1997 Dodge Caravan complaints

BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE, AND ROTORS/PADS HAVE FAILED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. ALSO CAUSING BRAKES TO GRIND. DEALERS CANNOT CORRECT CAUSE. *AK

FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT IN LOW OR HIGH BEAM OPERATION. DEALERS HAVE REALIGNED HEADLIGHTS WHICH DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH STANDING WATER AT RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, WATER SPASHES ONTO POWER STEERING BELT, RESULTING IN TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER ASSIST STEERING. TSB SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 19-01-97.

WHILE BACKING UP AND TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT STEERING MAKES NOISE, SOUNDS LIKE A HORN. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 5 TIMES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED DURING A TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC, DRIVER COULD NOT STRAIGHTEN THE VEHICLE AND ENDED UP IN THE GRASS. DRIVER BELIEVES SOMETHING BROKE IN THE STEERING COLUMN.

SLIDING DOOR FAILED, DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE. OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE DIED OUT OR STALLED FOR NO REASON, NO WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & LEFT IT FOR MECHANIC. PICKED VEHICLE UP A WEEK LATER & HAD TO TAKE IT BACK. HAPPENED ONCE MORE. MECHANIC SAID MANUFACTURER CLAIMED IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM & THERE IS NO CORRECTIVE FIX FOR IT. *AK

TRANSMISSION GEARS FRACTURED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE.

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, OIL BEGAN TO COME FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN OWNER BROUGHT VAN TO DEALERSHIP, DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. THE HEAD GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE'S PRNDL INDICATOR GOES BLANK AND THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE ALL DRIVE WHILE TRAVELING, RESET CAN ONLY BE DONE BY STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE.

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY HARD TO STOP, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE/BRAKE FADE AWAY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. *AK

THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS WHEN VAN WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END CRASH, GOING ABOUT 25-30 MPH. EVERYTHING FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK FORWARD WAS CRUSHED, INCLUDING THE DIP STICK. THE VAN HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

VEHICLE NOT DESIGNED WITH INTERLOCK SYSTEM, ALLOWING CHILD TO ENGAGE GEARS.

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE STILL ENGAGED, WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE DUE TO POOR LOCATION OF BRAKE WARNING LIGHT. ALSO, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE ENGAGED. *AK

WAS COMING OFF HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN TRANSMISSION EXPLODED, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHOUT ANY WARNING, DEALER CLAIMS THAT A PIN WITHIN TRANSMISSION BROKE OFF, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO EXPLODE. *AK

DURING COLLISION SEAT COLLAPSED CAUSING INJURIES.

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE RECALL REPAIR DONE, AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE TIRES, AND THEY WOULD CALL THE OWNER'S ONCE THEY GET THE TIRES. (97V-200). *AK

VEHICLE STALLING CONTINUALLY.

VEHICLE WENT THROUGH WATER, CAUSING ENGINE TO LOCK UP.

CAR ONLY GETS 12 MILES PER GALLON--ADVERTISES 20 TO 25 MPG.

TRANSMISSION JUMPED INTO REVERSE, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. *AK

DRIVER PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, TURN THE KEY AND VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE AT FULL THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SHIFTED OUT OF PARK.

DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ENGINE WILL DIE OUT SUDDENLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL RESTART. DEALER HAS REPLACED POWER AND RELAY MODULES. THIS IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL LETTER CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER DOES NOT HAVE REPLACMENT TIRES TO REMEDY RECALL PROBELM. RECALL 97V200000. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER DESIGN PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES ACTIVATED BY THEMSELVES.

DRIVING ON AN ICY HILL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TRUCK SLID INTO A CURVE. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT; BROKE WHEEL IN THREE PARTS UNDERNEATH STEERING ARM. TRUCK HAS BEEN WITH DEALER FOR 5 1/2 WEEKS, AND THE DEALER SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS FIXED. WELL DRIVER WENT DOWN SAME HILL AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING OVER WATER PUDDLES OR IF WATER ACCUMULATES UNDERNEATH OF THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING BECOMES INOPERATIVE WHICH MAY RESULT AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID THAT'S THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS MADE AND SUPPOSED TO DO.

