2001 Dodge Grand Caravan

WE WERE ON OUR WAY FROM FLORIDA TO PENNSYLVANIA WHEN WE WERE TOLD THAT ONE OF OUR HEADLIGHTS WERE OUT. WE PURCHASED NEW BULBS AND REPLACED THEM, THEN AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION REALIZED THAT WHEN THE DAYLIGHTS WERE ON, ONE LIGHT WAS ON AND ONE OFF, WHEN WE TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS THE OPPOSITE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ONE THAT WAS ON FOR DAYLIGHTS WENT OUT, THEN WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS WERE TURNED ON THE LIGHT THAT WORKED SWITCHED SIDES AGAIN. THE NEW BULBS DID NOT FIX IT, SO WE HAD TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE HOME WITH ONE LIGHT, ONCE IN AWHILE BOTH LIGHTS WOULD COME ON FOR A FEW MINUTES. WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME WE TOOK IT TO THE DODGE DEALER AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED REPLACED. THE WORST PART WAS THAT THE CONTROL MODULE HAD BEEN REPLACED 14 MONTHS PRIOR BECAUSE OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM (WORSE, THE WHOLE DASHBOARD WENT OUT AND THE WIPERS DIDN'T WORK ALONG WITH THE HEADLIGHTS!)! THEY COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE TO WHY THE CONTROL MODULE WENT AGAIN. I'M HOPING IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN ANOTHER 14 MONTHS (THERE IS ONLY A 12 MONTH WARRANTY ON THE PART)! *JB

1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: EACH TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED AFTER OR DURING A SUMMER VACATION TRIP THAT INCLUDED 700+ MILES. USE OF THE AC USUALLY CONTINUES ON LOW FAN SPEEDS (1 OR 2). 2) FAILURE AND CONSEQUENCES: FIRST FAILURE WOULD BE THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD BEGIN NOT TO WORK. SECOND A RELAY FUSE WOULD GO BAD. THEN THE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE FAN SPEEDS WOULD SHORT OUT ONLY ALLOWING FOR HIGH FAN SPEED ONLY. 3)HAVE NOT BE ABLE TO FIX THE SWITCHES DUE TO DEALER CHARGING HIGH RATES JUST TO LOOK FOR THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH NO GUARANTEE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THE FAULT AND STILL WANTING $70+/HOUR BEFORE ANY REPAIR WORK IS STARTED. WE HAVE OWNED A 1996 CARAVAN AND 2001 GR CARAVAN AND THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON BOTH VEHICLES. *JB

RADIO MALFUNCTIONING INTERMITTENTLY OVER APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH EVENTUALLY LEADING UP TO COMPLETE FAILURE. SMELLED SMOKE. HEARD OF RECALL ON RADIO. SPOKE WITH DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SAID MY VEHICLE IS NOT INVOLVED WITH RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT. DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS RELATED TO RECALL. SUBSEQUENT ELECTRICALLY-RELATED FAILURES IN RECENT MONTHS INVOLVING HEADLIGHTS, FUEL GAUGE LIGHT, WINDSHIELD WIPER LIGHT, WASHER FLUID PUMP, DEAD BATTERY. *JB

ENGINE HESITATES AND SPUTTERS BADLY WHEN PLACED INTO GEAR WITH BRAKE ON AND SPUTTERS BADLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ON. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. BUILT UP CARBON WAS CLEANED FROM THE INTAKE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. ALSO, THE FAN SPEED SWITCH WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKED ON HIGH. IT HAS FAILED AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

