2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

WE HAVE HAD OUR VAN IN FOR SERVICE AND OIL CHANGES IN THE PAST. THE ENGINE HAD LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND WAS USING ALMOST 4 QUARTS OF OIL IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS. THE LAST TIME IT WAS SERVICED, THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON WHY IT WAS USING OIL. THEY SAID TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT BY CHECKING IT FREQUENTLY, AND THEY COULD TRY TO MONITOR IT TO SEE WHY WE WERE LOOSING OIL. WE COULD ALWAYS FIND SMALL SPOTS OF OIL IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND ON PARKING AREAS/GARAGE FLOOR. THE DEALER DID CHECK THE VEHICLE AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY OIL LEAKS. THEY DID HOWEVER FIND A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION LINE, WHICH DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY WE WERE HAVING TO REPLACE OIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. WE HAD JUST PLACED 4 QUARTS OF OIL IN THE VAN TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THE VAN WAS TOTALED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT THE NEXT MONTH, SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE OIL LEAK PROBLEM BUT FELT THAT WE SHOULD REPORT THIS PROBLEM SINCE OTHER DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE THEY HAVE LOW MILEAGE ON THEIR VEHICLE, AND OIL LOSS FOR NO KNOWN REASON. *TR

FOR THE LAST 40,000+ MILES THE VEHICLE ALWAYS STUMBLES OR STALLS AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK FULL. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OVERFILLING, JUST FILLING IT UNTIL THE AUTO SHUT-OFF SHUTS OFF THE FLOW. IT WILL BUCK AND STUMBLE WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND OFTEN DIES WHEN YOU ARE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. IT HAS STALLED ON MY WIFE WHILE SHE WAS WAITING TO TURN LEFT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. ONCE RE-STARTED IT RUNS FINE UNTIL THE NEXT FILL-UP. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT IS THE PURGE SOLENOID AND IT WOULD COST $190 TO FIX. THE VEHICLE HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS WELL BELOW THE FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY AND IT ALSO HAS THE EXTENDED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET, BUT JUST AVOID TOPPING OFF THE TANK. THE DATE LISTED BELOW IS ONLY THE MOST RECENT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LITERALLY DOZENS OF FAILURES OF THIS SORT -- EVERY SINGLE TIME THE GAS TANK IS FILLED TO THE AUTO-STOP WITHOUT FAIL. THE SERVICE GUY AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR A WINDOW HAS EXPLODED ON MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT POSTED SPEED, LIGHT TRAFFIC, SUNNY DAY, WINDOWS DOWN, AND POP, THE PASSENGER SLIDER WINDOW SHATTERED. IT LOOKED LIKE IT POPPED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VAN. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO PULL OVER AND WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY. ONCE I STOPPED THE WINDOW JUST FELL OUT. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND WAS ADVISED BY MS. J TO PROCEED TO THE DEALER THAT I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. I WENT TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING MORNING, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE WINDOW. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT THIS YEAR WHERE A WINDOW HAS EXPLODED, AND HE TOLD ME SINCE HE DIDN'T SEE THE FIRST ONE THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. NO DOCUMENTATION, NOT EVEN A DRIVE IN THE CAR. NOW IN ADDITION TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE WINDOWS, THE VAN HAS A FRONT END PROBLEM, A REAR END PROBLEM, AND A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE FRONT TIRES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE FALLING OFF THE VAN WHILE DRIVING, WHEN TURNING RIGHT THE REAR END FEELS LIKE IT IS TILTING AND THE LEFT TIRE SQUEALS, AND THE CAR SHIFTS IMPROPERLY, OR HESITATES IN TRAFFIC. *TR

SHORTLY AFTER FILLING UP WITH GAS, I OFTEN EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY WITH THE VEHICLE. IT SOMETIMES STALLS. IT ACTS UP WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO BY TRYING TO STALL. I TRY TO GIVE IT AS MUCH GAS AS I CAN AND IT EVENTUALLY STOPS ACTING UP IF IT DOESN'T STALL FIRST. THE DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER, BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE WHOLE GAS TANK SETUP. IT IS NOT REPLACEABLE LIKE MOST FUEL FILTERS ARE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS THE FUEL FILTER NEEDING TO BE CLEANED. I DO BELIEVE IT IS RUINING MY FUEL PUMP SLOWLY. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN IT STALLS THAT SOMEONE MAY RUN INTO THE BACK OF ME. *TR

