1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

MY 1998 GRAND CARAVAN SUDDENLY STARTED BURNING OIL. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS DUE TO LEAKING VALVES THAT ARE COMMON IN THE 3.0L ENGINE. THE DISTURBING PART IS THE OIL LIGHT NEVER CAME ON DESPITE A VERY LOW LEVEL OF ENGINE OIL. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING BOTH PROBLEMS AND RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE WITH EITHER PROBLEM. THE ENGINE AND WARNING LIGHT MALFUCNTIONS RESULTED IN LIFTER DAMAGE THAT WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $500.*AK

WE BOUGHT OUR 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE (3.3 LITER) USED FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER IN 2000. AT THAT POINT, THE TENSIONER HAD BEEN REPLACED ONCE AT LEAST. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD THE UNFORTUNATE AND DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCE OF BEING STRANDED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH OUR 3 CHILDREN BECAUSE OF THE TENSIONER BELT FALLING OFF, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. IT COINCIDED WITH RAINY WEATHER BOTH TIMES. I HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS ON THE INTERNET WITH OTHER CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THEIR DODGE GRAND CARAVANS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS COULD LEAD TO DEATHS VERY EASILY. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC, WITH NO STEERING OR POWER, AND PARK IN THE BREAK DOWN LANE WHILE TRAFFIC PASSED BY US AT 75 MILES AN HOUR. WE WERE NEARLY REARENDED A COUPLE TIMES, WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT OUR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT FIRST, AND I DOUBT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SURVIVED THAT KIND OF IMPACT. IN THE MEANTIME, MY HUSBAND LITERALLY STOOD IN BACK OF OUR VAN WAVING OUR DETACHED SERPENTINE BELT IN THE AIR DESPERATE FOR SOMEONE TO HELP GET US OFF OF THE BUSY AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY HIGHWAY. THE NEXT 30 MINUTES WERE SCARY, I CRIED THE ENTIRE TIME SCARED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY 3 YOUNG CHILDREN (A NEWBORN, A 2 YEAR OLD AND A 3 YEAR OLD). THE NEXT TIME THE BELT FELL OFF, LUCKILY I WAS NEARER TO OUR HOME ON A QUIET STREET. I COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD I LOST THE BELT WHILE ON A BACK COUNTRY ROAD IN MAINE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER, WITH MY 3 CHILDREN BY MYSELF. A FAMILY VAN SHOULD NEVER LOSE IT'S SERPENTINE BELT 3 TIMES IN 4 YEARS. WITH ALL THE RECORDED STATEMENTS FROM OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM, SEVERAL TIMES OVER, THERE IS AMPLE PROOF THAT DODGE IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM. LOSING POWER, STEERING, ETC. IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED. WE WERE LUCKY TO SURVIVE OUR INCIDENT. THERE WILL COME A DAY, IF THIS SITUATION IS NOT RESOLVED, WHERE A PERSON OR WHOLE FAMILY, WILL DIE BECAUSE OF THIS CARELESS DEFECT. *AK

AIRBAG LIGHT AND ABS LIGHTS REMAIN LIGHTED. CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN NON-FUNCTIONING. *AK

NOVEMBER, 2003 - 1998 GRAND CARAVAN WITH 73500 MILES. HEAD GASKET FAILURE. LEAKING COOLANT TO THE OUTSIDE OF ENGINE FROM REAR HEAD. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEAD GASKET AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. DRIVEN BY "SOCCER" MOM. ALSO, COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE-SEE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SECTION. *JB

FEBRUARY, 2004 - 1998 GRAND CARAVAN WITH 75100 MILES STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. NO PREVIOUS WARNING OF PROBLEM. TOTAL REBUILD OF TRANSMISSION COSTING $1500.00. VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. DRIVEN BY "SOCCER" MOM. OBVIOUS THROUGH RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. *JB

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER STATED THAT CLOCK SPRING FAILED, AND AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. A RECALL 02V293000 WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

AT ANY SPEED AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT WORK. THERE IS AN ARTICLE IN A CONSUMER MAGAZINE THAT DOCUMENTS THE PROBLEMS THE CONSUMER IS HAVING. THE PROBLEM MENTIONED IS A DEFECTIVE CLOCK SPRING. *AK

I HAVE A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE THAT HADE ENGINE FAILURE. THE VAN HAS BEEN RUNNING GOOD AND HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF. MY VAN AT THAT TIME HADE 126,000 MILES ON IT, SO IT IS PASS WARRANTY PERIOD. I STILL BELIEVE THAT THIS ENGINE SHOULDN,T HAVE FAILED AT 126,000 MILES. THIS IS MY SECOND MINI-VAN, AND UP UNTIL THIS POINT HAVE BEEN SATISFIED WITH THEM. I THINK CHYSLER SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS FAILURE. MY VOYAGER HAS 208,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE AND STILL RUNNING. SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH THIS 3.3 L V6 ENGINE. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE FAILURE OR WITH ME HAVING TO SPEND $2,500.00 TO REPAIR IT. THIS SHOULDN,T HAVE HAPPEN.*AK

MANUFACTURER FAILED TO SEND MANDATORY RECALL NOTICES TO REGISTERED ORIGINAL PURCHASER AT ADDRESS ON FILE. *LA

PREMATURE, SUDDEN FAILURE OF HEAD GASKET, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO RAPID LOSS OF COOLANT, OBSCURED VISION, LOSS OF CONTROL, ETC.