1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, VIN NUMBER [XXX]. A WEEK AGO FRIDAY I HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE THAT I HAVE NEEDED TO CHANGE A FLAT TO MY SPARE TIRE AND ALSO USE THE SCISSOR JACK THAT THE FACTORY SUPPLIED WITH MY VEHICLE. I WAS USING YOUR FACTORY SUPPLIED JACK TO RAISE THE VEHICLE WHEN THE JACK APPARENTLY SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND. I PROCEEDED TO EXTRICATE THE JACK AND LOOKED IT OVER AND IT APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE WITH NO INDICATIONS OF ANY DAMAGE; I CONCLUDED THAT THE JACK SOMEHOW SLIPPED. I AGAIN INSERTED THE JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO AGAIN JACK UP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE JACK COLLAPSED AGAIN. UPON GATHERING UP MY THINGS I NOTED THAT THE JACK DID NOT SLIP, BUT FAILED AND THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FALL TO THE GROUND. THE JACK FAILURE WAS IN THE UPPER INSIDE SUPPORT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AND INSERT THE SCISSOR JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SCISSOR JACK LIFTS THE JACK UP. I SHOWED THE FAILED JACK TO A WELDER FRIEND OF MINE WHO KNOWS ABOUT METALS, AND HE STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS METAL FATIGUE AND THAT THAT PART OF THE JACK WAS NOT PROPERLY MANUFACTURED BECAUSE THE METAL WAS NOT CURED AND HARDENED PROPERLY TO ACQUIRE ITS NEEDED STRENGTH. FIRST I EXPECT A NEW REPLACEMENT JACK THAT WILL FIT INTO THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT MADE FOR IT SO THAT I WILL HAVE A FACTORY JACK WHENEVER I DECIDE TO GET A NEW VEHICLE AND THE PERSON WHO BUYS MY VEHICLE NEXT WILL HAVE A GOOD, SAFE, FACTORY JACK WHENEVER NEEDED. SECOND I EXPECT TO BE REIMBURSED THE $20.00 I GAVE THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHO HELPED ME OUT WHEN THE SCISSOR JACK FAILED AND BECAME BROKEN AND USELESS. THIRD, IT WOULD BE NICE BUT NOT REQUIRED AT THIS TIME, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER SOME FAIR COMPENSATION FOR MY BEING LATE, TIRED, DIRTY, SMELLY AND ANGRY WHEN I WAS MEETING MY WIFE FOR DINNER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS NOT THE MOST PLEASANT PERSON TO HAVE DINNER WITH THAT NIGHT.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH MY 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. FIRST THERE IS A SERIOUS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT WHEEL/TIRES. I HAVE REPLACED 8 TIRES (IN 30000 MILES!), BOTH FRONT AXLES, ALL THREE MOTOR MOUNTS, AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED, AS WELL AS HAVING THREE ALIGNMENT CHECKS. THE VIBRATION IS STILL THERE. THE SECOND PROBLEM INVOLVES THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE FRONT WIPERS WERE, FOR A TIME, COMING ON ANY TIME THEY FELT LIKE IT; THIS WAS REMEDIED BY REPLACING THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH ON 09/21/01. SINCE THEN, THE REAR WIPER WILL OCCASIONALLY COME ON FOR ONE SWIPE WHEN I FIRST START THE VEHICLE - ANNOYING, BUT NOT AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD. BUT TODAY, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING AT ALL. THEY WILL ONLY WORK IF I PUT THE WIPERS ON INTERVAL - IN WHICH CASE THEY DO NOTHING FOR A TIME, THEN MAKE TWO TO FOUR SWIPES, THEN WAIT A WHILE, MAKE ONE OR TWO SWIPES, WAIT A WHILE, ETC. THEY WILL MAKE ONE HIGH SPEED SWIPE ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD IF I PRESS THE WASHER BUTTON IN. I SPENT $80 TODAY SO THE DODGE DEALER COULD TELL ME THIS WAS CAUSED BY A BODY CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. THIS REPAIR COSTS OVER $400...AND RESEARCHING A USED PART ONLINE, I LEARNED THAT BOTH THE WHEEL SHIMMY PROBLEM AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEMS ARE NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR BUT ARE VERY COMMON ISSUES WITH THE DODGE CARAVAN/CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY/PLYMOUTH VOYAGER FAMILY. LOSING YOUR WIPERS, HAVING THEM COME ON AT RANDOM WHEN THEY TAKE A NOTION TO, AND A NON-STOP SHIMMY IN THE FRONT ARE EACH, BY THEMSELVES, SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WARRANTING A RECALL. COLLECTIVELY, THEY SPELL OUT A LACK OF CONCERN THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHO DRIVE THEIR PRODUCTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY ONLINE RESEARCH THAT CHRYSLER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS LONG AGO AS 1998 BUT DELIBERATELY IGNORED ITS OWN INFORMATION. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE ONLY WAY THESE SAFETY ISSUES ARE GOING TO BE ADDRESSED IS IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES THEM TO TASK.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS LENS FOGGED UP, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE DURING NIGHT HOURS. AK THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE THAT THIS WAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH DODGE PER DODGE DEALERS. THE ENTIRE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR. THE DRIVER TRIED TO SHIFT GEARS NUMEROUS TIMES BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED AND THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS AT ALL. *JB

