Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 110000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the engine serpentine belt failed. the serpentine belt detached each time a water puddle was driven over. the failure was experienced several times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that a shield be placed over the serpentine belt. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer installed the shield cover over the serpentine belt. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 110000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the engine serpentine belt failed. the serpentine belt detached each time a water puddle was driven over. the failure was experienced several times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that a shield be placed over the serpentine belt. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer installed the shield cover over the serpentine belt. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. kmj | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 110000 | ||
| Tl-the contact was a 2000 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the engine serpentine belt failed. the serpentine belt detached each time a water puddle was driven over. the failure was experienced several times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and advised that a shield could be placed over the serpentine belt. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer placed a shield cover over the serpentine belt. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. li | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 126000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph in wet weather she suddenly loss power steering, and heat malfunctioned. the mechanic was contacted, diagnosed the failure at the scene and advised her that the serpentine belt came off and needed to be replaced. the serpentine belt was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 126,000. rvk | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 126000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph and in wet weather she suddenly loss power steering, and heat. the mechanic was contacted and came out to the scene and advised her that the serpentine belt had came off and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the serpentine belt. the manufacturer had not been contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 126,000. tb | |||
| 02/25/2011 | 150000 | ||
| While driving on a slushy city street the serpentine belt came off and i was unable to steer the car. i was stranded and blocking traffic. i had it towed and they put the belt back on. the second time it happened was during a severe thunderstorm when i drove through a puddle of water the serpentine belt again came off. this happened just as i was pulling on to the highway and i was barely able to to turn the steering wheel to pull car over on to shoulder. thankfully, there wasn't a semi coming or it could have been deadly. i was just informed there is a fix by gates for this and will be having it installed. | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 125000 | 1 | |
| Driving on a rainy day. went through a puddle and immediately lost my power steering. managed to get van into nearby parking lot to find my serpentine belt hanging from underneath the engine. had vehicle towed and belt replaced. *tr | |||
| 01/24/2010 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My 2000 dodge grand caravan's serpentine belt comes off the pulleys every time i drive the vehicle in the rain. we have replaced the tensioner, tensioner pulley and the belt and still have the same problem. i have researched this problem online and found several other dodge owners with the same problem. there has been a after market kit made to resolve the problem with the pulley, but this is at the owners expense. i feel dodge needs to take full responsibility for this malfunction. i have filed a complaint with dodge regarding this matter. this is very dangerous, i loose power steering and electrical functions on the vehicle when this happens. *tr | |||
| 01/21/2010 | 50 | 1 | |
| I have at 2000 dodge grand caravan. the serpentine belt has fallen off twice while i am driving in rain. this latest time, a vehicle coming in the opposite direction went through standing water, splashed my van and caused the belt to come off immediately. i lost power steering with cars behind me and turning a corner. my young son was with me in the van at the time. this is very, very dangerous. it is a known problem. my shop is very good, they know about the problem and try to do everything to help prevent it. shields are in place, but are no help. *tr | |||
| 01/25/2009 | 125860 | 1 | |
