Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA01007 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 02/21/2001 | 11/22/2002 | AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING | 02V293000 | |
| There is no summary currently available | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 04/01/2008 | 125000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the windows, windshield, cruise control only work sporadically and the emergency brake warning light comes on periodically while driving. the radio will also stop working and the airbag light comes on and stays on. the contact took the vehicle in for recall repairs in 2008, where the clock spring was replaced which solved these failures for one month and then they started again. the contact also stated that the drive belt on the vehicle is defective and has been repaired several times. the failure mileage was approximately 125,000. the current mileage was 180,000. rd | |||
| 05/04/2008 | 160000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that her vehicle had previously been serviced for recall 04v480000 (air bags). a month after being repaired, the vehicle displayed the same failure which was that the cruise control, windows, radio, windshield wipers, horn, lights, door locks and radio did not function on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the failure mileage was approximately 160,000. the current mileage was approximately 178,000. | |||
| 12/24/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Three times in six weeks, the serpentine belt (which powers the power steering, alternator and water pump) has slipped off the pulleys. in one of the three instances, the drive belt was shredded. after a quick search of the internet, literally hundreds of complaints about this were found. fortunately, in our case, there has not been an injury to date, however a loss of power steering at the wrong moment could easily cause an accident. likewise, loss of accessories such as the alternator and water pump could leave someone stranded. on this vehicle, the belt tensioner has been replaced and the belt has been replaced three times in less than 1,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2008 | 1 | ||
| I have a 99 dodge grand caravan when i first got it every thing was working fine. i have had it for about a year and now the horn doesn't work, the blinkers only work sometimes, the airbag light is always on which means it isn't working. these problems are dangerous in alot of ways an airbag failing can cause serious injury. also my blinkers only working sometimes have caused me to get a ticket and the horn not working makes it impossible to get my car inspected. the mechanic said that all these problems are related to the wiring in the dash. it is very expensive to have the whole thing rewired so i haven't been able to do it yet. *tr | |||
| 12/08/2007 | 50000 | 20 | 02/15/1999 |
| Instruments and instrument panel lights become inoperative with no warning. in the past several years, while driving the 1999 dodge grand caravan, without warning, the instrument panel lights would go off and all gauges would quit working. usually, a smack on the top of the dashboard would bring it back, however, lately this did not work. the latest incident was on a cold, dark, wet evening with my wife driving and the children in the van. this problem results in not being able to see the speedometer nor the gear selection. i feel this is an unsafe condition that should be looked into by the manufacturer. in performing an internet search on this subject, it appears there may be a manufacturing defect with the soldering of some connectors for the instrument panel. thank you. *tr | |||
| 12/06/2004 | 1 | ||
| D/c refused to pay for my labor on a clockspring repair. *ak | |||
| 07/05/2004 | 90603 | 5 | 06/26/1999 |
| We noticed check engine light was illuminated. vehicle taken to firestone. problem due to bad leak detection pump. ldp on order but vehicle is drivable. vehicle is driven three days. the day ldp arrives speedometer and odometer quits. computer burned out. ordered rebuilt computer, since no new computers available, from dodge. vehicle is not driven 14 days waiting for computer. firestone installs computer. three days later check engine light illuminates. firestone says problem due to bad ldp. obtain new ldp from dodge but installed by firestone. two days later check engine light illuminates. firestone resets computer but codes keeps displaying. firestone says problem beyond their expertise. vehicle taken to dodge. dodge inspects vehicle says computer burned out. dodge has vehicle for 10 days waiting replacement computer under warranty. dodge replaces computer and checks wiring harness for loose connections. two days later check engine light illuminates. dodge says computer burned out. dodge replaces and third computer which burns out. dodge suspects bad ldp, but rules out when informed ldp was replaced less than one month. dodge replaces and burns out fourth computer. 26 days and five computers later, dodge says vehicle has serious problem. dodge consults with chrysler technical who recommends replacement of entire wiring harness. we decline because not a sure fix and have dodge put the vehicle back together. dodge disconnected wire between ldp and computer to prevent computer from burning up. upon taking vehicle home radiator leak discovered which we replace. wiring harness inspected by independent automotive electrical expert who said vehicle electrical problem was too much trouble to trace.*ak | |||
