Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/10/2009 | 1 | ||
| The serpentine belt came off several times in the rain , on our 1999 dodge grand caravan, resulting in loss of power steering. i had gone through a puddle and as i turned a corner i lost power steering. i made it onto the side grass as i was unable to complete the turn. i was only a couple feet away from hitting a brick building. this was a very unsettling experience. i should not have to be terrified to drive in the rain. *tr | |||
| 02/27/2009 | 109000 | 1 | |
| The serpentine belt fell of during wet road conditions. i drive a 3.3l dodge grand caravan. i had no idea how popular this problem is. chrysler could fix it with a tensioner with a sidewall or a ribbed tensioner. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| 1- noise serpentine belt. 2- sudden temporary loss of power steering while driving in rain. occurs everytime it rains. resulting in temporary extremely dangerous situation as i am unable to steer even though i am a strong 350lbs. 3- have changed serpentine belt several times but problem persists. *tr | |||
| 02/21/2008 | 1 | ||
| Driving home in ice storm our 1999 dodge caravan lost power steering, lights dimmed, overheated. apparently this is a recurring problem with the caravans and the serpentine belt and tensioner. *tr | |||
| 02/27/2007 | 89000 | 2 | 08/31/1999 |
| In feb 2007, a new mopar serpentine belt was installed on my 1999 dodge grand caravan (89,000 miles) by a local dodge dealer. after one week belt started a loud squeal. at the suggestion of mechanics i tried belt dressings, sprays and wire brush, all with no help to the problem. one mechanic suggested i replace the plastic pulley on my properly working tensioner with a metal pulley. this i did with no help. all pulleys were checked and found o.k. dealer installed another belt in june of this year. same problem after one week. ended up going to local independent repair shop (not dealer) and they installed kit, which corrected problem. kit' consisted of belt with grooves on both sides and idler pulley and tensioner pulley with grooves. problem solved. the dodge dealer never heard of this kit....come on dodge boys, get with it!!!! *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 | |||
| 02/18/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving vehicle stalled. consumer was able to restart vehicle and pull over. engine check light flashed on the dashboard. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic placed the vehicle on diagnostic machine. then, mechanic replaced input and output sensors. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 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 | |||
| 11/05/2004 | 80262 | 1 | 01/30/1999 |
| 1. routine maintenance check. 2. manifold bolts rusted and broken, which could cause sudden loss of coolant with sudden breakdown while driving. 3. overhaul coolant system. *ak | |||
| 09/06/2002 | |||
| While traveling on highway and without prior warning power steering went out. also, vehicle started to overheat. dealership was aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 05/07/2001 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 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. | |||
| 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 92000 | 1 | 04/30/1999 |
| Despite regular (3,000-mile or less) oil changes at dealer or certified independent repair shop, 1999 dodge grand caravan with 3.3 liter engine developed severe oil sludge problems. first indication of problem was a soft clicking engine noise. certified independent mechanic diagnosed problem as oil sludge, showed us caked engine components. replaced rockers arms and some valves and bearings and flushed engine. repairs not successful, noise continued. returned to mechanic who kept the van for several days and did several more engine flushes and oil changes. this did not solve problem and mechanic warned me that driving would soon lead to massive engine failure. the only solution was an expensive overhaul ($7,000-$8,000) or a new/rebuilt engine ($5,000-$6,000) that might still have these problems. after internet research, i realized this was chrysler problem with engine. now my van is an expensive yard ornament--at least until i drive it one last time to trade it in. i do not consider it safe to drive as massive failure could lead to fire or accident. *jb | |||
| 03/09/2006 | 85000 | 1 | 08/05/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20-40 mph, the engine stalls. this occurs intermittently and the vehicle restarts. the vehicle has been to two dealerships, but the diagnostic test shows no codes. | |||
| 04/16/2004 | 1 | 03/31/1999 | |
| 1999 dodge grand caravan 3.8 engine camshaft broke with 54,000 miles on it.had oil change every 3 to 5000 miles.now i need a new engine and dodge wont help and i think they should since i spent 28,000 on this van.*ak | |||
