2000 Dodge Caravan

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED FOR THE THIRD TIME. AFTER THE PREVIOUS FAILURES, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPED OFF AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE RECENT FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

WHEN I TRIED TO PULL MY DODGE CARAVAN (2000) OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AFTER A HEAVY RAINING DAY, I FOUND THE POWER STEERING DIDN'T WORK. I COULD GO FORWARD OR BACKWARD, BUT COULD NOT TURN, OR COULD TURN ONLY VERY SLOWLY (I COULD HEAR THE WHEEL KIND OF MAKING CLICKING SOUND WHEN I TRIED TO TURN). AFTER DRIVING VERY SLOWLY ON THE PARKING LOT AND TRIED TO TURN SLOWLY SEVERAL TIME, THE STEERING FINALLY GOT BACK. I GOOGLED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, MOSTLY WITH A DODGE, BUT ALSO SOME OTHER CARS. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/DODGE-GRAND-CARAVAN/TC37VJLP6MD4POHVJ SINCE I DON'T DRIVE MUCH AND MOSTLY PARK MY VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE, I DON'T HAVE MUCH PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE MORE TIMES AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, BUT IT USUALLY RETURNS NORMAL AFTER I MAKE SEVERAL SMALL TURNS IN THE PARKING LOT. BUT THIS MORNING, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AFTER I PARKED MY CAR OUTSIDE WITH AN OVERNIGHT RAIN, AND THE WHEEL WAS STILL KIND OF STUCK AFTER I DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES, MAKING SEVERAL TURNS ON PURPOSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S STILL POURING OUTSIDE, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET THE STEERING BACK TO NORMAL AFTER WORK. SINCE I AM NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, I HOPE THE MANUFACTURER COULD HELP US SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THANKS!

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IT STARTED TO RAIN AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE HEATER FAN STOPPED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAR THE WINDOWS, THE VEHICLE QUICKLY OVERHEATED, THE LOW BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY AND DISCOVERED THE POWER STEERING BELT HAD DROPPED OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY EVERY TIME IT RAINS EVEN A LITTLE BIT AND IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY HAZARD. IT HAS MADE THE VEHICLE VERY UNRELIABLE. MERELY RECONNECTING THE BELT IS NOT A SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

TODAY I WAS ON AN URBAN FREEWAY IN HEAVY DOWNPOUR. THE DOWNPOUR WAS SO HEAVY RAIN COULD BE SEEN RUNNING OFF THE ROAD. TRAFFIC WAS WIDE SPREAD, BUT MOVING AT 45-50 MPH, DUE TO THE RAIN. MY WIPERS, AT THE HIGHEST SETTING, SLOW DOWN. CAR DINGS. BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. I TURN OFF THE DEFROSTER (AC AND VENTILATION), REDUCE WIPER SPEED SETTING, SWITCH FROM HEADLIGHTS TO RUNNING LIGHTS, ALL TO REDUCE ELECTRICAL LOAD. I THEN NOTICE THAT THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED. IT WAS REALLY SCARY. TRUE FEAR. THE FEAR WHICH WE DO NOT OFTEN ENCOUNTER. I SAFELY GOT THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY. NO FURTHER FAILURE OF SYSTEMS. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST SHOP I KNEW OF, WITH CAUTION LIGHTS ON. I THERE LEARNED THAT THE ACCESSORY BELT HAD COME OFF OF THE ENGINE, DUE TO THE RAIN. THE BELT WAS STILL IN GOOD CONDITION, SO THEY SLID THE SAME BELT BACK ON. I WILL HAVE MY PREFERRED MECHANIC INSTALL AN "ANTI SLIP" TENSIONER, BELT, AND PULLEY THIS WEEKEND. THIS ISSUE, THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPING OFF THE ENGINE IN RAIN AND SNOW, IS KNOWN TO CHRYSLER, AND KNOWN TO THE NHTSA. BUT IT WAS NOT KNOWN TO ME UNTIL IT THREATENED MY SAFETY, AND THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORISTS AROUND ME. IF I HAD BEGUN GOING AROUND A CURVE WHILE SWITCHING OFF ACCESSORIES, DRIVING ONE HANDED WITH A FAILED POWER STEERING SYSTEM BEFORE I KNEW IT HAD FAILED, I COULD HAVE WRECKED. WHY ONE HANDED? BECAUSE I WAS TURNING OFF ACCESSORIES BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS WRONG, BECAUSE THE WARNING THE CAR PROVIDED SUGGESTED THAT WAS WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING TO KEEP MY CAR FROM STALLING. I DON'T KNOW WHY NHTSA DECIDED THIS DID NOT MERIT A RECALL. THEY WERE WRONG. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT MONEY (TO IMPLEMENT THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NHTSA WON'T SHARE) CAN FIX WHAT WENT WRONG TODAY. DON'T OPERATE A GEN III CHRYSLER MINIVAN WITHOUT A BELT UPGRADE. WE CANNOT CONTROL WHEN IT RAINS. *TR

SERPENTINE BELT SLIPS OFF IN THE RAIN CAUSING A LOSS IN POWER STEERING, AC (FOR WINDOW DEFOGGING), POWER (NO ALTERNATOR WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE ON DURING RAIN). WHEN IT SLIPPED OFF, THE ABILITY TO CORRECT FOR LOSS OF TRACTION DUE TO WATER WAS REDUCED DUE TO LACK OF POWER STEERING AND THE WINDSHIELD FOGGED UP QUICKLY DUE TO THE LOSS OF THE AC COMPRESSOR. SLID OF THE INTERSTATE AND SLID DOWN THE MEDIAN. MULTIPLE OTHER INSTANCES OF BELT SLIPPING OFF (4 TIMES IN PAST 3 DAYS), THOUGH AT LOWER RATES OF SPEED. DODGE DENIES THERE IS AN ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MANY REPORTS ON THE INTERNET RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING THAT THEY NOW SELL A UPGRADE KIT THAT CHANGES OUT THE TWO NON-GROOVED PULLEYS FOR GROOVED ONES AND ADD A BELT WITH GROOVES ON BOTH SIDES. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ONLY FIX THIS PROBLEM WHEN ENOUGH PEOPLE REPORTED THE PROBLEM. *TR

PURCHASED USED 2000 CARAVAN W/90,000 MILES. WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 2003 AND BECAUSE OF MILEAGE. PROBLEM: BELT SLIPS OFF WHEN IT RAINS, CAUSING POWER STEERING TO NOT WORK, MECHANIC SAYS IT CAN DESTROY ENGINE IF YOU CONTINUE TO DRIVE W/BELT OFF. HAD BELT PUT BACK ON 5 TIMES. WON'T DRIVE WHEN IT'S WET OUT, PLAN TO PURCHASE THIS "KIT" NEEDED IN ORDER TO STOP BELT SLIPPING OFF. KIT IS EST. $600, PLUS LABOR COST. I KEEP WONDERING WHAT DID PRIOR OWNER DO FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SPINDLE BROKE ON THE TIE ROD CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BUCKLE UNDERNEATH, AS A RESULT SHE LOST CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. FOUR PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE CONTACTED STATED THAT THEY ALL SUFFERED INJURIES ON THEIR KNEES, BACK AND NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DECLARED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I HAVE 2000 DODGE CARAVAN WITH A 3.0L ENGINE. EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR SNOWS THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF. THIS CAUSES THE POWER STEERING TO LOCK UP, AND THE ALTERNATOR TO STOP CHARGING. THE CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. YOU LOSE CONTROL. THE MALFUNCTION WAS CORRECTED USING THE GATES MICRO V KIT. THIS INCLUDES A RIBBED BELT TENSIONER, RIBBED IDLER AND A DOUBLE SIDE SERPENTINE BELT. *TR