2001 Dodge Grand Caravan

MY MINIVAN WAS IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING WHILE I DELIVERED A PACKAGE TO A NEIGHBOR DURING A THUNDER, LIGHTNING, RAIN STORM. THE VAN JUMPED INTO GEAR, RACED FORWARD AND PINNED ME TO THE NEIGHBOR'S DOOR FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR BEFORE BEING RESCUED. I SPENT SEVERAL DAYS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF A HOSPITAL WITH A SEVERE CRUSH INJURY AND HIP SPRAIN TO MY RIGHT LEG. WHEN THE CAR WAS EXAMINED BY MY DEALER/MECHANIC, NOTHING REGISTERED ON THE COMPUTER. I HAVE LOCATED AT LEAST 2 OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS MAKE, MODEL, YEAR JUMPING INTO OR OUT OF GEAR, WITH INJURIES. *JB

WELL MY VAN ALL OF A SUDDEN DECIDES , NO REVERSE, AND THEN LIMP MODE, AND ENGINE LIGHT ON. CANT GET PAST 30 MILES HR, MY VEHICLE UN SAFE TO DRIVE, SO I GUESS TRANSMISSION OR TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULAR GOING BAD OR POWER TRAIN MODULE. THE 2 DEALERS I WENT TO THE FIRST DIDN'T SCAN FOR CODE THEY JUST SAID YOU NEED A NEW TRANNY, B/C OF NO REVERSE THEN OPEN DAY MY REVERSE CAME BACK AND NO LIMP MODE, SO THAT EVEN MADE ME WONDER I NEED A TRANNY BUT NOW IT WORKS, EXCEPT IT START TO LIKE MAYBE SHUDDER, NOT SURE. WELL THE OTHER DEALER CHARGE ME 80.00 CAME BACK AND SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY WOULD TRY CHANGE FILTER AND UPDATE SOFTWARE, AND I SEEN THE CODES 1790-1791- AND I SAID I JUST CANT YOU JUST REPROGRAM IT TO SEE IF IT WORKS AND THEY GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND AND SAID NO THERE NO UPDATE THAT CAN BE DONE OR NO BULLENTINS FOR MY VEHICLE AND I SAID YES THERE IS I READ ON THE COMPUTER AND THEY GO WE DON'T HAVE THEM. SO I SEE A LOT OF THE TCM AND PCM GOING BAD AND THEY WONT TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IF IT IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE THEN HOW CAN ONE GO BAD IF YOU HAVE IT SERVICE RIGHT. SO I DECIDED NOT TO FIX IT B/C I NO THEY LYING AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO FIX IT OR TAKE CARE OF IT B/C ALL THEY OFFER WAS AND FILTER CHANGE AND THEN AT THE END THE GUY GOES OH I WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT MONEY IN THAT AND IT DON'T WORK, WHY DON'T YOU JUST BUT A TRANNY. THIS IS SAD YOU CANT FIND NO ONE HONEST TO TELL SOMEONE WHAT WRONG WITH THE VAN BUT WANT TO SAY THIS AND THAT AND NO PROPERLY DIAG OR DO AND ONLY GIVE YOU PARTIAL THE TRUTH, WHY WOULD YOU SAY TO A CUSTOMER THAT IT MIGHT FIX IT WE CAN RE PROGRAM IT AFTER THE FLUID CHANGE AT 350.00 AND INSTEAD OF REPROGRAM TO SEE AND THEN SAY THEY CANT SOUND LIKE A DISHONEST PERSON, ALSO IF THEY DIAG THEN THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, SO THEY DECIDE TO TAKE ME A RIDE. I LOST 80.00 BUT NOT 350.00. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IN AUGUST OF 2005 WITH 73K MILES. VEHICLE SMELLED MUSTY (STAGNANT WATER). THREE TRIPS TO SHOP TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX SWAY BAR LINK, BUSHING, STRUT AND STRUT MOUNT PROBLEM TO CURE A CLUNKING SOUND ON FRONT END. TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR TO NEUTRAL AT WHIM. ALSO, SHIFTS THROUGH FIRST 3 GEARS (AUTOMATIC) AT WHIM CAUSING VEHICLE TO LURCH. HOWEVER, SHOP CANNOT DUPLICATE THESE PROBLEMS OR THE PROBLEM WITH MY NON WORKING CRUISE CONTROL. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY FOR NON-DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGES EVERYTIME FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY IT IS FINE. I TELL THEM THAT IT IS NOT FINE THAT THEY JUST CAN'T FIND IT. I AM DISTURBED BY THE NUMBER OF POSTS RE: TO SWAY BAR PROBLEMS AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND THE FACT THAT NO ONE IS HOLDING CHRYSLER/DODGE ACCOUNTABLE. WILL IT TAKE A NUMBER OF DEATHS TO DETERMINE THAT THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE? I IMPLORE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS ALONG WITH THE WATER ISSUE. SO FAR IT CAUSED MY BLOWER RESISTOR TO SHORT OUT AND NEED REPLACING. I HAD NO HEAT IN BELOW ZERO WEATHER. *JB