| 02/04/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught on fire while parked, when vehicle was purchased new, the dealer installed an engine battery heater, it was plugged in at the time of the loss, this was possibly the cause of the fire, vehicle is destroyed from the firewall forward, claim 13-7233-513. *slc | |||
| 08/05/2001 | |||
| Camshaft broken in half on expressway while doing 70mph. suddenly lost power and started skipping and making noise. vehicle was able to coast to a safe stop, but no warning or indicator light were displayed. dealer was able to replace camshaft, but didn't explain what caused it to break.*ak | |||
| 09/04/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| The tensioner pulley must have a bad spring or seal and as it separates the pulley goes a few degrees out of alignment with other pulley members which causes belt to either ride up on the ridge of the altenator pulley and shred or completely fall off all together. naturally all power is lost as well as engine pumps...best case you are able to pull off on the shoulder otherwise there could be impending danger. 44k miles and this part is failing and from what i understand quite regularly with this make & model. problem needs addressed. thank you. | |||
| 11/27/2000 | |||
| Vehicle continues to leak oil. dealer has replaced oil pan engine and oil filter. provide further details. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/12/2002 | |||
| Consumer sates when backing up or down the hills vehicle would stop. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts | |||
| 08/16/2002 | |||
| Vehicle stalled at 20 mph. consumer noticed a belt hanging from undercarriage of vehicle. vehicle is at dealership at this time.*ak | |||
| 10/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced engine fire, claim 30-v502-154. *slc | |||
| 06/20/2000 | 1 | 10/12/1999 | |
| The vehicle hesitates while stopped, the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. nlm | |||
| 03/20/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced engine fire, claim 59-v431-848. *slc | |||
| 10/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught on fire under the hood, claim 30-v502-154. *slc | |||
| 03/20/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced fire in the engine compartment, claim 59-v431-848. *slc | |||
| 10/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught on fire under the hood, claim 30-v502-154. *slc | |||
| 03/20/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced fire in the engine compartment, claim 59-v431-848. *slc | |||
| 10/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced engine fire, claim 30-v502-154. *slc | |||
| 03/20/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced engine fire, claim 59-v431-848. *slc | |||
| 04/28/2000 | 4 | 03/04/1999 | |
| The vehicle has had continued problems with the engine, several repairs however the engine continues to leak. *mjs | |||
| 10/12/2000 | 1 | 05/25/2000 | |
| Consumer had came home and parked vehicle in garage, a few hours had passed when an explosion was heard, consumer saw that the vehicle was on fire, the house also caught on fire, possible engine failure. *slc | |||
| 01/19/1999 | 2 | 11/30/1998 | |
| Engine hesitates. yh | |||
| 03/07/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Approximatel;y an hour after mva (damage to front drivers side), i left to accident scene. transmission would not shift, so pulled over at first avaliable area. the engine caught on fire. insurance estimates in excess of $6000 of structural damage form accident in addition to fire. vehicle is total loss. i don't believe the crumble zones properly protected to frame. i don't think the vehicle should have caught on fire. investigation of nhtsa web site produced nhtsa action number ea99013 which prompted contact. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 11/25/1999 | 2000 | 16 | 09/01/1999 |
| Serpentine belt falls off tensioner repeatedly and have replaced several tensioner pulleys and serpentine belts without any remedy to the problem. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2008 | 605 | 10 | 12/30/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. while driving 30 mph in the rain, the serpentine belt detaches. the mechanic replaced the belt eight times; however, the failure recurred on january 25, 2008. the mechanic advised that the dealer should perform a diagnostic. the dealer replaced the pulley bracket, the bolts, and the serpentine belt according to the manufacturer's technical service bulletin. the failure recurred on january 27, 2008. the current mileage is 160,669 and failure mileage was 605. updated 02/14/08. *lj updated | |||
| 01/19/2008 | 106000 | 3 | 06/29/2002 |
| The serpentine belt on our 1999 dodge grand caravan has slipped off several times. visit carsurvey.org and you'll see that many other dodge owners are experiencing the same problem regularly. some are getting stuck in the freezing snow as a result. we've had other problems, such as a burned out computer board owed to a short in the driver's side seat. and the driver's side power window will not function. we will not buy another chrysler vehicle. furthermore, as a journalist, it's interesting to note that dodge has not taken responsibility for all the glitches in the caravan and issued additional recalls. i'd have much more respect for the company if they did. we've only had one recall, and that was for a clock spring in the steering wheel. *tr | |||