TWO INCIDENTS: IN FEB 05, DAYLIGHT DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES @45 MPH DURING RAINFALL, ALL THE DASH INFORMATION LIGHTS CAME ON AND WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN ON. PULLING OFF THE ROAD TO ASSESS THE SITUATION WITH THE VAN STILL RUNNING ALL THE DASH LIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND 1 MINUTE LATER ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. AFRAID TO GO ON, PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, PLACED VAN IN PARK AND DASH LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OUT. TURNED OFF ENGINE, TRIED TO RESTART CAR. FIRST FEW TURNS OF KEY, NOTHING HAPPENED AND THEN THE CAR FINALLY TURNED OVER WITHOUT ANY DASH LIGHTS. DRIVING HOME IN RAIN, TURNED ON HEADLIGHTS/WIPERS AND MOMENTS LATER ALL DASH LIGHTS AGAIN CAME ON. AT THAT SAME TIME, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT/WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED UNCOMMANDED. MADE IT HOME/TURNED OFF ENGINE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART ENGINE FAILED, NO DASH INFORMATION LIGHTS DURING START SEQUENCE, HAD TO HAVE VAN TOWED TO DODGE DEALER. THE DEALER DISCOVERED MAIN COMPUTER WAS FRIED. AFTER MANY HOURS/DAYS OF TROUBLE SHOOTING, WE WERE TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS TO COMPUTER WAS CHAFFED CAUSING THE PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE WIRING HARNESS AND REPLACED THE COMPUTER WITH A REBUILT ONE. IN EARLY AUGUST 05 WHILE DRIVING IN DARKNESS, THE DASH LIGHTS/HEADLIGHTS STARTED TO CYCLE ON AND OFF UNCONTROLLED, ALL GAUGES WENT TO ZERO AND ALL SQUARES AROUND THE TRANSMISSION STATUS LIGHTS (P,R,N,D,L) WOULD ALL LIGHT UP. THE FAN WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN TURN ON UNCOMMANDED AND NOT GO OFF UNTIL THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. TOOK VAN UNDER OWN POWER TO DEALER. DETERMINED WIRING HARNESS BAD. TOOK ABOUT 3 WEEKS FOR HARNESS TO ARRIVE (9/23/05). EXPECT WORK TO BE COMPLETED BY 30 SEPTEMBER????? *NM

DT: 2001 GRAND CARAVAN SPORT, CONSUMER SAYS HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED UNPREDICTABLY. ENGINE RAN ROUGH, AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO CHECKED THE VAN BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, NO FAULT CODES FOUND IN COMPUTER, UPDATED PCM. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. PROBLEM BEGAN NOT MORE THAN A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING VAN.*AK *SB THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS PERIODICALLY.*SB *NM

DODGE GC 2001 STALLED WHILE IN MOTION WITH NO WARNING DURING A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED AREA IN A SCHOOL ZONE WITH MANY POTENTIAL HAZARDS. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 10 MPHS AND COMING TO A STOP. I INTERRUPTED FLOW OF TRAFFIC AT TIME OF FAILURE AND WHEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME. A POLICE OFFICER HELPED DIRECT TRAFFIC. MECHANIC SAID LEAK DETECTION PUMP WENT OUT WHICH CAUSED THE PCM (POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE) TO SHORT OUT. THIS PCM CONTROLS MANY ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, THE SPEEDOMETER AND PASSENGER WINDOW DOESNT WORK AND I AM TOLD THAT SEVERAL SYSTEMS COULD FAIL BUT IT IS DRIVEABLE. I HAVE SEARCHED MANY DEALERSHIPS IN MANY STATES WITH ALL THE SAME ANSWER. THE PART I NEED, THE PCM, IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE IN THE US. THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAVE TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN. I CONTACTED DC CORP AND THEY WILL NOT TELL ME IF IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE W/ A FAULTY PCM. IT HAS BEEN 3 WEEKS AND MY VAN IS NOT FIXED. I AM AT THEIR MERCY AND THEY HAVE DENIED RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS A RENTAL REQUEST UNTIL MY VAN CAN BE FIXED PROPERLY. "UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR REQUEST FOR A RENTAL VEHICLE HAS BEEN DECLINED." THEY CLAIM "WE ARE UNABLE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE IN EXPEDITING PARTS THAT ARE NOT ON ORDER" THE PART HAS BEEN ORDERED. AGAIN I QUESTIONED THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH A FAULTY PCM WITH NO ANSWER AS OF YET. THEIR ARE OVER 250 PCM'S ON BACK ORDER.*AK