| While traveling this past winter a snow plow ran me into a pile of snow in the middle of the road. immediately after this happened the serpentine belt slipped off. after having this problem fixed the serpentine belt then slipped off several more times before i found a part called a pulley bracket to put on because there is no cover on the serpentine belt to prevent this problem. *tr | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2000 dodge grand caravan to run to the store. while driving people were jumping up and down waving. after seeing the third or fourth person i realized something must be wrong. i rolled down window and they were screaming your van is on fire. the fire department was called and fire investigator present stated i was extremely lucky one more push on the gas could of blown my van up. he stated engine malfunction was the cause of the fire. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Serpentine belt keeps sliding off during slight moisture, whether raining, drizzling or splashing up water. steering and brake failure multiple times. had to use ford wheel that has a lip on it to keep belt from slipping any more. *tr | |||
| 04/18/2007 | 99980 | 1 | |
| My dodge 2000 grand caravan serpentine belt can come off the drive when the vehicle is driven into a deep puddle of water or through a snow bank. and when the belt comes off, i lost the control to the vehicle because the belt drives the power steering pump. it is the serious safety issue obviously. please check the web site: http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_30931.html to see how many complains. many people reported this problem to you. but so far no action from you has been taken. dodge also keep ignoring the complain. are you blind or deaf? *tr | |||
| 08/28/2007 | 60 | 6 | 11/15/2000 |
| We purchased new a 2000 dodge grand caravan. within 2 years while i was driving not knowing what was going on the steering on the car went out with no warning and i almost hit a tree. i found that it was the serpentine belt. from that point on i have almost had 2 additional accidents because the belt either was chewed up or came off. my husband felt the experience yesterday when the steering went out. this will be the 6th belt problem that we have had with this vehicle. i have contacted dodge but to no avail. what happens when the belt goes and you are traveling 60-70mph and you have no control of this car. is there anything that we can do? i have not complained because dodge says that there is nothing they can do. they have admitted ti me that there are problems with the serpentine belts. i did not even know you existed otherwise you would have heard from me long ago and we may have saved a lot of money time and luckily no lives have been lost to this point. thank you. *tr | |||
| 08/24/2007 | 85000 | 1 | 07/25/2003 |
| My 2000 grand caravan (87000), has the dash board crack on the drivers side, from the windshield to the speaker grille, (and traveling). this is a common problem with chrysler vehicles due to news reports recently. chrysler should address this problem before people get hurt ect.. i have replaced the evaporater, a/c compressor, & belt $2300.00. the transmission is shifting badly and today check engine light came on. this is my 7th chrysler vehicle in the past 30 years, and will be the last if chrysler doesn't step up, on this dash problem this time. *tr | |||
| 03/30/2007 | 167000 | 1 | 01/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that this vehicle had the same failure as noted in the recall regarding non-flex fuel engines. the dealer would not service the vehicle for free because it had a flex engine. the contact stated that the vehicle demonstrated same failure as those of the same year, make, and model that had non-flex engines. the current mileage is 168,000, and failure mileage was 167,000.ak | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 109000 | 5 | |
| Consumer stated everytime it rained the oil sensor light came on and stayed on. dealer stated they could not duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 45000 | ||
| Ac failed cooling. unit has lost its freon charge. unit was rechardeg and dye installed to locate leak. leak was foung in front evaporator. was advised core leak, not a copper to alum joint, but through aluminum part of core. appeared to be deteriorated by acid. other involves three failures on battery on this vehicle. the original, a replacement installed in oct 2001 and that failed this july 2003. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 02/23/2011 | 121480 | ||
| For the 2nd time in less than a year, the serpentine belt came off the belt-tensioner in my 2000 grand caravan sport. this incident results in power steering, engine coolng, air conditioning and other systems to stop working immediately. both incidents happened while driving in the rain, it is an obvious design flaw with chrysler family of mini-vans. | |||
| 07/07/2008 | 150000 | 1 | |
