2003 Dodge Caravan

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED TO CHOCK LIKE IT WAS GETTING NO GAS I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND TO GO HOME BECAUSE I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA WITH NO CELL SERVICE WHEN I STOPPED TO TURN AROUND A MAN THAT WAS BEHIND ME CAME RUNNING OVER TO GET ME OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE BACK DRIVERS SIDE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS ON FIRE IF IS WAS NOT FOR HIM I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR EVEN DIED THE CAR BURNED UP AND EXPLODED WITH IN TWO MINUTES OF ME GETTING OUT. THE CAR WAS FINE WHEN I STARTED IT THAT MORNING AND THE DAY BEFORE I DROVE IT ABOUT 100 MILES WITH NO PROBLEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS CAN BE A CAT SHOULD JUST NOT GO ON FIRE LIKE THAT. THE CAR HAD TO BE JUNKED BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT OF IT. I CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME BECAUSE THE CAR WAS TOTALED. I HAD NO FIRE ON THIS CAR BECAUSE OF ITS AGE SO NOW I AM OUT A CAR THAT WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION AND I COULD HAVE HAD IT FOR MANY MORE YEARS. DODGE WILL NOT EVEN LOOK INTO THIS MATTER I HOPE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NOT BE AS LUCKY AS ME TO GET OUT UNINJURED. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME I AM VERY UPSET WITH THIS AND AM WORRIED THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS CAR AND NOW I HAVE NO CAR AND CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ONE NOW AND I LIVE 14 FROM THE NEAREST STORE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MAINTAIN CURRENT SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED, AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,968 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,974. UPDATED 9/13/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE FUEL INJECTION HARNESS WHICH WERE BARE AND HITTING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. ALSO, THE O2 SENSOR AND AC COMPRESSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 10/31/11

I HAVE A USED 2003 DODGE CARAVAN WHICH I RECENTLY PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2008 FROM A USED CAR DEALER IN WEST BURLINGTON, IA. DURING THE 3RD WEEK OF JANUARY, I WAS DRIVING AND THE VAN COMPLETELY STOPPED AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET AND HAD TO HAD PEOPLE HELP PUSH IT INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT. I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND WHEN THEY WENT TO LOOK AT IT, THEY WERE ABLE TO START IT UP, KEEP IT RUNNING AND PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON IT AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE EXCEPT FOR TODAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN A DIRT ROAD AND IT COMPLETELY STOPPED JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE SINCE IT'S A SATURDAY IN THE LATE AFTERNOON, THERE AREN'T ANY SHOPS OPEN TO LOOK AT IT. I KNOW IT'S NOT THE BATTERY BECAUSE ALL OF THE DASH LIGHTS WORK, THE HEAT, INTERIOR LIGHTS, ETC. I ALSO JUST HAD IT SERVICED AT A DIFFERENT MECHANIC THAT THE USED CAR DEALER WORKS WITH FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG THAT CAUSES THAT. PLUS BOTH MECHANICS THAT HAVE LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE TOLD ME THAT THEY CAN'T DIAGNOSE IT IF IT STARTS. THIS IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE THAT WILL FIT OUR FAMILY IN AND IT GETS US BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. WHEN WE TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT SOLD IT TO US, THEY CLAIM THAT THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO THEM WHEN THEY HAD IT BUT I'M STARTING TO WONDER BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT OTHER DODGE 2003 CARAVAN OWNERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR "STALLING PROBLEMS." OUR VEHICLE HAS 167,000 MILES ON IT- IT HAD AROUND 163,00 ON IT WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS RESOLVED. IT'S A GOOD RUNNING VEHICLE WHEN IT RUNS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE AT 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A SOUND FOR THE FIRST TEN MINUTES OF DRIVING, AND THEN IT WOULD STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,380. UPDATED 05/20/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING, TRANSMISSION, REAR LIGHTS THAT WERE HANGING, THE REAR WIPER CAME OFF, THE SLIDING DOOR DID NOT SHUT PROPERLY. THE CLOCKSPRING WAS REPLACED. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE WATER PUMP WAS COMING APART THE VALVE COVER GASKET AND OIL PAN GASKET WERE LEAKING. UPDATED 05/20/08. *JB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, 56,432 MILES, ORIGINAL OWNER THE FIRST TIME IT WOULDN'T START BACK UP AFTER HAVING IT OFF FOR 5 MINUTES. ONCE IT WAS TOWED IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP (ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, IN THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT). THE NEXT DAY AFTER DRIVING IT ABOUT 10 MILES TWO DIFFERENT TIMES AND HAVING IT ON/OFF NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEN HAVING IT PARKED FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES, I GOT IN AND STARTED IT NO PROBLEM. TWO BLOCKS LATER IT DIED COMPLETELY. AGAIN EVERYTHING WORKED INCLUDING THE A/C, RADIO AND LIGHTS WITH NO SURGE IN POWER. ABOUT 1/2 HOUR LATER WHEN THE TOW TRUCK SHOWED UP, IT STARTED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. WEIRD THING IS THE LIGHTS, AC AND EVERYTHING ELSE WORK JUST FINE!! IT DOESN'T EVEN SEEM AS IF THERE IS A DRAIN ON THEM. WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION, IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING, NO CLICKS, NO "STARTING", NOTHING!!! ALSO BOTH TIMES IT WOULDN'T START/STALLED, IT WAS ON AN INCLINE. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN A DRIVE WAY WHERE THE FRONT WAS UP HIGHER AND THE SECOND TIME WAS GOING DOWN A HILL. AND WHEN IT WAS STARTED IT WAS ON A FLAT SURFACE. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE LAST NIGHT AND OF COURSE IT IS NOT HAPPENING THERE. THEY DID HOOK IT UP TO THE MACHINE SINCE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE SECOND NIGHT WHEN IT DIED, BUT THERE WERE NOT ANY MESSAGES THAT CAME OUT. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 9 DAYS, YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY HAD ALREADY REPLACED TWO PARTS, INCLUDING THE FUSE BOX. THE 3RD PART THEY ARE CONSIDERING IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER, BUT SUPPOSEDLY WAS SENT OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE THE 3RD PART IS THE MAIN COMPUTER. *JB

