1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S DOOR WELDS THAT HOLD THE HINGES ARE BREAKING. REPLACED THEM ONCE, CURRENTLY BROKEN AGAIN. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 42K + MILES. CHRYSLER HAS A WELL-DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES. ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE, THAT CERTAINLY WAS A POSSIBILITY. IF THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DURING ACCELERATION (HIGH LOAD) ONTO A HIGHWAY OR PULLING OUT OF AN INTERSECTION, THE RESULTS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. *AK

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON. WOULD GO OFF AND ON BY ITSELF. PROBLEM WAS CONSISTENT. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP, INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF LIGHT WAS ON. RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND NOTHING WAS FOUND.*AK THE CONSUMER WANTS AN OFF SWITCH FOR THE AIR BAG OR HAVE IT REMOVED BECAUSE IT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *YH

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION . UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. SINCE INCIDENT, SRS LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING, AND HORN ASSEMBLY/ CRUISE CONTROL BECAME INOPERABLE.*AK *SLC

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. ALSO, HORN ASSEMBLY AND CRUISE CONTROL ARE INOPERABLE.*AK THE CONSUMER HAD TRADED THE VEHICLE. *YH

I FOUND OUT OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM FROM MSNBC'S ARTICLE. I BROUGHT IN MY VAN AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS BAD AND IT WOULD COST ROUGHLY $250 TO GET IT FIXED. HAD WE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS A LARGE SCALE PROBLEM RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE PARTS. THANK YOU.*AK

STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT LOCK WHEN MOTOR IS SHUT OFF AND IN PARK. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN TRYING TO START THE ENGINE, I TURN THE KEY AND NOTHING HAPPENS. THE LIGHTS AND RADIO DO NOT WORK. EVENTUALLY, IT WILL START AND THE CLOCK HAS RESET TO 12:00 AND RADIO POWER IS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST 10 OCCASIONS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE DETAILS. THANK YOU! *AK

CLOCK SPRING FAILED WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, CAUSED LOSS OF AIR BAG, HORN, AND CRUISE CONTROLL. CLOCK SPRING FAILED WHERE THE MANUFACTURE PLACED A PLASTIC STRIP ON THE SPRING CABLE THAT PUT A SEVERE BEND IN CABLE CAUSING IT TO BREAK THE CIRCUIT AND LOOSE THE VITAL SAFETY FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE.

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WENT ON IN APPROXIMATELY MARCH 2000. TWO DEALERS SAID THAT THERE WAS NO REAL PROBLEM AND TO IGNORE IT. THE THIRD DEALER CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A MALFUNTIONING CLOCKSPRING MECHANISM AND FINALLY REPLACED IT 3/22/01. THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE COST WAS TO THE CONSUMER. WE ARE REPORTING THIS AS THE NOTICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE WAS JUST IN THE PAPER THIS MONTH. THANK YOU.*AK

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON,.TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO STATED CLOCK SPRING ASSEMLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK