Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/21/2010 | |||
| I have a 1996 dodge grand carvan le 3.8. in the last 2 months the serpentine belt slipped off 2 times when it is raining outside or the van goes through a puddle of water. i have almost been killed twice. i have read that other dodge owners have also had this problem. the wheel cannot be controlled when this happens, and my wife is scared to drive this car now. i think that dodge has some explaining to do as they have been made aware of this defect, and are not taking any responsibility for this repeated serious safety fault. | |||
| 10/10/2003 | 90000 | ||
| 1996 dodge grand caravan - lifetime lubricated tierod end seperated resulting in a loss of steering - the rubber seal deteriorated the grease was gone and the ball joint corroded to the point it fell apart - wife was parking the van at the time - could have been much worse she was 150 miles from home at the time less than a month later i saw another dodge caravan brroke down on a highway right front tire not facing as it should - i suspect another tie rod end failure - now i know these bearings can be manufactured so they can not seperate - aircraft rod end bearings come to mind - isn't a loss of stearing a good enought reason to make a part so it cant fail? | |||
| 08/13/2008 | 154000 | 1 | |
| Strut tower, driver's side is extremely rusted - a hard bump will certainly push the suspension spring assembly through the top causing loss of vehicle control. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2002 | 85000 | ||
| The serpentine belt that runs the car jumped off track the first monday in october when it was raining. i first noticed my power steering went out. then a few minutes later it over heated. so when i got under the hood to find out what the problem was, it was the belt it was not broken just off track. had it fixed. the same thing happened again on october 25, 2003 some 3-4 weeks later. again it was raining. the person who fixed it the 2nd time states that every time it rains and if i get water in my undercarraige it is going to pop off. this is very discouraging, i am the single mother of four young girls and i should not be afraid to drive my van when it is raining. can someone please make some sense out of this for me. | |||
| 07/20/2003 | 89000 | 1 | 02/21/2003 |
| Consumer stated backing out of the driveway, there was a clunking noise, and the steering wheel became very hard to steer. *ak consumer experienced the same problem with their 1991 dodge grand caravan - tensioner pulley. *ph *jb | |||
| 03/01/2001 | |||
| A piece inside steering wheel control unit broke. also, air bags/ horn, and cruise control do not work. has not contacted dealer yet. *ak | |||
| 05/17/2000 | 2 | 11/01/1995 | |
| Windshield wipers still engage by themselves originally repaired 05/99. transmission went out at30904 miles. airbag light came on and horn stopped working had to replace click spring. car stall while driving said it needed tune-up. when using ac or driving in rain and making a turn steering gets stiff and cannot control. interior lights flash dealer could not duplicate. power door locks lock and unlock by themselves. had to replace axle due to it being bent when new transmission was put in. had to get new tires because axle threw off balance. keep replacing batteries. drove car for 10 minutes and fan came on and stayed on after car was turned off. *ak | |||
| 03/30/1997 | |||
| While driving the vehicle in wet conditions with a/c on, when turning left, the steering would lock up. the problem was not corrected. vehicle has been sold. *ak | |||
| 08/15/1995 | |||
| Fuel system and steering problems. | |||
| 06/02/1997 | |||
| Sitting at a stop sign ,proceeded to make a left hand turn when the steering locked . applying pressure got the vehicle to return to steering. intervals of stiffness 24 hours prior to this incident. vehicle was towed and the dealers said there is nothing wrong with it. *ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 1 | |||
| The steering column tilt knob is very sensitive and the consumer has to wiggle the knob to make sure it latches, if not the steering wheel moves. nlm | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 03/10/1998 | 3 | 04/11/1996 | |
| Dealer replaced the multifunction switch on three occasions and tightened nut for ground eyelet once due to windshield wipers coming on by themselves and not working properly, door ajar light would illuminate while driving for no reason, dealer replaced body computer, however door ajar lights continue to sound and illuminate, interior lamps would come on and off for no reason, interior lights would flicker, dealer found a bad contact in the drivers door switch and repaired it, dealer could not find reason for other lights erratic operation, car alarm sounds by itself, remote alarm and lock does not cause vehicle to honk to let consumer know it has worked, dealer reprogrammed remote. *slc | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 12/01/1998 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| I have a grand caravan es purchased new in 1996. about two years ago the air bag, cruise control and the horn all quit at once. being under extended warranty i returned the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer diagnosed the problem as a broken clock (sp.) spring located behind the air bag. this device apparently affects all three non-working systems, and was not a warranty item, $350 to fix. the dealer said it was a problem with dodge trucks and a recall could be in the works additionally, for some reason during cold weather my turn signals stop working, as the lever enters the stalk in the clock spring area i suspicion it is affecting them also. | |||
| 09/29/1999 | 3 | 02/18/1998 | |
| Power steering has failed on several occasions causing temporary loss of steering control. mjs | |||
| 12/01/1996 | 1 | 01/08/1996 | |
| Steering gear failed, causing loud noise during low speed and tight turns. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 09/29/1999 | 3 | 02/18/1998 | |
| Power steering has failed on several occasions causing temporary loss of steering control. mjs | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| Water gets on power steering belt, making it difficult to steer vehicle. dealer has been notified. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 02/02/2001 | 01/01/1996 | ||
| Belt tensioner failed causing loss of steering. this is the 2nd time this component has failed. this is also the second time i've had problems with the cruise control. this time the problem is the clock spring, also causing the horn and air bag system to be inoperable. | |||
| 05/14/2001 | 30 | ||
| Vehicle loses power assist in rain or while riding through a water puddle. consumer was turning into a subdivison and steering got hard. consumer almost hit a large brick planter. has contacted chrysler by writing letters and making phone calls, but no action has been taken. *ak consumer stated that dealer previously replaced the tensioner and belt because the vehicle was slipping when driving in the rain. *yd | |||
| 01/01/2001 | |||
| While traveling at approximately 35 mph during snowy conditions power assist steering belt tensioner broke, causing consumer to lose control of vehicle. dealership did not inform the consumer as to why this defect happened. approximately four weeks after this event, consumer lost control of vehicle again, this time rack and pinion steering caused this defect. dealership informed consumer this could have been due to fluid burning, nothing more specific was said. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 11/13/2000 | 2 | 06/01/1996 | |
| Belt tensioner locked up twice in the last 8 months, causing loss of power steering control and potential for serious accident. the power steering belt was thrown off the belt tensioner and destroyed twice, once in march 2000 and again in november of 2000. *ak | |||
| 04/08/2000 | 8 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Anytime it rains or water puddles on the street , if i drive over it the steering becomes extremely stiff and sometimes you can't steer at all. i have noticed that even a small amount of water splashes under the right front wheel (the serpentine belts' location) the belt immediately squeals and is difficult to steer. if the compressor is on either the air conditioning or the defroster, and water is splashed on the belt the vehicle ha little or no steering. during a right turn at a green traffic light water splashed the before mentioned area and i almost hit another vehicle in the other lane that was preparing to make a left turn! is there any recall or some kind of panel that can protect the water pump assembly from water contacting the belt and thus leading to little or no steering capabilities? *ak | |||
| 06/01/1998 | |||
| Ie98054, while driving over a water puddle vehicle lost power steering for that moment which could hav e caused loss of control. after it was out of the water, a squeaky noise was heard and vehicle returned back to normal. dealer replaced steering belt tensioner and serpetine belt. problem is reoccurring. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 06/11/1999 | |||
| When coming to a stop driver heard a loud clunking noise. right afterwards driver made a left turn which was almost impossible because the bolt which supports the pulley for power steering, sheared off. the vehicle has been repaired. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 05/04/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| While driving, heard a bang noise. lost power steering assist. found that tensioner assembly for the serpentine belt had broken off, and belt had come off. the stud holding the tensioner together had sheared off. towed to nearest dealer, and fixed. | |||
| 10/24/1998 | |||
| While driving on highway and turning right on exit, loud noise occurred. power steering was loose, no steering control with the vehicle. dealer contacted, and stated the power steering belt tensioner had seized., repairs were done under warranty, no gaurantee that it would't happen again. | |||
| 10/08/1998 | 01/31/1997 | ||
| Tension pulley/ power steering belt failed. | |||
| 07/15/1998 | 4 | 01/31/1996 | |
| Vehicle has lost power steering in hot and humid weather due to the air conditioner draining onto the power steering belt. a replacement elbow drainage pipe is necessary to correct the problem. | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 10 | ||
| In wet climate or driving over puddles, the defective power steering would be inoperative, causing loss of steering control due to the power steering belts getting wet. dealer cannot find a solution to the problem. *ak | |||
| 11/16/1996 | 3 | ||
| Steering is very wobbly & very loose; speed would vary when it happens. would pull to right & drift; intermittent grinding in steering mechanism; would lock up when parking or backing up; took to dealer 3 times & had rack & pinion , steering pump replaced, but problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 08/15/1997 | |||
| While driving the truck loses all steering. this happens because the steering belt slips. driver has experience loss of steering five times. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 98100 | 1 | |
| Camshaft on 1996 dodge grand caravan failed (broke into two pieces) while driving down the ohio turnpike with family (two young children) in the van - failure of all power assist and foward motion (other than coasting) was immediate. the vehicle was in the middle lane at the time and if the road had been busier the potential exisited for a major accident and possible injury/death. the vehicle had approximately 98,100 miles on it at the time (3.3l engine). this failure may be related to chrysler tsb 09-008-01 which discusses camshaft failure with camshaft bearing wear. i would like to see daimler/chrysler step up to the plate on the potentially dangerous situation and correct the problem prior to the failure occuring. i will be contacting d/c to pursue reimbursement for the new engine as an event like this should not occur. | |||
| 05/18/2002 | |||
| While trying to start vehicle consumer heard a loud grinding noise, and then a loud pop. when trying to drive off consumer did not have any way to control vehicle. contacted dealer. *ak | |||
| 07/31/2001 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| I have had my serpentine belt and tensioner replaced twice, once at 32000 (under warranty) and once at 73000 miles. the dealer charged me the full $200 for the repair in spite of the fact that i'd had it replaced at 32000m and it is a known problem with a service bullitin. the failure causes the power steering to cease opperating. i also had a broken gear tooth in my transmission at 73,000m. the dealer was going to charge me $2100 for a new transmission, but i decided to take it elsewhere and have yet to have it fixed. *ak | |||
| 05/14/2001 | 30 | ||
| Vehicle loses power assist in rain or while riding through a water puddle. consumer was turning into a subdivison and steering got hard. consumer almost hit a large brick planter. has contacted chrysler by writing letters and making phone calls, but no action has been taken. *ak consumer stated that dealer previously replaced the tensioner and belt because the vehicle was slipping when driving in the rain. *yd | |||
| 11/01/1999 | |||
| Vehicle travels through water and power assisted steering control goes out. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| On freeway, heard clunk, wam...power steering died, about lost control as steering went manual. tow guy said these fail alot. when will nhtsa recall these things...? when some one dies...?*ak | |||
| 08/01/1998 | 5 | 05/01/1998 | |
| When you go through a puddle of water you lose your power steering. i took it to my mechanic and he claims that this model van has that problem. if not aware of problem could cause a serious accident. *ak | |||
| 07/28/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| The vehicle lost its power steering, cooling system, etc. when the tensioner went bad and the engine belt came off. my local service station advised they have had to replace numerous tensioners on this make/model, and they're surprised there hasn't been a recall - especially considering the danger involved. the dealer (herb gordon dodge) advised that there is no problem with the tensioner, and that it is normal wear for it to go bad at 76,000 miles. in case the problem is not unique, i wanted to report it. i have had numerous problems with this vehicle. | |||
| 07/27/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1995 | |
| Lost power steering. could have been serious at higher speed. *ak | |||
| 08/07/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1995 | |
| Part breaks off at shoulder. it is obvious that the part was cracked in the heat treating process when it was made based on the discoloration in the area where the crack was located. failure of the part , which is sudden, dissables the power steering and the water pump. engine failure will follow. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 5 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Steering tends to hang,rattle & grinding noise,hard turning left or right.dealer checked all suspension,said steering box was bad.i know the vechile has a lot of milage but i have never had a gear box go bad under normal driving conditions.the steering has tried to lock up several times(felt a catch in the wheel) but released pressure then was ok.had dealer check for problem. could not duplicate.would cost $500.00 to replace steering box. *ak | |||
| 11/28/1999 | 10/01/1997 | ||