2003 DODGE CARAVAN BROKEN WHEEL STUDS/BOLTS CUSTOMER WANTS SOMEONE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ONGOING PROBLEM**NAR**CC THE CONSUMER STATED LAST JULY HE PURCHASED REPLACEMENT TIRES FROM COSTCO FOR HIS VEHICLE AND THEN HAD THE TIRES ROTATED IN DECEMBER FOR THE SAME VEHICLE. THEN THIS SPRING THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REPLACED AND ONE WHEEL STUD, ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AGAIN AND THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC OF THE PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STUDS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THEY COULD ONLY ROTATE 3 OF THE TIRES DUE TO THE FACT OF A POSSIBILITY THE STUDS WOULD BREAK AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE ROTATED THE REMAINING TIRE WHICH THE STUDS DID INFACT BREAK AND WERE REPLACED BY THE CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER STATED LAST MONTH CHRYSLER WAS REPLACING A WATER PUMP AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE STUDS WOULD HAVE TO REPLACED YET AGAIN WHEN THE MECHANICS WERE REMOVING THE STUDS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE 2 STUDS HOLDING THE WATER PUMP IN PLACE ALSO BROKE OFF WHILE WORKING ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WANTED THIS ISSUE INVESTIGATED. EITHER POOR QUALITY BOLTS WERE USED BY CHRYSLER OR COSTCO WAS CARELESS WHEN TIGHTENING THE BOLTS. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES TO WHERE MY WIFE AND I WERE TO DROP OFF OUR DAUGHTER AT A FRIENDS HOUSE. UPON ARRIVING AT MY FRIENDS HOUSE, MY SON AND 3 OTHER PASSENGERS REMAINED IN THE VEHICLE AND DUE TO THE WEATHER, THE CAR REMAINED RUNNING WITH THE AC ON. WHEN WE ENTERED OUR FRIENDS HOUSE, WE OBSERVED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. WE IMMEDIATE RAN TO THE VEHICLE TO GET OUR SON AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS OUT. WE ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES AND PLACED A 911 CALL TO THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. *NM

HEADING OFF TO THE MALL ONE EVENING, I DROPPED OFF MY WIFE AND MY SON, KEEPING MY OTHER SON AND HIS FRIEND WITH ME. AS I PULLED AWAY, I HEARD A LOUD POP AND SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I COULD SEE MELTING PLASTIC AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMALL FIRE BALLS DROPPING TO THE GROUND UNDER THE HOOD. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND GOT THE KIDS OUT OF THE CAR . CALLED 911 AND BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE FLAMES WERE 10-15 FEET IN THE AIR. THERE WAS A RE-CALL ON THIS CAR ABOUT A STEERING HOSE I BELIEVE THAT I HAD DONE. OTHER THAN THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. IT WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 17,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOTALED.*JB