| Van stops for no apparent reason. just started in summer heat. transmission acted up, had it serviced---now transmission made huge noise, no reverse, loud whining, all going out. loud squeaks in supports, brakes replaced but still squealing even when pedal not pushed. horrible fogging problems, have had to pull over and wipe windows inside and out when raining. almost wrecked when vehicle stopped in traffic. can't see due to fogging when raining. just an accident waiting to happen---going to the junk yard. manufacturer needs to own up to problems. won't own another. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2004 | 30000 | 8 | 09/13/2000 |
| Transmission lines leaked and were tightened under warranty. transmission lines started leaking again but this time i had to pay because all of a sudden the line was fractured due to some external cause. transmission stutters and shifts hard especially between 25 and 35 mph. started complaining to dealer around 30,000 miles, of course when i returned for the 3rd time to complain at just over 37,000 miles they had no previous record in their computer so i had to pay to have it looked at. they still insist nothing is wrong and the problem is getting worse. the coolant reservoir is always almost empty no matter how much i pour in. dealer insists this is normal and pressure tests indicate nothing is wrong.. if the system is sealed where is all of the coolant going?*ak | |||
| 02/08/2004 | 1 | 10/31/2000 | |
| On february 8, 2004, herman lino, co owner of car, called me to report some trouble with the dodge caravan. the red light came on and the cruise control light also came on. he pulled over to the side and felt that the engine was warm. he opened the hood and saw some smoke which he thought may have been from an overheated engine. i told him, by phone, to add some coolant to the radiator. he purchased a container but the radiator only took 1/2 of the container. after a while, the red light and cruise light went off so he started the car to drive home which was about 2 miles away. as he ascended a slight incline, he saw smoke coming out of both sides of the hood, more from the driver's side. he immediately stopped the car, turned off the engine and stepped out to the front of the car. he opened the hood and something immediately burst into flame. the flame was about 5-10 ft high. herman said it looked like a house on fire. he stepped back when another explosion erupted. police and firemen converged on t he scene and after things cooled down, an inspection was made. a report from the fire dept was issued. the fire erupted about 8pm. the car was towed to ace towing about 5 miles away from the scene the car had less than 15,000 miles, is in good shape and had regular service at the dodge dealer. the entire engine was burned and needs replacement. there's a large hole in the windshield when the fire entered the vehicle. top of the dashboard sustained melting and damage. front seats, upholstery incurred little damage. the ceiling of the van shows soot marks. this vehicle had it's original battery. there was only one driver . owners had no otc coverage. please tell me what i need to do to get some assistance to replace or repair the car. it is an ims vehicle. it appears that it is a company defect. i have the car here on my premises. mrs. p. caindec. *ak | |||
| 07/30/2001 | |||
| While driving vehicle had a strong odor which smellled like coolant coming from vehicle. when consumer lifted hood odor got stronger. also, odor was making occupants of vehicle feel sick to point of nausea. contacted dealer, and dealer couldn't find cause of problem. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| 02/21/2008 | 120000 | 1 | 01/10/2001 |
| Rear coolant lines corrode and drain all engine coolant on 2000 dodge grand caravan sport. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/12/2007 | 113252 | 4 | |
| Serpentine belt came off while driving during rain. *nm | |||
| 12/23/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving 40 mph engine locked, and vehicle veered to the side of the road. vehicle was towed to a local dealership that couldn't work on it for two weeks, and then and stated that warranty expired. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic. the oil had gotten down extremely low, but no warning or check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was being checked for oil leaks. *ak | |||
| 03/23/2004 | 45500 | 1 | 08/02/2002 |
| I bought the vehicle in august 2002 with 15250 miles. had the vehicle in for warranty repairs on 12/2002, 1/2003, 3/2003, 4/2003, 5/2003 - 6/2003, again 6/2003, 12/2003, 3/2004 motor blew. vehicle has 45,000 miles and a blown motor. dodge refuses to repair the vehicle. they tell me its due to lack of maintenance and then failed to ask me for maintenance records. the service dealership is gathering my service records to present to the district manager to try to change his mind. vehicle is a lemon but because of the mileage, fails to fall under the lemon law. dodge wants me to pay $5500 for a new motor. don't think i should based on the vehicle history. please help!!! *jb | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 34000 | 2 | 02/21/2000 |