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD IT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS A COMPUTER FAILURE. (PCM HAS FAILURE.) THE VAN ONLY HAS 59,000 MILES ON IT. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP SAYS PCM IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE IS A $900 CHARGE FOR REPLACEMENT. THE VAN HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND I FEEL THAT SOMETHING THIS ESSENTIAL AND EXPENSIVE SHOULD NOT GO OUT ON A VAN THIS AGE WITH THIS MILEAGE. *NM

IN FEBRUARY 2004, WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ON THE INTERSTATE IN KNOXVILLE, TN WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. AT THAT TIME, WE HAD JUST OVER 34,000 MILES ON THE VAN. THESE WERE NORMAL MILES WITH NO HEAVY TOWING OR OTHER ABUSIVE DRIVING. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO JIM COGDILL DODGE FOR REPAIR. THIS REPAIR WAS STILL COVERED UNDER OUR WARRANTY. WE WERE TOLD AT THE TIME OF THE REPAIR THAT IT ONLY REQUIRED THE TRANSMISSION BE ??REFURBISHED?? AS THE WARRANTY DID NOT REQUIRE THEM TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN AT JUST OVER 60K MILES. THIS TIME THERE WAS A LOUD POP, A HARD JERK OF THE VAN AND THEN IT CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP AS I WAS CROSSING ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. I AM VERY LUCKY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE INTERSTATE AS MYSELF, AND OTHERS, WOULD SURELY HAVE BEEN ENDANGERED BY THIS PRODUCT FAILURE. I ASKED TO SPEAK IMMEDIATELY TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, MR. LARRY DAUGHTRY. HE PROCEEDED TO INFORM ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS FIXED PREVIOUSLY BY A DODGE DEALER, I WOULD BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS . HE ALSO INFORMED ME HE HAS NEVER SEEN SUCH DAMAGE IN A TRANSMISSION THAT IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A PRODUCT DEFECT. I COULD UNDERSTAND THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY IF THE SERVICE HAD BEEN PERFORMED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN A DODGE DEALER, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE! HE THEN OFFERED TO CONTACT THE DISTRICT MANAGER, WHOSE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION SEEMS TO BE HELD IN THE UTMOST SECRECY AS HE WILL ONLY ACCEPT CALLS FROM THE DEALER, BUT HE MAY BE WILLING TO PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE. UPON CALLING FOR A STATUS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN ITS ENTIRETY AT A COST OF ALMOST $3000.00! THE DISTRICT MANAGER DID OFFER TO TAKE CARE OF 50% OFF THE TOTAL COST. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ARGUE THIS WITH THE DEALER AND THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. THEY GAVE US A CONTINUOUS RUN AROUND OF CALLING ONE ONLY TO BE TOLD WE HAVE TO SPEAK WITH THE OTHER. *JB

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

AT ABOUT 32,000 MILES I HAD TAKEN MY VAN IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND ASKED THE DODGE DEALER TO LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION. IT HAD BEEN SHIFTING ROUGH OCCASIONALLY, AND THEY LOOKED AT IT, AND SAID IT WAS FINE. LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE 10 FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS, THE VAN'S FRONT WHEELS LOCKED UP, AND THE VAN SLID SIDEWAYS, THEN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE LOOSE, AND I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND GET THE VAN TO THE SLOW LANE AND PROCEED TO EXIT. I THEN HAD THE VAN TOWED TO DODGE WERE THEY SEEMED SURPRISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. AND NOW I READ ABOUT ON THE INTERNET THAT ITS NOTRIOUS FOR THIS. I HAD A CO WORKER WITH ME AND WE WERE BOTH PHYSICALLY SHAKEN. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR DEFFECT IN THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED! PLEASE HELP DO SOMETHING. *AK