| 11/26/2007 | 3 | 05/01/2000 | |
| The serpentine belt has come off three times to date. once in 3 inches of snow, once on a sunny day and once when on slick roads but no puddles. almost caused accidents twice with three children in the car! the belt has been replaced as has the tensioner and this has not solved the problem. *tr | |||
| 06/02/2007 | 94000 | 5 | 06/10/1999 |
| Continual serpentine belt issues with dodge grand caravan. we purchased this vehicle new in 1999, it has less than 100,000 miles and has required replacement of the serpentine belt at least 4 times. additionally, the belt has come off on 2 occasions when vehicle was driven through a puddle. this seems extremely excessive. *tr | |||
| 03/03/2007 | 125000 | 8 | |
| 1999 grand caravan - serpentine belt comes off when it rains or vehicle is driven through water, even minor amounts. causes sudden loss of steering ability, especially if it occurs without warning during a turn. i have owned this vehicle for 6 years and 125,000+ miles without incident. during the last 25,000 miles belt has come off unpredictably 6-8 times in wet weather. occurrences started following replacement of front tires and a wheel alignment. dealers and service stations have blamed the tensioneer, a pulley, the belt itself, and water. replacement of these parts does nothing to resolve the problem which occurs again with the next rain storm. something changed at 125,000 miles that causes the belt to disengage the pulleys and /or tensioner when water is sprayed up by the tires in wet weather. i changed tires to a different tread design and this helped for a time, but with wear the problem recurred. *jb | |||
| 11/06/2006 | 88654 | 5 | 08/15/2000 |
| The serpentine belt on my 1999 dodge caravan keeps coming off. especially when it rains. the belt has been replaced several times. the idler pulley has been replaced. the belt tensioner has been replaced. an engine bracket for the idler pulley has been replaced. when the belt comes off , power steering is lost which makes it hard to control the van. if i was not a fairly strong person i would have hit a semi-truck at the last incident. my wife could not have controlled it. there is an after market fix for the problem through goodyear or gates. chrysler does not have a fix for it. below is the latest incident. it has happened five times in the last two years. *nm | |||
| 08/22/2006 | 60000 | 25 | 09/10/1999 |
| 1999 dodge grand caravan,3.3 liter engine, started out about once a year the serpentine belt would slip off and have to be reinstalled. then started every 6 months, usually during wet weather, came off with my wife, she would lose steering almost causing a wreck. i would have to leave work and go where ever she was and put belt back on. finally noticed the tensioner pulley leaning to the left allowing belt to slip off. replaced pulley thinking problem solved, but once again belt would slip off during a rain and wipers on. very dangerous situation for my wife again, no steering. tried a better quality belt, same thing, belt would slip off during rain. 2 weeks ago it slipped off with my wife on major freeway in birmingham, al , i had to go about 50 miles and put belt back on with traffic speeding by and all during a rain storm of course. yesterday i drove the van to my job and on the way home ran into a rain storm and guess what, it came off again, luckily on the street i live on. i've read about thousands of people with same problem with this type of van. i've owned the van since the beginning, loved it except for this problem, even bought a new 05 grand caravan because they are good vans. i just wish dodge would admit the 99 and similar years had a recall issue on this serpentine belt. or why can't they tell us, the owners how to fix this problem? *jb | |||
| 06/09/2006 | 12 | ||
| I have repeatedly had the serpentine belt come off while driving in my 1999 dodge grand caravan. this is unsafe. i lose power steering, a/c or defroster, the van overheats unless you park it instantly. this has happened at least a dozen times and i have replaced the tension pulley and it still didn't help. this needs to be recalled. *jb | |||
| 12/26/2002 | 56679 | 3 | 11/01/1999 |
| When serpentine belt'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>serpentine belt gets wet itwill come off of the pulley. this problem occurred three times and consume rlodt control. *ak the consumer stated that there was as recall on this issue but the vehicle did not fall under the recall *tc | |||
| 06/18/2003 | 59000 | 5 | |
| Surpentine belt keeps coming off randomly causing a very dangerous condition of not being able to steer the car. the dealer has repaired many times and says there is no known fix. because the vehicle in not safe i can no longer have my family in the vehicle. i look at the web site for other complaints on this minivan and i see many othe people have the same un-safe problem with this model.*ak | |||