| Serpentine belt slipped off of idler pulley. belt wrapped around crankshaft pulley, which made the timing belt slip. power steering failed, causing my 18 year old son to find a place to pull over. engine failed due to timing out of sequence.*ak cost to repair: $460 for timing belt replacement. belt failed a second time. idler pulley was replaced for $260. | |||
| 07/16/2003 | 28000 | 2 | |
| Consumer states that while driving at any speed and without warning, the vehicle will off, which caused the consumer to pull over. dealer notified. *ak before the consumer received the letter, the vehicle shut down again. *scc *jb | |||
| 07/09/2002 | |||
| Freezer plugs in engine are rusting out which resulted in engine overheating. dealer has been contacted. please provide any furhter information.*ak | |||
| 04/26/2002 | 1 | 12/29/1999 | |
| While driving 25 mph, the power steering went out, dealer determined the belt tensioner bolt had sheared off causing engine to loosen up. *jb *yd | |||
| 02/21/2001 | 0 | ||
| Crankshaft was leaking oil. seals had to be replaced due to amount of oil that was leaking. technician did not know wath caused leakage.*ak | |||
| 02/21/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Transmission oil was leaking from where the solenoid pack had to be replaced, also, engine oil gasket pan had to be replaced. *ak *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle lost power and engine caught on fire, claim 46-0158-766. *slc | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle lost power and then caught on fire in the engine compartment, claim 46-0518-766. *slc | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle lost power and engine caught on fire, claim 46-0158-766. *slc | |||
| 02/07/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2001 | |
| Speedometer erratic whilde driving freeway speeds. the speedometer will jump to 120 causing the engine to stall if the need is not released. this happen on the freeway and had to coast over to the emergancy lane imediatly . the cause was the rss speed sensor (203 c 4800879 and the outpu rss speed sensor 204 c) this is a major safty issue when it stall on the freeway with my family in the minivan. this should not have been a repair payed for by the consumer for faulty design! *ak | |||
| 10/20/2001 | 5 | 10/01/2001 | |
| Engine dies in right hand turns of 2 degrees or more with or without cruise engaged. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 03/12/2007 | 130000 | 6 | 07/18/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. while driving at various speeds through any amount of water, the serpentine belt slips off. the vehicle loses power steering and brakes. the dealer stated that they were aware of the failure, but would not provide a free remedy since there was no recall. the contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 130,000 and current mileage was 160,000. | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 132000 | 3 | 04/14/2002 |
| Serpentine belt keeps falling off whenever the vehicle goes through a puddle, rendering the power steering useless, engine overheats, alternator stops. 2000 dodge grand caravan 3.3l with ac, 132,000 mi, serpentine belt, tensioner, and water pump replaced; the belt slipped off once per week for three weeks, each time during a heavy rain 3/4/2008, 3/27/2008, 2/28/2008. *tr | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 84000 | 2 | 09/15/2000 |
| Drive belt jumping off while driving through a puddle. loss of power steering and over heating of engine. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 85000 | 8 | 08/18/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. while driving 25 mph in the rain or through a puddle, the serpentine belt detaches. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced the serpentine belt twice; however, they were unable to determine why the failure occurs only when it rains. the manufacturer advised the contact to call nhtsa. the current mileage was 90,625 and failure mileage was 85,000. updated 03/11/08. *lj | |||
| 02/27/2007 | 100000 | 7 | 09/12/2000 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. while driving approximately 25 mph, the serpentine belt detached without warning. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and the serpentine belt was replaced. months later, while driving through a small puddle of water, the serpentine belt failed again. in addition, the battery warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel and the power steering failed. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer and they repaired the motor mount for the serpentine belt and installed a disc to hold the belt in place. after the repair was made, the serpentine belt would continue to detach without warning. the failure usually occurred in rainy conditions. the manufacturer has been unable to correct the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 131,000. updated 02-19-08 *bf updated 02/19/08 *tr | |||
