2004 Dodge Grand Caravan

VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT AND RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS LEAKING. BASED ON RESEARCH OF OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT AFFECTS STEERING. THE POWER STEERING DOESN'T FAIL, BUT IT WILL DETERIORATE UNTIL ALL OF THE FLUID LEAKS OUT AND THEN POSSIBLY DAMAGES THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS ULTIMATELY COULD CAUSE THE PUMP TO LOCK UP OR IN SOME CASES, LEAK FLUID ON TO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS ISSUE IS ~$800-900. MY ESTIMATE WAS FOR $820 (EXCLUDING A NEW ALIGNMENT). *TR

POWER STEERING RESERVOIR FILTER CLOGS CAUSING POWER STEERING FAILURE. IT IS MORE SEVERE IN COLD WEATHER. HAVE HAD VAN IN DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY OBSERVED THE PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AGREE THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY THE "EXACT COMPONENT" CAUSING THE PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT FIX. DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY OR NOT. IF THIS WERE ISOLATED ISSUE, I WOULD IGNORE. BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES POSTED ONLINE WITH SAME ISSUE. RESULT IS LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED STEERING FAILURE.*CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, THE BRAKES LOCK UP INTERMITTENTLY. TO UNLOCK THE BRAKES, THE CONTACT MUST MOVE THE VEHICLE FORWARD AND BACKWARDS SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND POSTED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (05-001-06A). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WE HAVE HAD OUR VAN IN FOR SERVICE AND OIL CHANGES IN THE PAST. THE ENGINE HAD LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND WAS USING ALMOST 4 QUARTS OF OIL IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS. THE LAST TIME IT WAS SERVICED, THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON WHY IT WAS USING OIL. THEY SAID TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT BY CHECKING IT FREQUENTLY, AND THEY COULD TRY TO MONITOR IT TO SEE WHY WE WERE LOOSING OIL. WE COULD ALWAYS FIND SMALL SPOTS OF OIL IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND ON PARKING AREAS/GARAGE FLOOR. THE DEALER DID CHECK THE VEHICLE AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY OIL LEAKS. THEY DID HOWEVER FIND A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION LINE, WHICH DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY WE WERE HAVING TO REPLACE OIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. WE HAD JUST PLACED 4 QUARTS OF OIL IN THE VAN TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THE VAN WAS TOTALED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT THE NEXT MONTH, SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE OIL LEAK PROBLEM BUT FELT THAT WE SHOULD REPORT THIS PROBLEM SINCE OTHER DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE THEY HAVE LOW MILEAGE ON THEIR VEHICLE, AND OIL LOSS FOR NO KNOWN REASON. *TR

FOR THE LAST 40,000+ MILES THE VEHICLE ALWAYS STUMBLES OR STALLS AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK FULL. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OVERFILLING, JUST FILLING IT UNTIL THE AUTO SHUT-OFF SHUTS OFF THE FLOW. IT WILL BUCK AND STUMBLE WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND OFTEN DIES WHEN YOU ARE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. IT HAS STALLED ON MY WIFE WHILE SHE WAS WAITING TO TURN LEFT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. ONCE RE-STARTED IT RUNS FINE UNTIL THE NEXT FILL-UP. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT IS THE PURGE SOLENOID AND IT WOULD COST $190 TO FIX. THE VEHICLE HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS WELL BELOW THE FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY AND IT ALSO HAS THE EXTENDED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET, BUT JUST AVOID TOPPING OFF THE TANK. THE DATE LISTED BELOW IS ONLY THE MOST RECENT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LITERALLY DOZENS OF FAILURES OF THIS SORT -- EVERY SINGLE TIME THE GAS TANK IS FILLED TO THE AUTO-STOP WITHOUT FAIL. THE SERVICE GUY AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR A WINDOW HAS EXPLODED ON MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT POSTED SPEED, LIGHT TRAFFIC, SUNNY DAY, WINDOWS DOWN, AND POP, THE PASSENGER SLIDER WINDOW SHATTERED. IT LOOKED LIKE IT POPPED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VAN. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO PULL OVER AND WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY. ONCE I STOPPED THE WINDOW JUST FELL OUT. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND WAS ADVISED BY MS. J TO PROCEED TO THE DEALER THAT I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. I WENT TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING MORNING, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE WINDOW. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT THIS YEAR WHERE A WINDOW HAS EXPLODED, AND HE TOLD ME SINCE HE DIDN'T SEE THE FIRST ONE THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. NO DOCUMENTATION, NOT EVEN A DRIVE IN THE CAR. NOW IN ADDITION TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE WINDOWS, THE VAN HAS A FRONT END PROBLEM, A REAR END PROBLEM, AND A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE FRONT TIRES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE FALLING OFF THE VAN WHILE DRIVING, WHEN TURNING RIGHT THE REAR END FEELS LIKE IT IS TILTING AND THE LEFT TIRE SQUEALS, AND THE CAR SHIFTS IMPROPERLY, OR HESITATES IN TRAFFIC. *TR