| 10/13/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the vehicle stalled. the electrical devices failed to come on. the driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that a electrical shortage was inside of the vehicle and had to be placed on a diagnostic machine. please fill in additional information. *jb | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 11 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Problems with vehicle's instrument panel, air bag sensors and associated printed circuit board modules. *mr there were problems with the pcm, the sensor failed, the engine stalled, the check engine light had come on along with the malfunctioning indicator light, the shift indicator light had gone out, the dash lights had gone out, and the odometer malfunctioned. the circuit board had to be replaced twice and the air bag and air bag light returned. the clock spring and air bag control module was replaced. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb | |||
| 06/30/2004 | 1 | 11/22/2002 | |
| Well a few months ago we had electrical problems with our 1999 grand caravan. the mileage, gas gauge, odometer, speedometer stopped working while i was in the van with it running in park . it turned out by a certified tech to be a manufacturer's defect because it was a wire was rubbing on a manufacturer's weld located in the overhead compartment area. so we paid for it to be fixed $500 and no problem since. so currently we had our airbag light come on along with no horn or cruise control. so i contacted dodge like some of these sites i read said to do because some other people had theirs worked on for free and i got a email which states they will not work on either reimbursement for the one and not even for the airbag light. i am currently not driving the van because i waited for my response from dodge. our van only has around 67,000 miles on it. i have the email from dodge if you are interested in showing how they respond. *jb | |||
| 05/09/2004 | 3 | 02/25/2000 | |
| The red light air bag is on,also the horn do not work,and the cruise control do not work. | |||
| 10/12/2003 | 81800 | 3 | 07/12/2002 |
| Re: 1999 dodge grand caravan had intermittent and then constant air bag light followed shortly thereafter by simultaneous loss of cruise control & horn. *la | |||
| 08/26/2003 | 1 | 06/12/2000 | |
| Instrument panel lights failed to work and caused a distraction to the driver. *ak the consumer did not know what was going on with the vehicle due to the problem. *scc *jb | |||
| 12/27/2002 | 10/09/2002 | ||
| My 1999 dodge caravan air bag light illuminated. the horn and cruise control do not work. the dealer informed me that my clockspring needed replacement, but that my vehicle is not covered by the current recall. i find the explanation that my problem is coincidental to the recall of the 1996-1998 vehicles somewhat dubious. if the problem was that the clockspring was installed off center on the earlier vehicles causing a subsequent failure, is it not likely that my problem was similarly caused, warranting a repair at chrysler's expense? | |||
| 11/08/2002 | 03/10/1999 | ||
| To: whom it may concerns: i am writing to you as a dissatisfied dodge caravan owner. i purchased my van brand new on march 1999. i have had consistent problems with the car, since the day i purchased it: a) on january 24, 2000 we replaced the , sensor, transax le, turbin input in the transmission. b) february 17, 2000 we replaced the battery. c) february 20, 2001. we replaced the evaporetor, suction line, liquid line and the coil in the air condition unit. d) replaced the window lift motor. e) january 8,2002 replaced sop belt tensioner coil . f) january 4,2002 replace the battery. g) march 2, 2002 replaced windshield washer pump. h) june 2, 2002 replaced fuel seal. i) november 13, 2002 replaced the high pressure valve of the a/c now they are asking us to replace the evaporetor and the compressor which was replaced by maroone dodge on february 2001!!! all repairs were done at authorize dodge dealer: maroone dodge located: 21151 n.w 2nd ave miami, fl 33169 tel: 305-653-6343. we feel that for 44,000 miles car we should not experienced so much problem especially with the a/c which was fixed in 2001. we hope you will correct the wrong and repaired the car with no cost to us.sincerely david and honey bouganim 239 atlantic isle sunny isles, fl 33160 tel: 305-945-5354 | |||
