1997 Dodge Grand Caravan

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE RPMS DROPPED TO ZERO, THE VEHICLE JERKED, AND THE ENGINE STALLED COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER 10 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION. THE CONSUMER STATED SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THE OIL PAN WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VALVE COVER GASKETS WERE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. UPDATED 08/15/06. *JB

I PURCHASED THE 1997 GRAND CARAVAN IN JANUARY 1998 AT THE MARLOW HEIGHTS DEALERSHIP IN MARLOW HEIGHTS, MARYLAND. THE FIRST TIME I STARTED EXPERIENCING ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE WAS 5/1999 AT 24,006 MILES VEHICLE HAD LITTLE POWER WHEN ACCELERATING, TRANSMISSION NOT ENGAGING, TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE RECONDITIONED. IN 12/1999, THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CAUSING A VERY STRONG NASTY ODOR. CARPET HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAUSED A HAZARDOUS CONDITION TO MY FAMILY ESPECIALLY MY KIDS HAVING TO BREATH IN THIS FLUID. 3 /2000 SAME FLUID LEAKED AGAIN IN AUTO BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE HEATING COIL. THEN AGAIN IN 8/2001 THE LEAK HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER IN NORTH CAROLINA AND COMPLAINED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER WHAT THEY CALLED ONE CONSUMER REPAIR PER CUSTOMER PER VEHICLE. IN 11/2001, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 3 TIMES. AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO DUE FOR EMISSIONS TESTING AND DID NOT PASS THE TEST BECAUSE OF A CYLINDER MISFIRE CODE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE FUNDS FOR REPAIR, IN 5/2004 @ 118,668 MILES, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED AND THAT WOULD SOLVE THE ISSUE. SO I PAID $114.24 TO REPLACE THE 6 .SPARK PLUGS, PROBLEM NOT SOLVED I ENDED UP PAYING $3,758.82 IN 7/2005 TO REPLACE CYLINDER HEADS, TIMING BELT, AND WATER PUMP . THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME I HAD THE TIMING BELT REPLACED. RECENTLY, IN 3/2006, OIL LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH VC GASKETS, CAM PLUGS, BOTH FT CAM SEALS AND REAR CAM SEALS AND TIMING BELT ONCE AGAIN FOR THIRD TIME. THIS COST TO ME WAS $2,677.50. NOW THE OIL LIGHT IS BACK ON AGAIN. *NM

I HAVE A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. IN FEBRUARY 2005 WE HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED, AND ALL PARTS RELATED TO IT ADJUSTED AND CLEANED. THIS WAS DONE DUE TO A HORRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND. IN NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF DURING A PERIOD OF COLD & RAINY WEATHER, AND LEFT ME WITHOUT STEERING OR COOLING FANS. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I COULD NOT STEER. THE BELT WAS REPLACED. SIX WEEKS LATER, AGAIN-IN COLD AND RAINY WEATHER. IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AND TODAY, 3 WEEKS LATER, YES, COLD AND RAINY WEATHER IT HAS HAPPENED FOR A THIRD TIME. MY GARAGE IS SET TO REPLACE THE STEERING FLUID PUMP, THINKING IT MIGHT BE LEAKING ON IT, THE BELT, TENSIONER AND A PULLEY. HOPING IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, THIS WILL BE A $500 BILL AT LEAST. HOWEVER, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A REGULAR PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL, CROSSING SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. I CONTACTED DODGE, WHO TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT WITHOUT A RECALL, BUT AGREED THERE HAVE BEEN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSBS) REGARDING THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM I DID RESEARCH ON THESE TSBS, AS WELL AS VARIOUS WEBSITES WHERE AUTO MECHANICS POST, AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE REPAIR THAT WORKS IN EACH VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. THIS BELT CONTROLS THE STEERING, THE ALTERNATOR AND THE FANS. THIS IS A MINI-VAN, MADE FOR FAMILIES. I AM FEARFUL OF ALLOWING MY THREE CHILDREN TO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE NOW, KNOWING THAT EVEN AFTER THE REPAIRS COMING UP THIS WEEK, THE PROBLEM MAY NOT BE FIXED. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE DANGER WHICH COULD OCCUR , LOSING STEERING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN POOR CONDITIONS, I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BECOME A RECALL.*AK

THE VEHICLE'S ABS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAVE BEEN GOING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. WE HAD A MECHANIC LOOK INTO IT AND REPLACED A RELAY OR SWITCH THAT BELONGED TO THE BLOWER MOTORS (FANS BY RADIATOR). THE LIGHTS SEEMED TO GO AWAY UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE ABS LIGHT RETURNED AND THE BRAKES ACT AS THOUGH THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE OUT AT ANY TIME. THEY HAVE TO BE DEPRESSED FOR QUITE A LENGTH OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE IS ALSO A WEIRD SOUND OF AIR OR AS IF AIR WHERE COMING OUT WHEN THE BRAKES GET DEPRESSED. I HAVE HAD TO ADD FLUID ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK AND HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A MECHANIC BUDDY THAT THERE IS VERY GOOD CHANCE ITS THE BRAKE BOOSTER DUE TO THE SOUND OF AIR. I WENT ONLINE AND NOTICED THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THIS IN A COUPLE OF GRAND CARAVANS BUT MY VIN # DOESN'T FALL INTO THE SUGGESTED VIN RANGE. *NM