| This vehicle has been the worst vehicle i have ever owned because of continuous ongoing problems ,the biggest of which was the engine head failure which cost me about a $1,000.00 thats with dodge paying an additonal $800.00 for the parts. now a year later, my transmission is failing and does not change gears. please help i promise not to buy a chrysler product again, i swear. all the other problems have been nagging, but tolerable. but this is too much. *ak | |||
| 09/29/1999 | 3 | 02/18/1998 | |
| Power steering has failed on several occasions causing temporary loss of steering control. mjs | |||
| There was a loss of power steering and power brakes due to the idler pulley breaking off. also, vehicle overheated quickly. dealer has the vehicle. needs new idler pulley. *ak | |||
| 10 | 02/01/1996 | ||
| When turning a corner during medium to heavy rain there is sometimes a loss of power assist to the steering. after loss of power to steering for about 15 seconds or just long enough to go off the road, the power assist will return and will act normally. this does not happen when the road is dry. this has happened about 10 times in the last two years. it has been reported to our dealer in joplin, mo and they could not give and explaination! *ak | |||
| When it's wet outside the steering locks up. dealer says power steering is corroded. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1996 | 1 | 07/01/1996 | |
| Power steering failed. | |||
| When making a left hand turn, the vehicle loses power steering. please provide details. *ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| The power steering assist has failed on 3 occasions when making left turns. *ak | |||
| 08/28/1997 | |||
| Consumer has been experiencing problems with the power steering on vehicle. dealer could not duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| 07/25/1997 | |||
| Vehicle's steering power goes out when driven for long periods of time. dealer has tried to repair the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 06/06/1996 | 1 | ||
| The power steering goes out when hitting a puddle on the right side while driving the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 09/01/1996 | |||
| Power steering locked up when driver was making a u-turn with engine still on. the steering has locked up several times since then. dealership was not able duplicate failure. please describe details.*ak | |||
| Vehicle stalls out while driving with no warning. when this occurs no steering/instrument controls are operative. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 04/25/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| While driving vehicle front end has problems.owner notes many parts have been replaced, tie rods/shocks,and pittman arms. cause has not been determined. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 1 | 08/17/2001 | |
| Air conditionercondenser/driver side window regulator/tie rod, transmission shift cable, and o2 sensor were replaced. also, there was a noise coming from front of vehicle, and from the exhaust area. engine check light appeared. in addition, serpentine belt and water pump were replaced. *jb. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 11/04/2003 | 67000 | 1 | |
| While driving consumer heard a noise coming from the rack and pinion. also, there was vibration in the steering wheel when driving over a minor bumps. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2001 | |||
| While traveling at approximately 35 mph during snowy conditions power assist steering belt tensioner broke, causing consumer to lose control of vehicle. dealership did not inform the consumer as to why this defect happened. approximately four weeks after this event, consumer lost control of vehicle again, this time rack and pinion steering caused this defect. dealership informed consumer this could have been due to fluid burning, nothing more specific was said. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| While driving at any speed, there was a clicking and popping sound in the steering column. van was taken to the dealership the third time for this problem. first time a new spring was put inside steering column. second time steering column was replaced. finally, rack and pinion was replaced about three weeks ago. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 11/10/1995 | 3 | 07/01/1995 | |
| I question the need for a new fuel tank i paid for - 594.31 parts and labor. the tank only leaked when it was full, and when i questioned the service rep, he replied that the tank is made of plastic and can crack just from the sloshing of fuel. not a good reason. and now i have a recall for the same problem i described to the service rep. i thought the known problem with the windshield wipers was fixed when the dealer replaced a windshield that had been scratched by impulsive wipers. not so. they still misbehave and i'm told it will be $280 to repair, out of warranty. three rack and pinions right off the bat. i am told that this vehicle qualifies as a lemon - but i like it and just want to be treated fairly as to need for repairs and their cost. | |||
| 09/22/1997 | 1 | 10/01/1995 | |