1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. THIRD OWNER AT 155,000 MILES. HAPPENED TO FIRST OWNER AS WELL. LEAKED TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERYWHERE, REAR GATE WAS COVERED WITH FLUID. WENT THROUGH OVER 2 QUARTS OF FLUID A DAY FOR A 5 MILE DRIVE TO WORK. DIAGNOSED AS A LOOSE PIN WHICH WORE A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. A HOLE THE SIZE OF A FIST WAS BLOWN THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CASE WHEN IT FINALLY FAILED. ALSO, THIS PART IS IN SUCH DEMAND DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FAILURES WITH THIS MODEL THAT A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS ALMOST $2000. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE COST OF THIS REPAIR. WAS ON THE ROAD IN A SNOW STORM WHEN TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH COULD HAVE IN TURN CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHILE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. *JB

I HAVE A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE THAT HAS 105,000 MILES ON IT AND THE STRUT TOWERS HAVE RUSTED THROUGH. I HAVE CHECKED THE INTERNET AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GRAND CARAVANS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF CHRYSLER HAS TO STAND BEHIND THE REPAIR OF THESE AS THEY HAVE IGNORED THE FACT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.

AT 130000 MILE A PIN WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE OFF/OR GOT LOOSE AND WORE THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK. THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION, SO IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING. TRANSMISSION FAILED TO CHANGE GEARS AND WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN 62,0000 MILES. THEN, TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AGAIN, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH FRONT END FAILED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED,BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

SERPENTINE BELT OR TENSIONER CLIP HAS HAD TO BE REPAIRED 4 TIMES (TOWED EVERY TIME) ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE THE BEGINNING; TURN THE KEY AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS START GOING, TURN THE KEY OFF AND THE WIPERS "KEEP" GOING, TAKE THE KEY TOTALLY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND THE WIPERS GO AND THE "DINGING" ALARM THAT TELLS YOU THE LIGHTS ARE ON OR THE KEY IS IN, STARTS.(I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT THE CAR WAS POSSESSED) OR TURN THE KEY AND "NOTHING" COMES ON EXCEPT THE ENGINE. I'VE REPLACED THE BATTERY 5 TIMES AT LEAST - IT'S USUALLY BETTER W/ A NEW BATTERY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE WINDOW MOTOR AND ASSEMBLY REPLACED ON DRIVERS SIDE TWICE AND 5 TIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. MOST RECENT WAS 4/04, WHICH WAS REPLACED 7/04 AGAIN. THE SIDE SLIDING DOORS ON BOTH SIDE DO NOT LOCK, IF YOU PUSH THE BUTTON DOWN, YOU CAN'T GET IT BACK UP. THE REAR HATCH IS DAMAGED FROM CLOSING THE DOOR, LOOKS LIKE I WAS HIT IN THE REAR, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR MONTHS IN FALL '03, NO MECHANIC COULD SAY WHY. WANTED TO GET THE A/C CHARGED BUT IT WOULDN'T HOLD A CHARGE. DEALER COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO SAID THE A/C UNIT WAS TOTALLY MELTED. HAD IT REPLACED AND THEN THE COMPUTER RESET. REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 100000, THE "PLANTATARY GEARS" WERE CRACKED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN IN 7/04, FAILED EMISIONS, REPLACED O2 SENSOR, LIGHT STILL ON, TACK STICKS AND CAR WON'T ACCELERATE AT TIMES - I CAN PUSH IT TO THE FLOOR AND IT WON'T GO?? FEELS LIKE IT'S CHOKING, NO POWER. HAVE A 3.8L, SHOULD HAVE POWER. THERE IS NO PANEL/DOOR FOR PASS. AIRBAG TO COME OUT. IF I EVER GOT IN AN ACCIDENT, WHAT WOULD IT DO...JUST BUST THROUGH MY DASH? OVER TIME, THE DASH ON THAT SIDE HAS GOTTEN SOFT AND MUSHY, WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? MY DAD BOUGHT THE SAME YEAR CARAVAN I DID, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE THE GRAND CARAVAN LE AND HE DOESN'T HAVE THE 3.8L AND HE HASN'T HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM...I GUESS I GOT ALL OF THEM.*AK