| 12/23/2007 | 119907 | 2 | 02/11/2000 |
| This has happened 2 times in the last year. hit a small puddle of water while making a right hand turn. water sprayed up on the serpentine belt which threw the belt off of the idler pulley and tensioner pulley. both times we were making a right hand turn... which made it very dangerous because we loss the power steering. the first time was with my wife driving...which would be very hard to control for a lady... the second time i was driving, which was better... but still very dangerous. i am planning on purchasing the goodyear replacement kit that has been mentioned on several websites and this website. daimlerchrysler should be recalling all these vans and replacing all the pulleys with these safer kits. *tr | |||
| 12/09/2007 | 95000 | 1 | 11/09/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. while driving 70 mph, the contact experienced a loss of steering and the instrument panel lights illuminated. he looked under the hood and discovered that the serpentine belt was detached. the contact re-attached the serpentine belt. the dealer was notified. the current mileage was 96,000 and failure mileage was 95,000. | |||
| 08/28/2007 | 7 | 11/15/2000 | |
| I filed a complaint on 28 aug 2007 regarding my vehicle and the serpentine belt issue. i had to have my vehicle towed and it is going to cost approx. 500.00 to repair the vehicle for the 7th time. i have found the answer to the problem that 30+ folks on this site alone are having. #1 the belt is smooth on one side and grooved on the other side so when oil, rain etc. touches the belt, it slips off. what i found it that there is a drain hose that sits on the left side of the belt when the water from rain comes through the drain from the windshield into this hose, and drips right on top of the belt causing it to be faulty. the hose has to be directed into a different place . i also found that g. auto makes a kit that comes with the belt, tensioner and all accessories to fix the problem permanantly. the difference is that the hose and the tensioner is grooved to provide no slippage. i have spoken to 2 auto dealers that have advised me that they have had numerous problems with this issue including a shop in tennessee that said that they have worked on 15 2000 dodge grand caravans in the last 2 months with an average of 4-8 belts being lost and having to be replaced for each van from 2000. there is nowhere to complain, so you would not be aware of the severity of this issue with out checking inventories. i have been told by dodge dealers that they know about the kits and the problem and i have contacted dodge corporation but as you and i know, a recall will cost them millions of dollars. what about the lives that may have or might be lost when you are driving and the steering goes out. this should be taken seriously. the issue is that folks bought these cars in good faith and they have paid hundreds and maybe thousand out of their own pockets that they should never have had to if this problem was taken care of in the beginning. the consumer provided emails corresponding with the manufacturer. updated 09/23/07 *tr | |||
| 06/25/2007 | 6 | ||
| 2000 dodge grand caravan serpentine belt keeps squealing, breaking, slipping off, and shredding. for over a year now we have problems with this belt that have baffled the mechanics. fortunately, no one has been injured, but we have been stranded twice requiring a tow, and h had the van in the shop at least 6 times over this problem which is still unresolved.*ak after a quick search, it seems to be a huge problem that many owners are experiencing. many 'fixes' are out there, but perhaps the best, most reliable is to have the mechanic install an 'after market' kit with special pulleys and belt for around $200. i will probably have this done as we can't keep rolling the dice with the family vehicle. | |||
| 03/13/2006 | 54000 | 2 | 12/20/2000 |
| 2000 dodge grand caravan sport with the 3.3l engine has lost its serpentine belt in rain. this results in immediate loss of power steering and leads to serious overheating. this is a known problem that has been experienced by many owners for many years. *jb | |||
| 02/14/2007 | 104017 | 3 | 09/06/2006 |
| I was driving down 422 away from 76. i was just about to turn off on to trooper road in norristown when i heard a clicking noise. i then turned the radio off and it was pretty loud. it got louder the more i pushed onto the gas pedal, and stopped when i took my foot off. it was slightly uphill for a few hundred feet and i knew if i just made it to the top and hoped for 2 green lights i may be safe. i started going up and made it to the second green light (thank god) but my engine just cut off and i lost power steering and breaks. i had to force my car to turn and almost didn't make the turn in time. i then had to coast 1/4 mile to get off the road to pull into a parking lot where my car sat until it was towed. this was all in the middle of a snow storm, where i was later plowed in and had to dig my way out of 3 feet of snow to get it towed. it went to the shop where i was told the timing chain broke. luckily nothing bad happened out of the whole thing, but it could have been much worse. *nm | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 81000 | 4 | 10/05/1999 |
