2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS OR SO, ALMOST EVERY TIME AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK, THE 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ANNIVERSARY EDITION STALLS. I CAN BE JUST PULLING AWAY FROM THE PUMP WHEN IT HAPPENS, OR STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES FROM LEAVING THE GAS STATION. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR 'JUMP' LIKE SOMEONE IS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY AND IT JERKS THE VAN A BIT FORWARD. THEN IT STALLS. IT TAKES A FEW TURNS OF THE KEY AND PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL VERY QUICKLY AND FORCEFULLY TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. I HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE HABIT OF DRIVING THE VAN AROUND A PARKING LOT FOR A FEW MINUTES UNTIL IT FEELS BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, AS I'M CONCERNED IT WILL STALL OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THIS ONLY HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK. IT CONCERNS ME NOW MORE THAN EVER SINCE MY SON IS LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE AND I WANT HIM TO BE SAFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

ENGINE STARTED MISSING, VIBRATIONS FROM ENGINE. DIAGNOSIS ELECTRICAL FAULT. WIRING HARNESS BRITTLE FORM HARNESS BEING PLACED ON, OVER AND NEXT, SNAKED AROUND EXHAUST MANIFOLD, CAUSING PREMATURE WIRING FAILURE. FUEL INJECTOR WIRING HARNESS UNSHIELDED IN SIDE OF INTAKE MANIFOLD / PLENUM. WIRING HARNESS POORLY SHIELDED. THIS IS A DELIBERATE, INTENTIONAL DESIGN / ENGINEERING TO SNAKE WIRING HARNESS AROUND EXHAUST MANIFOLD. CAUSING WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. USING SUB-STANDARD WIRING COMPONENTS AND NOT USING SHIELDING TO CAUSE PRE-MATURE FAILURE. INSTALLING PCM (COMPUTER) IN WHEEL WELL FOR PRE-MATURE FAILURE EXPOSED TO SALT, ROAD DEBRIS, WATER, ETC. PCM INSTALLED IN OPEN AREA OF VEHICLE PRONE TO FAILURE. CONSEQUENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER REFUELING. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND IN SOME INSTANCES THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL UP TO TWO TIMES BEFORE OPERATING AS NORMAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I WAS SITTING IN FRONT DRIVER SEAT TURNED TO PLACE AN ITEM INTO PASSENGER SEAT AND WHERE THE LOWER SPRINGS ATTACH TO SEAT BACK REST OF THE DRIVER SEAT THE SEAT FRAME SNAPPED IN HALF AND THE LOWER SUPPORT ARM THAT CONNECTS THE TWO LOWER PARTS OF THE BACK REST TOGETHER SPLIT. *TR

MY FRONT BRAKES HAVE TO BE CHANGED EVERY THREE MONTHS , MY VAN WILL STALL OR ACT LIKE ITS GOING TO STALL I HAVE TO GIVE IT GAS AND AFTER I MOVE FOR A FEW IT STOPS, MY VAN IS CONSTANTLY OUT OF LINE WHICH WEARS ON THE TIRES ,THE METAL COOLANT LINES THAT GO FOR THE REAR HEAT WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED BADLY CAUSING A HUGE LEAK , ALSO THE TRANSMISSION COOLER BRACKET LOCATES IN FRONT OF RADIATOR BROKE CAUSING A HOLE IN THE RADIATOR, THIS HAS NOT ONLY HAPPENED IN MY 2004 GRAND CARAVAN BUT ALSO IN MY ELDERLY PARENTS 2004 CARAVAN. AFTER READING THROUGH ALL THE COMPLAINTS I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS WILL HAPPEN AND GO WRONG AND HAVE TO BE FIXED BUT WHEN THE DEALERSHIP OR THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T SHOW ANY INTEREST IN WANTING TO HELP THE CONSUMER THERE'S NOT MUCH A PERSON CAN DO THAT IS UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT AND I CAN GUARANTEE IF IT HAPPENS TO BE MY FAMILY THERE WILL BE AN ENORMOUS LAW SUIT WITH A LOT OF PUBLICITY LETS SEE HOW SALES DO AFTER I GET DONE. *TR

