2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

CONSUMER STATED WHIEL DRIVING, THE TRANSAXLE FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK.*JB

MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT ALL WHEEL DRIVE DEVELOPED A THUMPING NOISE IN THE FRONT DRIVE TRAIN. I TOOK IT TO COUNTY CHRYSLER, HAMBURG, PA - A 5 STAR CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE DEPT. THERE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE RESULT OF A WORN OUT POWER TRANSFER UNIT. THE COST TO REPLACE IT INCLUDING THE DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR LABOR WILL APPROACH $3,000. SINCE THE VAN IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS ONLY 67 THOUSAND MILES ON IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE POWER TRANSFER UNIT MUST BE EITHER CHEAP OR DEFECTIVE. WITH ONLY THIS MUCH MILEAGE TO HAVE TO REPLACE MAJOR POWER TRAIN COMPONENTS MAKES ME THINK THAT THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH EITHER THE DESIGN OR THE PARTS QUALITY.

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN BUCKLING THE CHILD INTO THE INTEGRATED CHILD RESTRAINT IT WOULD NOT LATCH PROPERLY CAUSING THE CHILD NOT TO BE RESTRAINED PROPERLY. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

TRANSMISSION FAILURE - WHEN PLACED INTO DRIVE THE GEARS FAILED TO ENGAGE (ESPECIALLY WHEN COLD). THIS VAN IS 2+YEARS OLD WITH ~62,000 MILES. FIXED AT SMITH BROTHERS IN OLD SAYBROOK, CT AND REQUIRED NEW PART DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH HUB IMPUT WHICH BROKE DOWN SENDING METAL PARTS THROUGHOUT THE TRANSMISSION. (VERY EXPENSIVE FOR A CAR THIS NEW!). I CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM EARLY ENOUGH TO AVOID THE POTENTIAL DISASTER OF A HIGH SPEED FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT'S FRONT END ALIGNMENT. SINCE PURCHASE THE FRONT END HAS BEEN ALIGNED TWICE. ON 12/20/00 THE FRONT 2 TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED ANT THE FRONT END ALIGNED (NATIONAL TIRE, NIANTIC CT). THIS PAST SUMMER (I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE HANDY) THE FRONT END HAD TO BE REALIGNED AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVER SIDE WAS WAY OUT (AUTO SERVICE OF OLD SAYBROOK, 4 JADE COURT, OLD SAYBROOK, CT). THIS ISSUE HAS CAUSED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR BUT DANGER WAS MINIMIZED DUE TO REGULAR INSPECTION.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED AT 58,822 MILES ON THE 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN I OWN. THE PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION WAS THAT THE SPLINES OF THE FRONT PLANETARY STRIPPED BECAUSE THEY WERE MADE WITH A SOFTER METAL THAN THE UNDERDRIVE CLUTCH HUB. I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER SHOULD ADDRESS. WHEN I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER, I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS MY FAULT, BECAUSE I HAD NOT CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AT THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE INTERVAL, AND I WAS 22,000 MILES OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT A TRANSMISSION FLUID I AM AWARE OF THAT WILL MAKE THOSE SPLINES STRONGER. TS

MY 7 YEAR-OLD SON WAS KILLED ON 12/21/02 BECAUSE MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WENT INTO GEAR WITH OUT STEPPING ON THE BREAK. THE VAN ROLLED DOWN A DRIVEWAY AND MY SON HAD HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW AND HE HIT A TREE AND WAS KILLED. GRANTED I AM PARTIALLY AT FAULT FOR LEAVING CHILDREN UNATTENDED FOR LESS THAN 2 MINUTES BUT THE VAN SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GO OUT OF GEAR WITH OUT STEPPING ON THE BREAK. THIS IS NOT A FAMILY SAFE VEHICLE. I KNOW FOR A FACT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS RAN INSIDE BECAUSE THEY FORGOT SOMETHING AND THE CHILDREN WERE LEFT IN THE VEHICLE. I JUST WANT DODGE TO BE MADE TO PUT THE SAFETY DEVICE ON THEIR VEHICLES SO NO OTHER CHILDREN ARE NOT HURT OR KILLED. THE 2003 DODGE NEON ARE ALSO THE SAME WAY. INSERT THE KEY ONLY AND THE CAR WILL SHIFT THRU ALL THE GEARS THANKS JILL

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PAN WAS LEAKING. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY A MECHANIC, WHO INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE TRANSMISSION PAN BEING MADE WITH SILICONE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED TRANSMISSION "LINE", "CONVERTER" AND "SOLENOID". PH

THE ABS INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON. DURING THE TIME OF THE LIGHT BEING ON WE EXPERIENCE A GRINDING/RUBBING WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. SOMETIMES THE BRAKES WILL RUB AND GRIND AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT WILL COME ON. WE HAVE HAD THE R/F WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND WIRING REPLACED TWICE, WE'VE ALSO HAD THE MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED ALSO. THERE ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS THAT FAIL TO GET FIXED OR THEY GET FIXED AND THEN REOCCUR LIKE. THE SPEAKERS IN THE FRONT BUZZ LOUDLY THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE CAR WHEN IT IS DARK OUTSIDE SOMETIMES DIM AND FLICKER. JUST RECENTLY THE IGNITION SWITCH WENT DEFECTIVE FOR NO APPARENT REASON WE'VE HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE IN THE SHOP OVER 6 TIMES AND IT IS GETTING OLD. I AM CONCERN ABOUT MY VEHICLES SAFETY NOW MORE THAN EVER BECAUSE IT TRANSPORTS MY WIFE, SON AND MY SOON TO BE BORN CHILD. I DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FIND OUT MY FAMILY WAS IN A ACCIDENT OR MAYBE WORSE. I JUST WANT MY VEHICLE FIXED RIGHT ESPECIALLY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY CHARGED ME FOR THIS VEHICLE OR A VEHICLE THAT IS SAFER THAN MY CURRENT. I DON'T MIND PAYING A LOT FOR SAFETY BUT WHEN I PAY ALOT AND DON'T KNOW WHETHER I HAVE IT OR NOT IT ANGERS TO NO END. DT

FUEL TANK HAS A RUBBER VENT RING ON THE TOP OF THE TANK AROUND THE LINE WHICH FEEDS FUEL OUT OF THE TANK. THE VENT DRY ROTTED AND DETERIORATED. THE VAN WAS PARKED ON OUR SLANTED DRIVEWAY AND GAS BEGAN POURING OUT OF THE TANK ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. THE DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. THEY ARE FIRM WITH THEIR POSITION THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND THE VAN WAS NOT REPAIRED AT ONE OF THEIR SERVICE CENTERS, THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT HELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE REPAIRS. ($737.00) THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP DID ADMIT THIS PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. HE STATED HE HAS BEEN ASKED TO COMPLETE AN ENGINEERING REPORT FOR DODGE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. SHOULD THIS CAR HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART, GAS WOULD HAVE EASILY LEAKED FROM THE TANK CAUSING AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. DODGE SEEMS TO BE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSING TO ADMIT THEY SOLD ME A CAR WITH A DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK. A RESPONSE REGARDING THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. DT