RECALL 97V200000; THE BRUNNER DODGE DEALERSHIP DID NOT REPLACE THE TIRES AS INSTRUCTED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY WERE ONLY TO INSPECT AND ROTATE THE TIRES. *AK

VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION WHEN IT IS COLD. THE VEHICLE IS SLUGGISH UNTIL WARMED UP. DEALER STATES THAT IS THE WAY ALL CARAVANS ARE. THE PROBLEM CORRECTS ITSELF AFTER FIVE TO TEN MINUTES. *AK

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LOCKS FAILED ON SLIDING DOORS.

INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT LOCKED UP AND GOT TIGHTER.

VEHICLE LEAKS FUEL WHILE DRIVING. OWNER NOTES PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED 4 DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RETURNS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT PROBLEM BEGAN AT 55 MILES WHEN THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER STATED VEHICLE WAS FIXED, HOWEVER ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED 30 MILES LATER, DEALER REPLACE THE FUEL TANK, PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND DEALER REPLACED THE O-RING AND HOLDING NUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. LEFT SIDE DOOR GLASS WAS BOWED. UNUSUAL NOISE OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE SHIFTS FROM PARK TO REVERSE, NEUTRAL TO REVERSE, AND NEUTRAL TO DRIVE, DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL. OIL PAN BENT, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC

WATER LEAKED INTO AIR BREATHER INTAKE WHEN CONSUMER DROVE THROUGH WATER, WATER WENT INTO THE ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE TO SEIZE/FAIL.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES AND THE TRUCK WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND WILL ONLY BE GOING 50-55MPH. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THE DEALER SAID THAT IS OKAY, AND THEY CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE ENGINECHECK L IGHT STOPPED AGAIN, A DAY LATER AFTER THE OWNER HAD 339.00 OF SERVICE DONE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION INDICATOR GIVES FALSE READINGS.TRANSMISSION ALSO SLIPS OUT OF GEAR IN REVERSE.DEALERS STATED WIRES WERE FAULTY. *AK

VEHICLE MUST BE LIFT BY A STRAIGHT FLAT BED OR THE WINDOWS WOULD BREAK OUT AND THE GAS TANK COULD BLOW OUT.

FUEL LEAK FROM THE GASOLINE TANK, REPLACE FUEL PUMP LEVEL UNIT, GASKET, O RING.

STEERING RACK PINION.

MOANING SOUND DEVELOPED UPON BRAKING. INHERENT DEFECT: WARPED ROTORS. COULD RESULT IN TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK

THE RETRACTING SEAT BELTS IN THE INTERGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEATS ARE CATCHING THE CHILD'S HAIR. DEALER HAS NO SOLUTION. *AK

NOISE CAUSED BY FLUID MOTION IN THE FUEL TANK , THUD/THUMP SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND/OR WHEN STOPPING.

GAS MOVES VIOLENTLY IN THE GAS TANK UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION. *AK

THE STRAPS ON THE INTERGRATED CHILD SEAT WERE RETRACTING INTO THE SEAT WHILE THE CHILD WAS IN THE SEAT. OWNER PUSHED THE RELEASE BUTTON ON THE SEAT, THE SEAT DID NOT RELEASE. OWNER HAD TO CUT THE STRAPS IN ORDER TO FREE CHILD FROM PRESSURE ON CHOKING. CHILD WAS NOT INJURED. THE DEALER HAS ORDERED THE REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE SEAT. *AK

GROMMETT SPLIT DURING VAN CONVERSION, CAUSING FUEL LEAK.

ACCIDENT. VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT, STEERING WHEEL OFF CENTER. TIRES LEAKING AIR. BENT OIL PAN.

HEADREST ON THE SECOND AND THIRD ROW SEATS ARE NOT SOLD AS A STANDARD FEATURES ON THIS MODEL, THE OWNER FEELS THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD THAT CAN RESULT IN NECK INJURY IF IN A COLLISION.

ABS FAILURE, RESULTING IN EXTEND STOPPING DISTANCE/BRAKES FADING. *AK

THE ENGINE BLEW UP WHEN THE DRIVER ACCIDENTLY RAN INTO A PUDDLE OF WATER. CHRYSLER SAID IT WAS THE DRIVER'S FAULT. *AK

FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS WHEN DRIVING OVER POT HOLE CAUSED FACIAL INJURIES.