1) DRIVING NORMALLY THROUGH WATER SEVERAL INCHES DEEP - CERTAINLY NOT AN UNUSUAL SITUATION CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF AFTERNOON STORMS WE HAVE RECEIVED THIS SUMMER IN MIDDLE GEORGIA. 2) SERPENTINE BELT SLIPS FROM PULLEYS CAUSING LOSE OF POWER STEERING, WATER PUMP, AIR CONDITIONING, ALTERNATOR. ON FIRST OCCASION AND WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND AVOID A COLLISION. 3) BELT APPEARED UNDAMAGED BUT I REPLACED BELT WITH NEW APPROVED BELT. THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON AUGUST 22, 2005 WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON GEORGIA 87 (RURAL HIGHWAY) IN A SEVERE DOWNPOUR/THUNDERSTORM. THE RAIN AND STORM CONDITIONS WERE SO LOUD I DID NOT NOTICE THE TEMPERATURE GAGE, INDICATOR LIGHTS AND WARNING-BUZZER WARNING ME OF SOME ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO AN INTERSECTION AND PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC, AGAIN WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY DUE TO POWER STEERING FAILURE. ULTIMATELY, PEOPLE WILL LOSE LIVES OVER THIS ISSUE IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY. THERE ARE MANY OF THESE ISSUES POSTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET. PLEASE PURSUE THIS ISSUE SO SOMEONE'S LIFE CAN BE SAVED. *JB

TERRIBLE SQUEALING NOISE IN BELT AREA. DEALER CHARGED ~$250 FOR BELT AND TENSIONER REPLACEMENT AND NOISE WAS GREATLY REDUCED. SEVERAL YEARS LATER THE NOISE RETURNED AND GREW EVEN WORSE. REPLACED THE WORN BELT AND NOISE WAS GREATLY REDUCED FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. AFTER THE NOISE RETURNED, REMOVED THE BELT AND CHECKED ALL PULLEYS - FOUND NO PROBLEMS. REPLACED TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEYS ANYWAY (~$20 EACH FROM DEALER) AND REINSTALLED BELT. NOISE WAS REDUCED FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS. TOOK VAN TO DEALER WHO SAID THAT IT WAS THE TENSIONER AND WERE SURPISED THAT IT HAD LASTED AS LONG AS IT DID. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED A NEW ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING PUMP AND TENSIONER. THE NOISE WAS GREATLY REDUCED, BUT RETURNED FULL FORCE WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. IN DESPERATION I TURNED TO BELT DRESSING AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION SINCE I HAD CLEANED ALL OF THE PULLEYS PRIOR TO BELT REINSTALLATION. WHEN THE BELT DRESSING WAS SPRAYED ON THE TENSIONER PULLEY THE SOUND DISAPPEARED FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN RETURNED. BELT DRESSING HAD SMALL OR NO EFFECT WHEN SPRAYED AT OTHER LOCATIONS ALONG THE SERPENTINE BELT.

1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 3.0 6 CYL BELT CAME OFF IN RAIN STORM LEFT ME STRANDED AND MISSED WORK THE BELT WAS IN ONE PIECE AND GOT IT HOME AND HAD A NEW BELT INSTALLED AND PULLEY UPPER FRONT NON GROOVED. AGAIN BELT CAME OFF BRAN NEW BELT NEW BELT PUT ON AGAIN BELT NOW SQUEALING IN THE BACK BELT TENSION ARM NOR SQUEALING BELT RIDES THE PULLEY L/R ABOUT 1/4 INCH THAN BACK. IT SEEMS TO ME. *NM

AS I AM DRIVING MY VAN WILL SUDDENLY JERK FORWARD AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN GOES OFF, AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE VAN SUDDENLY DIES. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER MANY,MANY TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN FEB,2004 AND THEY HAVE DROVE IT AND PUT IT ON MACHINES AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT AND WHY IT'S DOING THIS. I JUST FOUND OUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND ORIGINAL ONE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND SO HE GOT RID OF IT.WHEN IT SUDDENLY DIES I HAVE NO STEERING, BRAKES ETC. AND THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE IN HEAVY 4 LANE TRAFFIC AND NO WHERE TO GO. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS HASN'T BEEN RECALLED AND CORRECTED, I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY AND HOW THIS CAN BE CORRECTED BEFORE I OR SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR INJURED. I HAVE CHILDREN IN MY VAN ALOT AND I WONDER IF THAT MATTERS TO YOU IF THEY GET INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T OR WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!! I HAVE HAD DODGE VANS BEFORE AND LIKED THEM, BUT I CAN ASURE YOU THAT, IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. I CAN'T BELIEVE ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT'S ON THIS SITE ON THE 97 DODGE CARAVAN'S. WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? *AK