1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

UGES ON DASH WOULD FLOAT UP OR DOWN AND NOT GIVE A TRUE CONSISTENT READING. DEALER FIXED BUT I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESULT - THIS APPEARED TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION FIRST BL;EW AT 49000 MILES. MY WIFE WAS ONLY DOING 20 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT BANG AND STOPPED. WE HAD THE REPAIRS DONE AT THE COST OF $1500, OF WHICH WE HAD TO PAY HALF. I NOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AT 101,000 MILES. SHE WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MPH THIS TIME. I HAVE NOT APPROACHED THE DEALER YET, BUT I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THIS AGAIN. I WILL BE CONTACTING DODGE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.I AM ALSO REGISTERING A COMPLAINT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE.*AK

CLOCK SPRING FATIGUED COMPLETELY DISABLING DRIVERS AIRBAG, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH TRANSMISSION CRACKED, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. CONSUMER HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. IF CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ANY FASTER MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL. *AK

CONSUMER STARTED TO SMELL FUMES VERY STRONGLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE FUEL RAIL. ALSO, THERE WAS RECALL 00V268000 WHICH DEALT WITH SAME PROBLEM. CONSUMER FELT THS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN RECALL. *AK

WE PURCHASED A USED 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IN DECEMBER OF 1997. IT HAS AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE. DURING COLD WEATHER, OCCASIONALLY THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING. SOMETIMES FAILURES OCCUR EVERY FEW DAYS; SOMETIMES THEY ARE MORE THAN A MONTH A PART. FAILURES OCCUR FOLLOWING A COLD START AS THE ENGINES GETS CLOSE TO OR REACHES NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THE FAILURE USUALLY HAPPENS FROM 9 TO 31 MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. FAILURES OCCUR WHEN THE OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE IS BELOW ABOUT 400F. FAILURES MOST COMMONLY OCCUR WHEN THE MINIVAN HAS BEEN PARKED IN A GARAGE THAT IS WARMER THAN THE AMBIENT OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE. THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE AT A STOP, WHILE DRIVING ON LOCAL STREETS, AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. SOMETIMES IT RECOVERS AND SOMETIMES IT MUST BE MANUALLY RESTARTED. IT APPEARS THAT IF THE THROTTLE IS CLOSED, THE ENGINE MUST BE RESTARTED MANUALLY AND IF THE THROTTLE IS OPEN, THE ENGINE RECOVERS. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURS, THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS RAPIDLY TOWARD ZERO. IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. SCHAUMBURG DODGE HAS MADE AT LEAST SEVEN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.

SLOW DRIVING 25MPH THRU 1-4" STANDING WATER CAUSES STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNRESPONSIVE & HARD TO TURN.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES, ENGINE STALLS WHEN BRAKING, SLIDING POWER DOOR LOCKS REPLACED 4X.

HYDRAULIC PROPORTIONING VALVE LEAKING, RESULTING IN LITTLE TO NO BRAKING CAPACITY. DODGE DEALER IN HOUGHTON, MI SAID HE HAS RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE 4 OR 5 PROPORTIONING VALVE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

THE PIN FELL OUT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AND POKED HOLES IN THE TRANSMISSION, RUINING IT. THE PROPERTY DAMAGE REFERRED TO IS THE COST OF A NEW TRANSIMISSION. IT IS LIKELY THIS ONE CANNOT EVEN BE REBUILT, WHICH MEANS IT WILL COST ANOTHER $500 TO FIX IT. SINCE THIS HAPPENED I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE THAT CHRYSLER HAS LOTS OF PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS AND I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL STORIES OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM, INCLUDING A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT TO NHTSA.*AK