I HAD CONTINUALLY ADDED OIL EVERY MONTH STARTING AFTER ABOUT 10,000 MILES. I CHANGED OIL EVERY 3-5,000 MILES. DRIVING BACK FROM UP NORTH AND I HEARD A TICKING NOISE. I HAD CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL BEFORE OUR TRIP ON 8-3-07 AND ADDED 2 QUARTS OF OIL TO BRING IT UP TO FULL. AS WE HAD THE WINDOWS CLOSED AS THE TEMP HAD FALLEN TO CHILLY, I COULD NO LONGER HEAR THE NOISE UNTIL WE WERE WITHIN MILE OF OUR HOME. IT BECAME LOUDER AND AS WE PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, IT WAS VERY LOUD. I WAS GOING TO BRING IT TO A DEALERSHIP TO GET IT CHECKED OUT THE NEXT DAY, BUT THE VAN WOULD NOT START. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER AND THEY LOOKED AT IT THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN. THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT CHRYSLER AS THEY WOULD TOO. I DID AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THEY WANTED OIL CHANGE RECORDS AND I DID SOME MYSELF BUT HAD 3 FROM A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY WANTED 2 MORE AND I COULD NOT SUPPLY THESE AS I HAD DONE THEM MYSELF. I DID HAVE A RECEIPT FOR THE OIL I ADDED IN LAST JULY, BUT THAT WAS IT. I HAVE ABOUT 37,000-38,000 MILES ON THE VAN. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD THE FIRST WEEK THAT CHRYSLER HAD OK'D THE TEAR DOWN TO FIND THE PROBLEM. NOW THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND WANTS ME TO PAY FOR A TEAR DOWN SO THEY CAN LOOK INTO WHY IT BROKE. I TOLD THEM , YOU ALREADY TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD THE OK TO DO THIS AND IT SHOULD BE ALREADY DONE. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE VAN WAS ON THE HOIST AND WAS PARTICULARLY DISASSEMBLED. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE TEAR DOWN AND A NEW ENGINE THAT WILL COST ALMOST $5,000. I HAVE IT DOCUMENTED ON AT LEAST ONE OIL CHANGE THAT IT HAD USED 2 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN CHANGES. I HAD NO LEAKS BELOW MY VAN SO I WAS UNAWARE THAT THIS ENGINE WAS EATING OIL. OTHER THAN HAVING TO ADD SOME EVERY MONTH. MORE IF YOU NEED IT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE VEHICLE HAS GOOD RIDE TIRES, SIZE 225/60R/16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VERY BADLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRES HAD A ROUND IN THEM AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,300.

2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CUSTOMER HAS CONCERNS WITH THE TIMING BELT**NAR**CC THE CRANK WAS UNDERSIZED ON THE BEARINGS AND THE BEARINGS WERE UNDERSIZED CREATING A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE BEARINGS AND THE CRANK WHICH WAS CAUSING THE NOISE KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. A FOREIGN PIECE OF METAL WAS FOUND UNDER THE MAIN BEARING CAP WHICH CAUSED EXTRA CLEARANCE. AND THE CRACK WAS ONLY TOUCHING TWO-THIRDS OF THE BEARING SURFACE. *JB

BOTH OF THE SLIDER DOORS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE TO PHYSICALLY GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND OPEN THEM FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAPPENS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE SUN ALL DAY. I BROUGHT IT TO MY DEALERS ATTENTION, BUT ALL THAT COULD BE EXPLAINED IS THE LATCH INSIDE MUST HAVE SWELLED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, BECAUSE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO OPEN THE DOORS, IF NEEDED. SINCE I HAVE MOVED FROM MICHIGAN TO FLORIDA IT IS WORSE THAN BEFORE BEFORE, AND SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE REFUSED TO DRIVE IN THE VEHICLE FOR THAT REASON. I HAVE LOOKED AT BOTH OF THE DOORS, BUT I CAN'T TELL HOW THE LOCK MECHANISM WORKS. *JB

REAR POWER LIFTGATE ON 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FREEZING IN OPEN POSITION. 1ST HAPPENED WHEN VEHICLE WAS 6 MO. OLD. DODGE REPLACED LATCH AND RESET DOOR MOTOR. 2 1/2 YRS LATER SAME PROBLEM AND SAME RESOLUTION. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FACTORY BRAKES WERE REPLACED AND THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED, AT 39,320 MILES. ON 4/22/06, THE BRAKE PADS, ROTORS AND BRAKE CALIPERS WERE REPLACED AT 46,806 MILES. THEN ON 7/06/06, AT 49,179 MILES, THE WARPED ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. ON 10/17/2006, AT 52,762 MILES, THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AGAIN. THEN ON 12/11/2006, AT 54,655 MILES, THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE BRAKE SHIMS WERE FOUND TO BE JAMMED AND THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS NOTICEABLE WHILE BREAKING AT 15 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.