| 02/04/2000 | 2 | 10/12/1999 | |
| The sensor output was inoperative causing the check engine light to illuminate, as a result the vehicle would not travel over 30 mph. nlm | |||
| 02/04/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had parked vehicle and noticed fire 6 hours later, when vehicle was purchased new, an engine battery heater was installed, it was plugged in at the time of loss, possibly shorted out and caused the fire, claim 13-7233-513. *slc | |||
| 05/19/1999 | 1 | 11/30/1998 | |
| Possible electrical short causes heavy spark noise in radio when vehicle turnes. yh | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1998 | |
| I am very concerned about the safety of my 1999 dodge grand caravan in rain storms. twice now the serpentine belt came off when water in the road sprayed onto the belt. when this happens, the power steering, alternator, water pump, and all other components powered by the belt stop functioning. the loss of power steering is very dangerous because it can happen at high speeds. service bulletin 07-02-99, serpentine belt slips off idler pulley installs a bracket to prevent this. my concern is that no one knows about this service bulletin until the belt comes off. there is undue risk to owners of these vans. this needs to be a vehicle recall not a service bulletin. i have contacted chrysler via the internet (reference number: 7904321) and written to james holden's office, chrysler president . i was informed to contact nhtsa as the information was proprietary. i have friends with the same van that have had the same problem in rain storms. it is very dangerous to allow this to continue. do people have to be killed before chrysler takes a proactive approach to solving this on all vehicles effected? a vehicle recall is needed immediately to prevent injuries. i am very dissappointed in chrysler for allowing me and my family to be exposed to this design flaw for the past couple of years. just today a friend has had the same problem with her chrysler mini van. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 04/03/2001 | |||
| Battery blew up, rendering vehicle inoperable. dealer was inspecting vehicle.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 2 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Consumer was traveling about 45mph on highway when power steering/coolant system malfunctioned and battery light came on. vehicle had to be towed to dealership, serpentine belt came off.*ak serpentine has fallen off twice. *slc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||
| 12/02/2004 | 124000 | 1 | 07/29/1999 |
| Positive battery cable shorted to ground melting the insulation on the cable and nearly all interconnected harness wires. total estimate to repair and replaced damaged wires, starter, sensors, connectors, etc: $3,000+. investigation still ongoing.. failure resulted from design placement of positive cable in proximity of strut tower bolt. battery location for 1999 dodge grand caravan is immediately in front of strut assembly. this cable does not include any insulation sleeve (e.g., convoluted tubing or loom) and is therefore susceptible to wear and abrasion from vibrations during driving.*jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 12/09/1999 | 1 | 11/30/1998 | |
| Heater is inoperative because the heater circuit board malfunctioned. yh | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 08/07/2008 | 1 | ||
| Keyswitch will not turn... sometimes it does fine, other times it locks up. it has been happening several times a week. fiddling with it, or hitting it, will sometimes cause it to unlock. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 101000 | 10 | 03/24/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the ignition key would not turn to start the vehicle. the nature of the failure was gradual worsening. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who replaced the ignition switch, which was previously changed 3 years ago. | |||
| 08/31/2000 | |||
| Vehicle will not start key will not turn in the ignition to start. dealer will be contacted. 8ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 07/30/2001 | 2 | 06/01/1999 | |