| I have replaced the serpentine belt and pulley/tensioner assembly on my 2000 grand caravan 4 times in the last 3 years. the design is flawed and must be fixed by dodge. i have used both dodge replacement and napa replacement parts to no avail. i can not trust this vehicle for a long distance which is what i bought a van for. *nm | |||
| 01/12/2006 | 72500 | 3 | 01/05/2001 |
| Serpentine belt is thrown when van is driven in wet conditions. causes loss of power steering and cooling systems. van is very difficult to control and must be towed to repair facility. thrown 3 times in last six months with 2 occurrences being in past 3 weeks. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 8 | ||
| 2000 dodge grand caravan - serpentine belt slips off in the rain causing steering and electrical system to quit functioning. this is very very dangerous and happened last time in a van full of kids. chrysler has fixed this problem over 7 times in the last 2 years. today is the 8th time it is getting fixed yet again. brazil recalled all their vans between 1996 and 2000 for this very problem - why isn't the car being recalled in the us? *jb | |||
| 11/20/2006 | 72000 | 7 | 06/30/2000 |
| Serpentine belt slips off tensioner pulley in wet conditions. total power steering failure and vehicle is extremely difficult to control. *nm | |||
| 11/15/2006 | 4 | ||
| Serpentine belt has come off my 2000 dodge grand caravan 4 times. first time, i hit a pocket of water on a small highway in a construction area. drove vehicle to a safer location, left my wife and 3 kids on the side of the road at night while i walked a mile home in the rain to get my ford ranger to load all 5 of us in to get home safely. had it towed to a repair shop who replaced the belt tensioner and belt. second time, about a year later, my wife hit water which also knocked the belt off and stranded her and my 3 children 15 miles from home. brother in law was able to come and spent an hour of gut wrenching labor to put the belt back on. third time, a month later it came off again shredding the belt and leaving my wife stranded by herself after dropping my kids off for school. i had it towed to a reputable repair shop who said it needed another belt tensioner and assured me the napa product would perform better than the previous one. he tried to see if a kit was available for our large 6 cylinder engine but could not find one. fourth time, one month later as my wife was driving 2 of my children to school in the rain, the belt came off again but this time she didn't hit any water. had it towed back to the repair shop. they checked all componets connected to the serpentine belt and tried for 30 minutes to duplicate the problem by pouring water over the belt, etc. with no success. owner says he doesn't know what is causing this problem even though he is aware that this is a common problem for dodge vans. question: if this is such a wide spread problem as shown by all the complaints for the same problem on this website why has there not been a recall to correct whatever is causing this problem? answer: because it will cost dodge/ chrysler too much money. solution: unless you can only drive a dodge van on warm sunny days don't bother buying a dodge van. especially if you value your family's safety. *jb | |||
| 10/20/2006 | 107000 | 3 | |
| This is the third time in a year that the serpentine belt has shredded and/or fell off. i replaced the tensioner the second time. it looks as if the pulleys are not aligned with the tensioner so the belt eventually rides off the edge of the tensioner. all times it was not raining or snow like some of the other complaints i have researched on the web. dodge grand caravan with 107,000 miles. 3.8l with a/c. *nm | |||
| 10/16/2006 | 70000 | 2 | 04/08/2003 |
| I have a 2000 dodge grand caravan, 3.0 l engine. i have been experiencing the belt slipping off the tensioner during wet weather. the first time we hit a small (1 - 2 deep) puddle of water when turning a corner. we immediately lost power steering. i contacted my local, independent mechanic, who told me this is an on-going problem with 1996 - 2000 caravans. he even went so far as to print out a service bulletin detailing the problem. the second time it happened was less than two weeks later, hit a small puddle of water on a rainy day, lost power steering again. luckily, i was going slowly both times, but worry about a serious situation of going at highway speeds. i have contacted the dealership, who acknowledge that they have heard of such a problem, but there is no service announcement from dodge/chrysler, and no fix - only to replace belts and tensioners. i then researched through internet, found situation as stated by first (independent) mechanic listed on multiple websites by many owners. chrysler is avoiding acknowledging the problem, yet 2 aftermarket parts companies have developed parts to fix this issue. both gates and goodyear acknowledge a safety issue, so i believe chrysler/dodge should have to ensure the safety of their vehicles. these are mini-vans. sold primarily to families. so, the typical scenario is a mother with kids stranded in the rain. i now fear driving my van in the rain, and am petrified of driving highway speeds in the rain. *nm | |||
