2004 Dodge Grand Caravan

MY VAN LEFT SMALL FUEL MARKS IN DRIVEWAY, I INVESTIGATED IT PHYSICALLY AND FOUND FUEL TO BE LEAKING BY FUEL PUMP HOUSING NEAR A FUEL LINE, I ASSUMED IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE O-RINGS ON QUICK DISCONNECT LINE. I REPLACED O-RINGS AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I GOOGLED THE ISSUE AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR ISSUES, PEOPLE EXPLAINING HOW THEIR VEHICLES WHERE LEAKING IN THE SAME LOCATION. AFTER BROWSING I FOUND A WEBSITE WHERE THERE WAS A PICTURE SHOWING FRACTURES ON THE HOUSING NEAR THE FUEL LINE THAT I HAD WORKED ON. SURE ENOUGH I RECHECKED MY VEHICLE AND THERE WERE THE FRACTURES. LEAKING FUEL. I JUST WANTED TO POST THIS ON THIS WEBSITE TO INFORM OTHER OWNERS, THAT IF THEY SMELL FUEL FROM THEIR VAN, THEY SHOULD GET THIS ISSUE CHECKED ASAP. THIS IS A REAL HAZARD, AND COULD BE REALLY DANGEROUS. *TR

THIS INCIDENT OCCURS EVERY TIME I FILL UP WITH FUEL. IT BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES AND CONTINUES UNTIL THIS DAY AT ABOUT 116,000 MILES. INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: I ENTER THE GAS STATION. I FILL UP WITH FUEL UNTIL THE PUMP STOPS, NOT A "TOP-OFF". I START THE IGNITION AND BEGIN TO DRIVE AWAY. THE ENGINE STUTTERS AND SOMETIMES STALLS COMPLETELY. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE, 3 MILES OR SO, IT RUNS NORMALLY. RECENTLY AFTER MY KNEE SURGERY, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, LEFT HAND TURN, AFTER A REFUEL. WE WERE TRYING HIGH-TEST ETHANOL FREE GASOLINE. WELL SHE MADE IT INTO THE CENTER TURNING LANE AND WAITED HER TURN. WHEN AN OPENING ARRIVED SHE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VAN STARTED AND FAILED COMPLETELY, LEAVING US HALF-WAY IN THE LANE FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THANKFULLY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC SLOWED AS THEY BLEW THEIR HORNS AND SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VAN AND BEGIN TO DRIVE. THIS WAS A MOST MISERABLE EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAD ALL THREE OF OUR SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VAN WITH US. SOMETHING REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS ONGOING AND DANGEROUS ISSUE. *TR

THE 3.8L ENGINE STALLS AFTER ALMOST EVERY FUEL FILL-UP AND BEGAN IN EARLY 2010. WITHIN 1-2 MILES AFTER A FUEL UP, THE VEHICLE WILL BUCK AND SPUTTER AND OFTEN TURN OFF COMPLETELY. IT GETS BETTER AFTER 3-5 MILES. IT APPARENTLY IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY DODGE OWNERS, NOT JUST MINIVANS. I HAD TWO 2006 DODGE CHARGERS (R/T AND SRT8) THAT BOTH DID THE SAME THING. I NO LONGER OWN THE CHARGERS BUT STILL HAVE THE 2004 CARAVAN. THIS A DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE ISSUE THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TANK MOUNTED VAPOR SEPARATION VALVE AND THE VAPOR RETURN SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE IS NOT "TOPPED OFF" WHEN FUELING WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CREATE THE ISSUE. THANKS. *TR

SINCE THIS DATE, AFTER EVERY FILL UP, THE CAR WILL HESITATE, BACKFIRE, AND IN MANY CASES DIE. THE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED, AND THEN WILL OPERATE WITH NO DIFFICULTY. ON ONE OCCURRANCE THE BACKFIRE WAS SO PRONOUNCED THAT IT BLEW THE AIR CLEANER OFF, BREAKING ALL OF THE MOUNTING CLIPS. THE CAR MUST BE DRIVEN VERY CAREFULLY AFTER A FILL UP DUE TO THIS CONDITION. YOU CANNOT RELY ON GETTING INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC DUE TO THE HESITATION AND FREQUENCY OF THE ENGINE DIE OUT. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR IN TO THE DODGE DEALER ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASSION AND THEY CLAIM NO KNOWKLEDGE OF THE ISSUE. I WRITE THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE KENOSHA NEWS, DATED WEDNESDAY MAY 15TH, 2013 WHICH DETAILED 3 CHRYSLER, DODGE BRAND CARS PROBED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. THEY MENTIONED ONLY V8 ENGINES, BUT I WANT TO LET SOMEONE KNOW THAT THIS ISSUE INCLUDES OTHERS SUCH AS MY 3.3L V6. I AM SURE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO EXPERINECE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

IN JANUARY 2011, I HAD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN MY VEHICLE AND IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE UNTIL NOW. LAST WEEK, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I MADE A SERVICE APPT. WITH MCKINNEY DODGE IN EASLEY SC TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. I WAS CALLED TODAY (04/02/2013) AND WAS ADVISED THE SAME PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE PART ONLY HAD A 12 MONTH WARRANTY. I TOLD HIM THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A PART THAT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO ONLY HAVE A 12 MONTH WARRANTY. HE PROVIDED THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE # (1-800-992-1997). I CALLED THEM AND THE LADY REVIEWED THE RECORD, AND RESTATED THEY COULD NOT ASSIST, AS IT ONLY HAD A 12 MONTH WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE IS NOW A LITTLE OVER 156,000. I HAVE PUT AROUND 45,000 MILES ON THE CAR SINCE JANUARY 2011. I HAVE HAD THIS VAN FOR YEARS, AND HOW COULD THE ORIGINAL PART ON THE VEHICLE LAST FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEN A REPLACEMENT PART ONLY LAST A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS. I ASKED HAD THE QUALITY OF THEIR VEHICLE PARTS GONE DOWN FROM WHEN THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE WAS MADE. SHE HAD NO RESPONSE, BUT PROVIDED YOUR WEBSITE AND TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ON OTHER CHRYSLER OR DODGE VEHICLES. I TOLD THEM I WOULD NOT BE PURCHASING ANOTHER CHRYSLER OR DODGE PRODUCT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REFUELED TO CAPACITY, THE FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR WOULD NOT REGISTER THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A SMALL LEAKAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR RAIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

FOR A YEAR OR SO MY WIFE AND I COULD SMELL GASOLINE FUMES IN THE GARAGE AT NIGHT. I CHECKED ENGINE GAS FILLER UNDER CAR, BUT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY SOURCE OF GASOLINE FUMES. FINALLY ABOUT W WEEK AGO THE SMELL OF FUMES WAS STRONGER. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND NOTICED A WET SPOT ON GARAGE FLOOR. I PUT THE CAR ON JACKS CRAWLED UNDER THE CAR AND COULD SEE FUEL OOZING FROM A FITTING ON FUEL LINE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE TOP OF THE TANK. THIS FITTING IS SOME SORT OF QUICK DISCONNECT IN WHICH YOU CAN TURN EASILY ON THE WHITE PLASTIC FITTING ON TOP OF THE TANK. WE ARE NOW PARKING AUTO OUTSIDE FEARING THE FUMES COULD IGNITE IN THE GARAGE FROM HOT WATER HEATER. IS THERE A POSSIBLE RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM? *TR