| My ignition lock in my van has failed two times. the first time in feb. 2000. it was replaced under warranty. then, it failed again a few days ago. the van would not start because the key could not be turned. this could be a serious safety issue in north dakota winters where wind chills can approach 80-100 below zero. also, if it failed in a high crime area it could be a safety issue. this is especially true if young children are in the van, and, of course, people with families buy the vehicles. the person who towed the van told my wife that he had seen the same problem with dodge vans before.*ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Problem started gradually. ignition jammed and key wouldn't turn, but with constantly jimmying back and forth would eventually turn. problem persisted until key would no longer turn in ignition. van had to be towed to the dealer. they stated they replaced the cyclinder lock and lubed the inside. the ignition started gradually catching again until it locked up. van was towed again to the dealer. dealer stated original replacement part failed, so they ordered another one and installed it. last week the problem started again. ignition jammed but started after i jimmyed the key back and forth. i have not contacted the dealer yet about the thir incident. also, my neighbor has a 1999 plymouth voyager minivan, and has had the same exact problem, twice. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY - SOLENOID | |||
| 08/31/2004 | 67000 | 1 | 02/08/1999 |
| Starter solenoid failed, stuck in on position. would not shut off when engine was shut off. clouds of acrid smoke poured out from under vehicle. i removed battery cable and towed car to mechanic. dealer replaced starter. 67,000 miles similar to complaint #10138490. *nm | |||
| 09/17/2005 | 104800 | 1 | 05/26/2000 |
| I went out to start my car (1999 dodge grand caravan se) and it initially wouldn't start. there was just a clicking noise from the starter but it wouldn't turn over. i tried it a couple more times and it finally started. but there was an unusual rattling noise. i turned the ignition key off and the engine stopped but some part on the car kept running. i had my fiance look at it - he couldn't figure out what was going on either. it drove ok around the block but it sounded horrible. he couldn't get it to turn off completely either. after a few minutes, smoke started coming out from the front end of the car. my fiance could see it was in the area of the starter. initially, if the car was left idling, the smoke lessened but if the ignition was shut off the smoke got worse. so we left it idling while we looked for possible ways to shut it off completely. after a few more minutes, the smoke began again and there were flames under the hood around the starter. i called 911 to get the fire department here while my fiance used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the fire. the fire department arrived after we were able to put out the fire with the extinguisher and they helped us disconnect the battery cable in a safe manner so that everything shut off. the fireman suggested we check for possible problems with other vans like ours and to file a complaint regarding our experience. they took down my information and filed a report for their response to the fire. we replaced the starter and checked all the connections for fire damage. the old starter was taken by the auto parts store so it is not available anymore. the mechanic at the store said it sounded like the solenoid on the starter was stuck in the on mode and that was what caused the odd noise and subsequent fire. since then, everything seems to be running just fine. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 45000 | 2 | 05/10/1999 |
| My clockspring wiring harness that controls power to the driver-sdie airbag, horn, and cruise control has failed on my 1999 dodge grand cavan (~45,000 miles) vin 1b4gp44l3xb886901. this is a safety issue and a clearly defective part that is involved in other recalls, yet chrysler will not replace the part for free.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 11/08/2002 | 3 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Sensor failure caused vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably and jump. my wife and 2 kids in van. dt | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 08/11/2005 | 74600 | 1 | 08/25/1999 |
| Right park lamp and lighted instrument panel failure. short located in wiring harness under dash near firewall on the interior side of vehicle. dealer unable to locate short without dismantling vehicle. delearship bybass short by jumping area where short was found using a new wire. | |||
| 02/01/2003 | 91000 | 1 | 04/01/1999 |
| About a year ago the airbag warning light came on, the horn stopped working, and the cruise control stopped working. the vehicle is a 1999 dodge grand caravan. we had the clockspring replaced just this month for a bill of $266.00. the 1998 dodge grand caravan was recalled for this very problem. it looks like the problem has not been rectified in the 1999 models. | |||
| Consumer called complaining about having problems the body control module which operates all dash board which it caused the odometer, speeddometer, gas gage, air accoindition to go down consumer also stated that she has contacted the dealer and they stated that the main electrical computer on the vehicle was defected. ts | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| While driving all dash indicator lights went out, dealer replaced a sensor. this happened again in june of 2002, sensor was replaced a second time.*ak | |||