| 07/13/2006 | 120000 | 2 | 12/28/2005 |
| Serpentine belt has come off during highway speeds twice on this vehicle. appears the tensioner pulley design is not robust. second time the engine overheated destroying 2 cylinders and the head stranding my wife and 5 boys on the interstate. the resulting failure modes could have very serious consequences - recommend improvement to the design by recall. *jb | |||
| 11/14/2005 | 93187 | 1 | 05/15/2003 |
| I have been informed that the serpentine belt on dodge caravans have a tendency to come off in heavy rain and/or snow. it happened on our vehicle the other day when my wife was driving. she lost the ability to steer the vehicle and narrowly missed getting into an accident. dodge is aware of this problem since they have issued a tech bulletin about it and have a kit that they feel will remedy the problem. however no re-call has been issued. i do not feel that i should be required to pay $150 to $200 to remedy this potentially dangerous defect. *jb | |||
| 12/15/1999 | 5 | 2 | 12/06/1999 |
| Dt: the contact stated there have been numerous electrical problems which resulted in the dashboard panel lights flashing on and off while driving. she took the vehicle to a dealer for multiple attempts to correct this problem. also, there was a leak within the roof, resulting in damage to the carpeting. there is a slashing sound within the roof compartment after a heavy rain. the carpet has been replaced five times, and the television was replaced once as a result of the leak. *ak. updated 11/30/2005 - glazed serpentine belt caused grinding noise when turning. the left middle seat head rest came loose from the guide rod. the door sticks and the siding door makes noise when opening. the rear window rattles when opened. the fog lihjt are ionpertive. the horn spunded weak because the keyless entry remote needed to be reprogrammed. the tail light had moisture in it. the locking gas cap was hard to open. the rear tire had a slow leak. *nm | |||
| 12/31/2004 | 2 | ||
| Upon going through puddles of water the accessory belt, which drives the power steering pump, disengaged. this happened twice, causing the vehicle to lose power steering. consumer contacted the dealer, who stated that this was a common problem. *ak | |||
| 05/12/2003 | 55000 | 5 | |
| Serpentine belt came off every time consumer hit a puddle. the belt came off four times, and was being serviced again.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2004 | 68500 | 1 | |
| While driving on the interstate in rainy weather serpentine belt got wet and came off. when this occurred there was no control of the vehicle, which included steering and brakes. consumer contacted the manufacturer, who suggested that consumer contact nhtsa and complain. they did not provide any assistance for this defect. *ak | |||
| 07/28/2004 | 4 | 11/14/2000 | |
| Tensioner assembly replaced 4 times within 12 month period. 3 of within 60 days. as a result the shaft and pulley on the power steering was bent requiring replacement. dodge is aware of the issue and provided a part to hold the belt onto the tensioner. it did not work. the belt has been replaced 6 times under 70k miles. mopar part warranties have been used, however, $100 deductibles for an extended warranty has been collected 3 separate times. fortuneatly, to date, no injuries have occurred. | |||
| 10/14/2003 | 22138 | 1 | 03/07/2003 |
| While driving at 45 mph serpentine broke. this is the fourth time such an occurance has happened with components related to this system. each repair averages 250-300 dollars. this poses a risk to us as as a family as the vehicle fails without warning, in a highway this could prove disastrous. *ak | |||
| 12/27/2003 | 57000 | 5 | 12/01/2002 |
| Serpentine belt keeps slipping off the main drive.. have had into the shop 4times for same problem. dealer said it is a moisture/snow hitting the belt off.*ak | |||
| 10/12/2003 | 47300 | 1 | |
| While driving 35 mph in the rain consumer noticed that check engine light came on. a few seconds later vehicle lost control, and consumer nearly had an accident. vehicle was towed to a dealer, who found that the serpentine belt had slipped out of the pulleys. *ak | |||
| 09/14/2003 | 60456 | 0 | 02/25/2000 |
