1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

INADEQUATE FORWARD VISIBILTY, RESULTED IN REAR END COLLISION AT NIGHT ON HIGHWAY IN FLORIDA.*AK

SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BOLT SHEERED OFF AT MOUNT. METAL WAS STRESSED CAUSING BOLT TO BREAK OFF. ASSUME DEFECTIVE BOLT (HAVE ASSEMBLY FOR FURTHER EXANINATION IF NEEDED).POWER STEERING, AIR CONDITIONING, ENGINE WATER PUMP ETC ETC CEASED TO FUNCTION BECAUSE BELT CAME OFF ALL POWER ACCESSORIES. ENGINE OVERHEATED AND MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO ENGINE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS FAR AS VEHICLE CONTROL ETC. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THIS ITEM HAS BEEN CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR SOME TIME. HE HAS REPLACED MANY OF THESE ITEMS ON DODGE CARAVANS. REQUEST THAT A RECALL BE CONSIDERED IN THIS SITUATION. THANKS

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON ATLEAST 3 TIMES IN THE DISTANCE OF 1 MILE. PROBLEM HAS EXISITED SINCE 1999 BUT HAS GOTTEN STEADILY WORSE. SEEMS TO BE SENSITIVE TO VIBRATION ON THE TURN SIGNAL. PROBLEM HAS OCCURED WITH VEHICLE IDLING IN DRIVEWAY. *AK

OEM PART WORN WHILE IN CONTACT WITH COMPRESSOR; CREATING LEAK OF REFRIGERANT. COST OF PART 75$ PLUS NEW REFRIGERANT AND LABOR (ROUGHLY 300$). REPLACEMENT PART FROM OEM MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO PREVENT RUBBING AGAINST COMPRESSOR. DODGE (DAIMLER-CHRYSLER) HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM (AS EVIDENCED BY THE REDESIGNED PART), BUT HAS NOT PUBLISHED ANY TECHNICAL BULLETINS OR GENERAL RECALLS FOR THIS PART. THE FAILURE OF THIS PART IS A GUARANTEED LOSS OF AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANT (R-134 ON NEWER MODELS, R-12 ON THE OLDER MODELS). THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR MOST DRIVERS, AND IS EASILY RECTIFIED WITH THE REDESIGNED PART, WITHOUT LOSS OF ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING REFRIGERANTS. OBVIOUSLY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR COST OF THE REPAIRS I PAID OUT OF POCKET, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF THIS WAS ADDRESSED FOR MILLIONS OF CHRYSLER/DODGE/PLYMOUTH MINI-VAN OWNERS. SINCERELY, MICHAEL M. MILLAR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP AND NOT MORE THAN TEN SECONDS LATER I LOST ALL POWER STEERING. I BARELY MANAGED TO STEER MY VAN INTO A PARKING LOT ON MY RIGHT. OURISMAN DODGE DEALERSHIP IN VIRGINIA STATES THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER WAS BROKEN AND SERPENTINE BELT BORKEN. ALSO FOUND POWER STEERING PUMP PULLY BROKEN. THEY REMOVED POWER STEERING PUMP AND REPLACED THE PULLY. INSTALLED NEW SERPENTINE BELT AND TENSIONER. THANK YOU.

PREMATURE WEAR OF BRAKE ROTORS. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED BRAKES THEY WOULD GRIND. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ROTORS. *AK

MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND WHILE STOPPED. THREE SEATS TWISTED FROM THE FORCE. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK(MY SEAT) SNAPPED BACKWARDS CAUSING MY 5 YR. OLD DAUGHTER (WHO WAS SITTING BEHIND ME) TO STRIKE HER FACE, HEAD AND JAW CAUSING INJURY. THE SEAT IS A POWER SEAT AND ALLTHOUGH IT SNAPPED BACKWARDS AND BENT, IT COULD STILL BE OPERATED TO MOVE IT BACK UP INTO DRIVING POSITION. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE SUFFERED A FATAL HEAD INJURY FROM THE IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE FRONT SEAT BACK FAILURE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER.

FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN TWO MONTHS. VEHICLE IS UNDRIVEABLE DUE TO OVERHEATING. THIS STRANDED FAMILY WITH SMALL CHILDREN BOTH TIMES. *AK

1)CLOCK SPRING ASSY. FAILED DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. IT CAUSES AIR BAG LIGHT TO COME ON DISABLING AIR BAG, CRUISE AND HORN ALSO WONT WORK. I HAVE A DIGITAL PICTURE OF THE FAILED PART IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT. 2) BELT TENSIONER JUST BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CAUSING NO POWRER STEERING AND VERY LITTLE BRAKES. APPEARED THE STUD THAT GOES THROUGH IT SNAPPED INTO. *AK

THE VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NLM