS AN $800.00 PLUS REPAIR IN A SHOP WITH A REBUILD PANEL COSTING OVER $200.00 BY ITSELF. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT A DEALER WILL CHARGE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I HAVE LEARNED THE GAUGE FAILURE CULPRIT IS COLD SOLDER JOINTS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE GAUGE CLUSTER AND IS AN ALL TOO COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CLASS OF VEHICLE. THIS DEFICIENCY CAN EASILY BE AVOIDED BY BETTER QUALITY CONTROL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

CAR HAS FAULTY GAS GAUGE AND DESPITE HOW MUCH GAS I PUT IN, WILL TOGGLE BETWEEN HAVING GAS TO EMPTY AND SITS ON EMPTY, HAS RUN OUT OF GAS AS A RESULT, HARD TO START AND NOW WILL NOT START. ALSO HAS MANY ELECTRICAL QUIRKS, TURN HEADLIGHTS ON INBOARD DASH LIGHT GOES OFF AND VICE VERSA. HAD SOMEONE FIX FAN TO GO ON WHEN PLUGGED INTO BATTERY SINCE CANNOT GET INTO COMPUTER DASHBOARD AND INTERNAL HEAT FAN STOPPED WORKING, ALSO INDICATORS WORK SPORADICALLY (SO EVIDENTLY AN ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE). I'VE READ THAT THIS YEAR HAS HAD RECALLS DUE TO FAULTY FUEL HOSES/LINES AND WHEN USING AFTER MARKET FUEL FILTERS EVEN FROM NAPA WHICH WILL CAUSE FUEL LINES TO BECOME FAULTY. MY VAN FALLS WITHIN THIS YEAR, BUT I WAS TOLD MY SPECIFIC VIN # DIDN'T APPLY. VAN IS 3.3 LITER ENGINE, V6. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

WAS DRIVING THE VAN ABOUT APPROX 35 MPH IN A SNOW STORM WHEN IT STARTED TO SLIDE, I ACCELERATED TO KEEP FROM SPINNING OUT AND THE TRANSMISSION LET GO..TOOK IT TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT PUT IT IN AND THEY SAID THE SPIDER GEARS WERE "WELDED" TO THE SHAFT AND IT CAUSED THE SHAFT TO BREAK..THIS IS THE SECOND TRANNY WE PUT IN THIS VAN FOR THE SAME THING. MANUFACTURE DEFECT..THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE NEW TRANNY.. IT COST ME OVER $1950 TO PUT THIS TRANNY IN AND IT IS A REBUILD FROM ADVANCED AUTO..THEY SAID ITS A MANUFACTURE REBUILD..ALSO, THE SWITCH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS IS VERY LOOSE AND YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH IT AND GET IT IN A CERTAIN POSITION TO GET THE LIGHTS TO STAY ON. YOU HAVE TO TURN THEM ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT THEN PULL IT OUT A LITTLE THEN IT WILL STAY ON.. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND THE CONTACT LOST POWER STEERING. ALSO, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE ALTERNATOR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE BUT DECIDED TO REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES MOSTLY WHEN IT RAINED OR HIT A POTHOLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A FUEL SMELL. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND AFTER INSPECTING IT, HE NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V268000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) AND WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000. UPDATED 7/11/12 *CN UPDATED 07/17/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEEDS OF 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE STORE, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COIL PACK MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY COULD NOT ASSIST THE CONTACT WITH THE FAILURE OF THE COIL PACK. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES AND IT WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 03/05/12*LJ UPDATED 03/08/12

WHILE DRIVING OUR 97 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN LE TO DROP OFF A VISITOR, HALFWAY THROUGH THE TRIP, I HAD TO STOP AT A LIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE PEDAL JUST WENT ALL THE WAY TO FIREWALL. SINCE CARAVAN HAS A FOOT BRAKE, I MANAGED TO DRIVE VEHICLE WITH HAZARD LIGHTS ON USING THE FOOT BRAKE. THERE WAS A SMELL OF BRAKE FLUID THAT INSTANT SO I FIGURED A LEAK HAD OCCURRED SOMEWHERE. AFTER GETTING HOME, I CHECKED AREA WHERE LEAK WAS COMING FROM AND SAW IT ON THE STAINLESS STEEL BRAID CONNECTION UNDERNEATH DRIVER SEAT NEAR THE ABS MODULE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SOME OF THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY CORRODED AND FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000. UPDATED 06/16/11*LJ UPDATED 06/23/11