2001 Dodge Grand Caravan Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM PIVOT BOLT WAS FRACTURED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V152000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM) AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 171,000.

FRONT END WAS MAKING CLUNKING NOISES SINCE ABOUT 24,000 MILES,EACH TIME I WENT TO THE DEALER SINCE THEN IT WAS BROUGHT UP, BUT NOTHING FOUND BY THEM. FINALLY AT 44,070 THEY LOOKED ONCE AGAIN AND (NOW THAT MY WARRANTY WAS OVER) THEY FOUND THAT MY FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS AND BUSHINGS WERE BAD AND REPLACED. CHRYSLER DID GOODWILL THE REPAIR UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT I STILL HAD TO PAY $100 FOR THE DEDUCTIBLE (WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER MY PREVIOUS WARRANTY WORK WHEN I PAID THE $100 AND THEY DIDN'T DO THE WORK UNTIL I CALLED CHRYSLER AFTER I ALREADY LEFT AND HAD TO GO BACK). I DO THINK IT WAS WAY TOO SOON TO HAVE FRONT END SWAY BAR PROBLEMS. *NM

WENT TO DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKES FIXED AND MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LOWER CONTROL ARM PIVOT BOLT, AND IF I DIDN'T HAVE IT FIXED I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE SAID IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THIS AFFECTED THE ENTIRE ENGINE CRADLE. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ON THE 2001 MODEL. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. AFTER CONTACTING DAIMER CHRYSLER TOLD ME THE SAME THING ,AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO ABOUT IT AND SUGGESTED I SHOULD HOLD ON TO MY RECEIPT BECAUSE ONE NEVER KNOWS WHEN THERE MAY BE A RECALL IN THE FUTURE? THEY REFERRED ME TO JONATHAN SANDERS, SENIOR STAFF OF GLOBAL RELATIONS AND HE SAID THERE IS NOTHING DAIMER CHRYSLER WOULD DO BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WASN'T IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH MY VEHICLE IS A 2001 AND IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE RECALLED. I OF COURSE AM HAVING THE MECHANIC FIX THE VEHICLE FOR OBVIOUS SAFETY REASONS.*AK

I PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IN AUGUST OF 2005 WITH 73K MILES. VEHICLE SMELLED MUSTY (STAGNANT WATER). THREE TRIPS TO SHOP TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX SWAY BAR LINK, BUSHING, STRUT AND STRUT MOUNT PROBLEM TO CURE A CLUNKING SOUND ON FRONT END. TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR TO NEUTRAL AT WHIM. ALSO, SHIFTS THROUGH FIRST 3 GEARS (AUTOMATIC) AT WHIM CAUSING VEHICLE TO LURCH. HOWEVER, SHOP CANNOT DUPLICATE THESE PROBLEMS OR THE PROBLEM WITH MY NON WORKING CRUISE CONTROL. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY FOR NON-DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGES EVERYTIME FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY IT IS FINE. I TELL THEM THAT IT IS NOT FINE THAT THEY JUST CAN'T FIND IT. I AM DISTURBED BY THE NUMBER OF POSTS RE: TO SWAY BAR PROBLEMS AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND THE FACT THAT NO ONE IS HOLDING CHRYSLER/DODGE ACCOUNTABLE. WILL IT TAKE A NUMBER OF DEATHS TO DETERMINE THAT THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE? I IMPLORE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS ALONG WITH THE WATER ISSUE. SO FAR IT CAUSED MY BLOWER RESISTOR TO SHORT OUT AND NEED REPLACING. I HAD NO HEAT IN BELOW ZERO WEATHER. *JB

2001 CHRYSLER GRAND CARAVAN SPORT BALL JOINTS WENT BAD.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR *JB

BUSHINGS ON RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILED. PROBLEM WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY PRICE DODGE IN NEW CASTLE, DE, IN NOV '03, NECESSITATING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION IN FEB '04.

DRIVING AROUND A CURVE AT 35 MPH THE CAR WOULD NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT AND INSTEAD BEGAN FISHTAILING AND SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL. CAR RAN OFF THE ROAD UP AN INCLINE WHERE IT CAME TO REST. RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS PERPENDICULAR TO CAR WITH TIRE HANGING OFF OF RIM. WE LATER LEARNED THAT THE RIGHT CONTROL ARM HAD SNAPPED. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS I MUST HAVE HIT A VERY DEEP POTHOLE, BUT WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY SUCH OCCURRENCE. NO DEEP POTHOLES EXISTED ON AREA OF ROAD WHERE CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL. ALSO, THE TIRE RIM WAS NOT DAMAGED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE SWAY BAR LINKS BROKE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED TWICE.*AK THE SWAY BAR LINK, BUSHINGS AND NUTS WERE ALL REPLACED. *NM

SWAY BAR LINKS WORN OUT AT 40K MILES. WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THIS PART BECAUSE THEY CLAIM IT IS NORMAL WEAR. DEALER STATED THAT HE HAS 15 PAIRS A WEEK IN HIS FACILITY BEING REPLACED AT A COST OF $289.00 PER CAR. *TT

I ONLY HAVE 25,000 MILES ON MY 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. (1) THE SWAY BAR LINKS WERE REPAIRED TWICE, AND PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR A THIRD REPAIR. (2) I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES AFTER ONLY 14,000 MILES, AND THEY ARE HALF GONE ALREADY AT 25,000 MILES, PLUS THE REAR BRAKES HAVE TO BE REPLACED. (3) THE ENGINE HAS A FLAT SPOT DURING ACCELERATION, AND I GET ABOUT 11 MILES PER GALLON IN THE CITY, AND ABOUT 15-16 MILES PER GALLON ON THE HIGHWAY. IT STATED IT GOT 18 MILES PER GALLON IN THE CITY, AND 24 MILES PER GALLON ON THE HIGHWAY. (4) THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A MOANING SOUND; THE POWER STEERING WAS LEAKING FLUID, (5) I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY THE FIRST SUMMER I HAD IT, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES WENT OUT EARLY THIS SUMMER (6) THE DRIVER?S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP WHEN WE WERE AT BEAR COUNTRY USA SURROUNDED BY BEARS (7) THE SHIFT GEAR LEVER SOMETIMES SLIPS FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL, AND I HAVE HAD THAT LOOKED AT TWICE (8) THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT LAST SUMMER

STEERING WHEEL GRINDS AND SHAKES WHEN MAKING TURNS.CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, AND THEY CAN'T DUPLICATED PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE REAR AXLE WARPED. *NLM WHEN THE REAR TIRE VIBRATED AND MADE AN ERRATIC SOUND, THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THE ONE REAR TIRE HAD WORN TO THE CORD. (THE SECOND TIRE SHOWED SEVERE WEAR) *SCC *JB

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 45 MPH WHEN TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON. *AK DEALER STATED THAT SEALS AND PISTON FAILED, CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A BANGING NOISE WHEN DOWNSHIFTING, DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION. WHILE DRIVING, STEERING WOULD SHAKE, DEALER STATED WHEELS WERE OUT OF BALANCE. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A RATTLE IN THE DASH. CONSUMER STATED PASSENGER FRONT WEATHERSTRIP WAS NOT TIGHT ENOUGH AND HAD A SMALL WATER LEAK, SIDE MOULDING AROUND DOOR IS MISHAPEN, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC

THE VEHICLE WILL PULL TO THE RIGHT AT ANY SPEED. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE ON 5 OCCASIONS BUT IS UNABLE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. NLM