| 12/13/2003 | 47006 | 1 | 05/07/1999 |
| The serpentine belt tensioner has a broken spring there fore not putting tension on the serpentine belt causing water pump and altinator and later battery problems.ive done some research on this and it seems to be a problem all over the country to which belts are falling off etc.....the vehicle has been taken to the dealership before and we were told that all was well.ive heard the belt slipping for a while now usually at start of vehicle. this seems to be a proplem with many more 99 grand caravans at or around 40-50,000 miles.this should be a warrenty fix but is not!*ak | |||
| 08/31/2003 | 26215 | 2 | 11/13/2000 |
| When driving at 30 mph and without warning, the serpentine belt disconnected from vehicle, which causing the vehicle to lose power steering and all other functions controlled by the belt.*ak. the consumer stated a new belt and tensioner was installed at 26,215 miles and less than 10,000 miles later the belt fell off again. *jb | |||
| 02/04/2003 | 37000 | 2 | 01/07/2001 |
| The fan belt and tensioner have failed twice, and after doing research, it appears that this is a very common occurrence. i even found a web site of people who have had the same problem, some more than six times on the same van. *nlm | |||
| 03/23/2001 | 1 | 10/12/1999 | |
| The tensioner and serpentine belt failed causing engine noise during initial startup. nlm | |||
| 04/19/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2002 | |
| The engine gave no signs or symptoms of an impending failure. the vehicle had been inspected by my mechanic 1200 miles earlier and the tensioner replaced. the main bearing failed sending metal fragments throughout the engine. the side-effects of the bearing blowing apart destroyed the engine and necessitated that a new engine be installed. this will cost approximately $3500 and take about 2 weeks. this type of failure is absolutely unacceptable for a vehicle that is only 3 years old and has only 55k miles on it. dodge should be ashamed that a failure like this would occur in such a late model vehicle.*ak | |||
| 07/18/2001 | 2 | 04/01/1999 | |
| Clock spring assembly was replaced in july 2000, at this time, airbag light is on .*ak dealer replaced clock spring assembly again on 14-aug-2001 with 80533 miles. serpentine belt and tensioner replaced, it was causing noise. *slc | |||
| 03/06/2001 | 1 | 05/13/1999 | |
| While pulling away from mailbox and belt tensioner sheared off. *ak the power steering failed when the tensioner pulley sheared off. *yh | |||
| 12/21/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1999 | |
| A worn bushing/bearing in the tensioner pulley allowed the drive belt to slip off while cornering. the loss of power steering assist nearly caused the vehicle to drive off the road. the vehicle then quickly overheated leaving my wife and children stranded on a county road in a potentially life threatening situation. the actual temp was +5 f with a wind chill of -30 f. they were thankfully rescued within about 20 minutes thanks to her cellphone. i understand chrysler has issued a tsb for belts that slip off when driving through snow or water due to pulley failure. this is an extremely dangerous situation and should be subject to a recall. thank you. roger stites. *ak | |||
| 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. | |||
| 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/05/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| Our 1999 dodge grand caravan was modified for my wife who is disabled and confined to a wheelchair. the mini van was converted by vantage mobility international (vmi) in phoenix az. during the modifiacation, the exhaust system was re-routed and during normal driving conditions, caused the muffler to move and sever the right rear brake fluid line as well as the abs electrical controller line. the movement of the exhaust system also punctured a hole in the rear of the muffler that would have also presented a carbon monoxide situation. if i had not had my local dodge dealer look at my van on this particular day, my family would have been in an accident. this company provides these vehicles nationwide and this situation could continue to present a safety hazard to other owners and should be investigated. thank you. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 12/21/1999 | 1 | 11/30/1998 | |
| Egr valve failed. yh | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was taken to a mechanic shop for a routine inspection, and mechanic determined that the exhaust pipe was cracked and needed to be replaced. *ak the consumer engine exhaust crossover pipe cracked. *tc *jb | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving muffler/intake manifold exploded. consumer was unable to start the vehicle, and it was towed to the dealer for inspection. consumer informed the mechanic that the muffler and other parts needed to be replaced. *ak | |||