NOTICED FUEL SMELL AND VEHICLE STALLING OR HESITATING AFTER FUELING, FOUND FUEL LEAK COMING FROM VERY SMALL CRACKS ON FUEL PUMP HOUSING TOP LOCATED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VAN CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *TR

PERIODICALLY, THE ENGINE OF OUR 2004 GRAND CARAVAN SPUTTERS AND DIES WITHOUT WARNING. TYPICALLY THIS HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK. UPON LEAVING THE GAS STATION, THE VAN RUNS NORMALLY FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, THEN CUTS OUT ALL TOGETHER. USUALLY THIS HAPPENS JUST AS WE ARE PULLING OUT OF THE STATION INTO TRAFFIC. ONCE THE VAN IS RE-STARTED, IT RUNS ROUGHLY FOR A MINUTE, THEN QUITE NORMALLY. THIS FIRST OCCURRED IN LATE 2009 AND HAPPENED INFREQUENTLY FOR A TIME. THE OLDER THE VAN BECOMES, THE MORE FREQUENTLY IT HAPPENS - NOW ON ALMOST EVERY FILL-UP. RELATED TO THIS ISSUE, PERIODICALLY AFTER STARTING THE VAN AT HOME, WITH A NEARLY FULL TANK OF GAS, IT RUNS FINE FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, THEN THE ENGINE SEEMS TO GO INTO IDLE AND COMPLETELY FAILS TO RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. TYPICALLY THIS HAPPENS AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN NEAR HOME. THE ENGINE RUNS, BUT THERE IS NO ACCELERATION. WE DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BRAKE TO A STOP, WAIT A MINUTE (SOMETIMES SHIFT TO PARK), THEN TRY THE GAS PEDAL AGAIN. THE VAN WILL RESPOND NORMALLY AT THAT POINT AND RUN FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITHOUT FURTHER TROUBLE. (THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BETWEEN 50 AND 65 DEGREES.) WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE EXAMINED A NUMBER OF TIMES BY SEVERAL VERY REPUTABLE AUTO SERVICES AND NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

DASH LIGHTS AND BACK UP LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AIRBAG ERROR LIGHT SOMETIMES ITS ON , SOMETIMES NOT. ATTEMPTED TO PURCHASE REBUILT BODY CONTROL MODULE, BUT WAS INFORMED IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL ONE. WHEN YOU CANNOT REPAIR OR REPLACE A PART, IT SEEMS LIKE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO RECALL AND REPLACE THIS PART WHEN DEFECTIVE, WHICH, INVESTIGATION SHOWS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM. I CANNOT PASS INSPECTION WITH INOPERABLE BACK UP LIGHTS AND IF AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, BUT CANNOT BUY REPLACEMENT PART. IT SUCKS TO OWN A DISPOSABLE VEHICLE. *TR

BEGINNING AROUND AUGUST 2012, MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ANNIVERSARY EDITION BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND STALL IF I EVER FILLED THE GAS TANK COMPLETELY. IF I DID NOT CONTINUE TO FEED GAS TO THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE WOULD STALL. AT STOPLIGHTS I WOULD NEED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND REV THE GAS AND THEN SIT IN PARK UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO MOVE. THIS WOULD CONTINUE FOR APPROX 2-3 MILES. IN SUMMER 2013 IT BEGAN HAPPENING EVEN IF THE CAR WAS NOT FILLED TO CAPACITY. REPAIR SHOPS TELL ME IT'S THE TYPE OF GAS OR THERE IS WATER IN THE GAS LINE, BUT MY RESEARCH TELLS ME THIS IS A KNOWN CARAVAN ISSUE. MY REQUESTS FOR REPAIR INVESTIGATIONS ARE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY. SO MY SOLUTION IS TO NEVER FILL THE CAR BEYOND 3/4 TANK - SUPER INCONVENIENT. AS A RESULT, THE SPUTTERING DOES NOT HAPPEN AS MUCH ANY MORE, BUT THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS AND SCARY. I AM JUST WAITING FOR THE ENGINE TO FAIL IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD SIMPLY BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN FUEL. *TR