2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

WHEN DRIVING (USUALLY ACCELERATING) THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING CAUSING DIFFICULT BREAKING AND STEERING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND GETTING WORSE!!!!! THE STEERING WHEEL MUST BE TILTED UP BEFORE IT WILL RESTART. *TR

SIGNIFICANT RISK ? COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO POOR DESIGN (UNRESOLVED MANUFACTURER KNOWN ISSUE): DURING A MODERATE RAIN STORM, THE SERPENTINE BELT ONCE AGAIN SLIPPED OFF THE PULLEYS, WHICH DISABLED POWER STEERING, CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS IT WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP (MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO FIGHT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE). LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE HAD JUST LEFT A STOPLIGHT AND HAD ONLY ATTAINED ABOUT 20 - 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BEFORE HITTING ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN A VERY CROWDED PEDESTRIAN AREA OF DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO'S HISTORIC GASLAMP QUARTER. GIVEN THE REDUCED VISIBILITY FROM THE RAIN AND NIGHTTIME CITY ILLUMINATION, IT?S AMAZING THIS DID NOT RESULT IN PEDESTRIAN INJURIES OR EVEN DEATHS OR DAMAGE TO WAITING TAXIS OR PARKED CARS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THIS VEHICLE IN THE RAIN, BUT THE FIRST IN WHICH TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURRED. THE FIRST INSTANCE ALSO OCCURRED AT NIGHT, IN THE RAIN, WHILE WAITING IN HEAVY AIRPORT TERMINAL TRAFFIC. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SERPENTINE BELTS SLIPPING OFF IN THE RAIN CAN BE FOUND ONLINE IN DODGE FORUMS. A TECHNICAL BULLETIN WAS ISSUED FOR PRIOR MODEL YEARS BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 2000 MODEL YEAR. ALSO OF NOTE, AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED IT BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AS THE WATER PUMP WAS ALSO DISABLED BY THE LOSS OF THE SERPENTINE BELT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS SLIGHTLY TOUCHED, THE SEAT BELT WOULD ERRONEOUSLY RELEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED HOWEVER, THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPLACED THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS DISPLEASED WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE SEAT BELT RELEASE BUCKLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 03/31/14*LJ.....UPDATED12/07/15*BF

WHENEVER IT RAINS, AND WATER IS SPRAYED UNDER THE VEHICLE, THE SERPENTINE BELT IS KNOCKED OFF. VEHICLE LOOSES POWER STEERING AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE GETS VERY HOT. *TR

STRUT TOWERS HAVE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN SEE THE GROUND BY LOOKING THROUGH THE STRUT TOWERS FROM THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE IS VERY LITTLE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT LEFT IN THE STRUT TOWERS. *TR

REAR BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED AND FAILED. THEY HAVE RUSTED AND FAILED IN THE AREA JUST BEHIND THE ABS MODULE WHERE THE BRAIDED LINES ARE CONNECTED TO THE RIGID LINES. THE REST OF THE BRAKE LINES ARE IN FINE SHAPE. THE ONLY AREAS WHERE THEY ARE BAD IS WHERE THE BRAIDED SECTIONS CONNECT TO THE RIGID SECTIONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE STRUT TOWERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE STRUT TOWERS WERE UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,000.

LEFT STRUT TOWER COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT AND SHOULD B RECALLED. *TR

MILEAGE AT TIME OF INCIDENT: 123860 MILES. WHILE DRIVING THIS LOANER VEHICLE OF A FRIEND. I ENCOUNTERED A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED HYDRAULIC BRAKE FAILURE WHILE STOPPING. LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. MECHANICAL BRAKING WAS AVAILABLE. ASSESSMENT OF SYSTEM SHOWED NO LEAKS ON OR AROUND BOOSTER, MASTER CYLINDER OR ABS DISTRIBUTION MODULE. APPROXIMATELY 50MM OF SEVERE CORROSION OF THE TWO, RIGID STEEL BRAKE TUBING SECTIONS, ORIGINATING FROM THE SECOND JUNCTIONS OF THE FLEXIBLE HOSES TO THE RESPECTIVE RIGID STEEL BRAKE TUBING, THAT RUN ALONG THE DRIVER SIDE FRAME. WHEN THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS USED TO STOP, THE SUDDEN INCREASE OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE CAUSED A STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE DEGRADED TUBING. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID AND LOSS OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS FAILURE RESULTED IN A NEAR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN OF THE BRAKE LINE TUBING AND JUNCTION AND SHOW THE SEVERITY OF THE CORROSION. THIS COMPLAINT IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR THIS MODEL AND VEHICLE AND MODEL YEAR AS POSTED ON THE NHTSA.GOV WEBSITE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LATER NOTICED GASOLINE LEAKING ONTO THE FUEL RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V268000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 205,000. *TR