| I purchased this vehicle october of 1995, in march of 96 the fuse block had to be replaced along with a multi function switch because the wipers would come on by themselves while i was driving, a contact and plunger kit because the right sliding door would not always unlock when using the unlock button, the fuel tank was replaced because it only held 12 gallons of gas when it was supposed to hold 18 - 20, the tank was installed so that the tank was bowed in the middle and the front door panel was reattached to the door and the left sliding door was repaired because it would not unlock with the key. in august of 1997 the switch for the interior lights was replaced because the lights would flicker, the left side sliding door lock was replaced again along with the rear door latch. in sept. 0f 97 a gear was replaced for the power steering, the left sliding door had moulding replaced because the clips were broken. in august of 98 the stereo was replaced because the treble would fade, the vehicle shut off while i was driving no one could explain this phenomenon, the relay switch was replaced and the rack and pinion was replaced also the multi-function switch was replaced again. in sept. of 98 the car was back in the shop because the air bag light came on. evidently when they replaced the relay switch just 7 days earlier things in the dash started working that had not worked up til that point for instance i was not aware that the chime would go off if the blinker was left on for over a mile. it took 7 days to get my car back because they found out that there were never any screws holding the air bag in the module so as far as i know for the two years that my husband and i were driving this car there was no protection by and air bag. this past week july 1, we were on vacation and we had to replace the transmission to the tune of $l771. the car is back in the shop today (7/6) because it appears that the transmission continues to slip and run at high rpm.please help!! | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 1 | 11/01/1995 | |
| Rack and pinion failed causing noise. | |||
| 11/16/1996 | 3 | ||
| Steering is very wobbly & very loose; speed would vary when it happens. would pull to right & drift; intermittent grinding in steering mechanism; would lock up when parking or backing up; took to dealer 3 times & had rack & pinion , steering pump replaced, but problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 11/04/1996 | 2 | 04/09/1996 | |
| Rack and pinion steering failed. | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 09/01/2000 | |||
| Mr | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2001 | |
| Ea 01 007 air bag clockspring: consumer states the air bag light remains on while driving, also the horn and the cruise control works intermittently when turning to the right. the dealer notified. *jb dealer stated it could be a bad wire int he steering column or the clock spring, but could not determine problem unless steering wheel is taken apart. *tt | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 09/01/1996 | ||
| Slow driving 25mph thru 1-4 standing water causes steering wheel to become extremely unresponsive & hard to turn. | |||
| 07/31/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| While driving in the phoenix area making a normal left turn at a street intersection, suddenly my steering wheel jammed, so that i was unable to straighten up at the end of the turn and had to brake sharply and stop, else hit cars on the left waiting for their light! in the few seconds of this process i felt a clicking-grinding of what sounded like broken plastic inside the steering column housing. had i been in heavy traffic or other circumstances, the defective part and jammed steering would have caused a serious accident with injuries or fatalities. inspection showed a broken white nylon or plastic piece in the named turn-signal switch module, requiring replacement of the module. part.*ak | |||
| While driving at any speed, there was a clicking and popping sound in the steering column. van was taken to the dealership the third time for this problem. first time a new spring was put inside steering column. second time steering column was replaced. finally, rack and pinion was replaced about three weeks ago. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| Intermittently while turning, steering wheel locked up for less than a minute which could have caused a crash. dealer has not been contacted. *ak | |||
| 6 | |||
| Engine would shut off during driving at normal speeds. also steering wheel locks up, making it difficult to steer away from traffic. | |||
| 10/30/1996 | |||
| Transmission/steering column/horn/struts/brakes/sway bars/battery/windshield wiper switch and a/c condensor failed. | |||
| 08/01/1997 | 02/24/1996 | ||
| Front tires out of round. also replaced steering column. | |||
| 05/23/1997 | 3 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Steering wheel locke dup three times when going through puddle, almost hit other vehicles approaching it. also, engine belt slipped/replaced. *ak | |||
| 5 | 02/21/1996 | ||
| Noisy rear brakes; also steering column makes clunking noise when turning wheel. *ak | |||
| 06/17/1996 | 1 | 10/27/1995 | |
| Clicking noise in steering column. | |||
| 08/15/1995 | 30 | ||
| Steering wheel locks after a 90 degree left/90 degree right turns, locks on second turn, causes loss of steering control, caused accident; also rear abs brakes groan/vibrate, causing lack of braking power, decrease in stopping distance.*ak | |||