| Serpintine belt tensioner broke on 2000 dodge grand caravan requiring vehicle to be towed to dealer for repairs. | |||
| 07/25/2003 | |||
| I just found this web site. and never realized how many people have had the same problems. my first problem was when my 3 year old daughter drove my car on the neighbors lawn because you do not need to step on the brake to pull it out of gear. i then looked in the owner manual which stated it was equipped with that feature. i have contacted everyone i could and no one is willing to help or solve this problem. my next incident was when my serpentine belt broke which caused my power steering pump and pulley to break and had parts dangling. thank goodness i was in my driveway. i have had my brakes done 3 times, and my latest problem was my heater core and there was water leaking inside my car. i wish someone could help i paid a lot of money for this car! *nlm | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 34000 | 2 | 02/21/2000 |
| Serpentine belt slipped off of idler pulley. belt wrapped around crankshaft pulley, which made the timing belt slip. power steering failed, causing my 18 year old son to find a place to pull over. engine failed due to timing out of sequence.*ak cost to repair: $460 for timing belt replacement. belt failed a second time. idler pulley was replaced for $260. | |||
| 06/04/2000 | 47500 | 1 | 01/30/2000 |
| Year 2000 dodge grand caravan - serpentine belt tensioner failed resulting in shredded belt and towing. van had only approximately 47,500 miles. repaired at goodyear for approx. $200 (including new belt) who indicated this is a common problem such that the dodge dealer had more than 15 in stock. fortunately this occurred near a police station where my wife got assistance (since steering, etc. had no power and not on the highway or rush hour traffic which would have been hazardous. i have also read other complaints from owners with this same issue. *ak | |||
| Serpentine belt had broken while driving. dealer repaired vehicle. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 12/08/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that the serpentine belt have broken and replace for the third time while driving, the problem is reoccurring for the fourth time. dealer notified. nlm | |||
| 09/06/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| The 3/8 inch fastener that connects the serpentine belt tensioner failed. it appears to be a clean shear near the base of the bolt. this happened as the vehicle was being backed into a garage and nearly stopped. as a result of this failure, the power steering was rendered non-functional. it is my firm belief that if this failure had occured while moving, a serious accident would have resulted. the failed component has been replaced ans saved for any future evaluation of the failure mechanism. when this problem was reported to the dealer, indications were that this has happened several times in the recent past.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 06/26/2000 | 48500 | 1 | 01/30/2000 |
| Year 2000 dodge grand caravan rejected in emissions testing with on-board computer. van computer cannot communicate with emissions testing computer. emissions center noted chrysler service bulletin 18-10-00 and suggested dealer service for re-flashing at owner expense. i had attempted to be proactive before testing upon hearing of other complaints on same issue by contacting chrysler and alexander dodge (dealer). chrysler initially denied knowledge of any emissions problems. after the dealer confirmed a problem and stated there is only a 50/50 chance the van will pass emissions and after i obtained the service bulletin #, only then did chrysler say there was an issue but they refused to tell me about it unless i provided them with a visa or mastercard number. i am amazed that chrysler is not standing by their product or customers. they want me to pay them so they can tell me about their problem with their vehicle and then they want me to pay them to fix their problem. if chrysler knows there is a problem, the dealer knows there is a problem, and customers cannot get emissions testing or renew vehicle tags, then what can be done about chrysler not assisting the consumer?*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 10/15/2004 | 73319 | 1 | 03/08/2000 |
| The crossover pipe has holes in it and needs replacing. i was told by my mechanic that fumes can get into the car and also that if it fails much more, the wires under the hood can be burned. all the dealer was willing to do was replace the pipe. the problem with that is since september 2004, the pipe is back ordered. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 103255 | 2 | |
| The cross over pipe/exhaust manifold failed upon turning the heat on. some very heavy exhaust fumes filled the vehicle when driving. consumer contacted the dealer, but problem recurred. *ak exhaust fills the vehicle when the heat or air is turned on usually when vehicle is at a stand still. *tc | |||