1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FLUID HAS DRAINED INTO THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND NO RECALLS WERE ISSUED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER MONTHS LATER AND THEY STATED THAT HE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V215000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER). HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THEY DISCOVERED FLUID LEAKING INTO THE RESERVOIR OF THE SERVICE BRAKES FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER; HOWEVER, NO FLUID WAS LEAKING. AS A RESULT, THE FLUID BEGAN TO ENTER INTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,000. UPDATED 12/31/07 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, HE REALIZED HE DIDN'T HAVE NORMAL BRAKING POWER. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. UPDATED *JB

DIGITAL DAHBOARD DISPLAY GOES BLANK WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER CANNOT READ ANY GAUGES. *TR

THE GAUGE CLUSTER ON OUT 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IS FAULTY. WE CANNOT TELL HOW FAST WE ARE GOING, WHAT GEAR THE CAR IS IN,ETC. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE MADE TO FIX! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO CONTAIN THE FLAMES TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BEFORE EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 176,000.

THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS THAT MY SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF WHILE TURNING A CORNER. I HAVE A 97 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT SE (3.3). THE FIRST TWO TIMES IT WAS RAINING AND THE SECOND TWO TIMES WERE IN GOOD WEATHER. EACH TIME IT WAS QUITE A JERK WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON THE TURN. WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE??? OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS QUITE A HASSLE HAVING TO GET THE CAR TOWED EACH TIME AND HAVING THE MECHANIC PUT THE BELT BACK ON AND LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TRUST MY VEHICLE ANYMORE. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE TENSIONER,BELT, AND PULLEYS WITH THE GATES MV CONVERSION KIT. HE WAS AWARE OF THIS BEING A COMMON PROBLEM. I ALSO READ ONLINE ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND HOW THIS SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY FIX THAT WORKED. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP HERE SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM! THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY CHRYSLER. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE CHRYSLER WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW AND PROVIDE THIS FIX FOR EVERYONE? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT SMELLS SOMETHING BURNING WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STOP NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER, BUT THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE ABS WIRES WERE TOUCHING. PRESENTLY, NO FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120,000. UPDATED 09/18/07 *TR

TIRES WORE OUT WITHIN 40,000 MILES AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AN 80,000 MILE TIRE. I KEPT THE TIRES ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES, WAL-MART WOULD NOT HONOR THE 80,000 TREAD WEAROUT WARRANTY. *TR

BOTH OF THE HEADLIGHT COVERS ON THE 1997 GRAND CARAVAN WERE FROSTED FROM THE INSIDE AND THE LIGHTS DID NOT SHOWING UP AS BRIGHT. THEY APPEARED LOW LIT ALL THE TIME AS IF THE LIGHT COULD NOT FILTER THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE FROSTED LOOK ALL THE TIME. THIS WAS A HAZARD. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE HEADLIGHT COVERS LOOKED LIKE THEY DID. THIS WAS A REAL PROBLEM. THEY LOOKED HORRIBLE. *AK

THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE DULLED TO THE POINT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE NOTICEABLY DIMMED TO THE POINT THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROADWAY AT NIGHT. *NM

MY 1997 DODGE CARAVAN HAS THE HABIT OF TURNING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON BY THEMSELVES ABOUT TWICE A MONTH. WHILE THEY HAVE NEVER FAILED TO WORK WHEN I NEEDED THEM, I'VE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT OTHER CARAVAN OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING WITH MUCH EXPENSE TAKEN TO FIX AT NO AVAIL. I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANT A FAULTY WIPER SYSTEM AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MFG. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY IF THIS IS INDEED AS RAMPANT A COMPLAINT AS IT SEEMS TO BE. *JB