2004 Dodge Grand Caravan Complaint Log

VAN FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN OR IF IDLING. ALSO BATTERY DIED TWICE WITHIN FIRST YEAR. HIGH PITCHED SQUEALING DEVELOPED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. THE VAN VIBRATES, ESPECIALLY STEERING WHEEL ONCE SPEED EXCEEDS 50 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BATTERY AND ALSO THE ALTERNATER DUE TO A DEFECTIVE MECHANISM. THE SQUEALING HAS STOPPED. ADJUSTMENTS WERE ALSO MADE TO REDUCE THE ROUGH RIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VIBRATING STILL OCCURS AND IT IS NOT SMOOTH WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY GOING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. *AK

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN THAT HAS 11,500 MILES HAS STALLED. THE FIRST TIME THE VAN STALLED WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC. THE VAN WAS STUCK IN THE ROAD WITH CARS COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS, AND LUCKILY WAS NOT HIT. THE SECOND TIME THE VAN DID NOT REALLY STALL, IT JUST DIED BACK ON DEC 31ST 2004 WHILE GOING 50MPH HOUR ON A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY. THE VAN JUST DIED IN THE MIDDLE LANE, NEARLY, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE VAN DID NOTHING WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED, AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OFF THE ROAD, PUT THE VAN IN PARK, AND BACK TO DRIVE, AND EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. THE THIRD TIME BACK ON JANUARY 9, 2005 THE VAN DIED AGAIN WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION. THIS TIME THE CAR STALLED, AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT. THIS CAUSED US TO LOSS CONTROL OF THE VAN, CROSSING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH NO SHOULDER, NEARLY HITTING SOMEONE HEAD ON.*AK I HAD THE VAN IN THE DEALER?S SHOP ON JANUARY 11, 2005 AND WAS TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VAN. HOW CAN A BRAND NEW VAN STALL 3 TIMES FOR NO REASON? THE NEXT TIME THE VAN DIES I MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY, AND PEOPLE MAY BE INJURED.

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND MIRROR ADJUSTMENT SWITCH ON OUR 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS PROVISIONS FOR LIGHTING - BUT THEY DO NOT LIGHT UP WHEN YOU SWITCH ON THE LIGHTS. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE - IF YOU NEED TO ADJUST THE MIRRORS AT NIGHT YOU HAVE TO FUMBLE FOR THE SWITCH. SAME ISSUE WITH THE LIGHTING SWITCH. EARLIER MODELS HAD LIGHTING AVAILABLE FOR THESE TWO SWITCHES. I THINK DODGE (DAIMLER-CHRYSLER) HAS A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. WHEN I E-MAILED THE DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE I WAS TOLD THERE ARE PROPRIETARY REASONS FOR THE LACK OF LIGHTING. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE - ANYTHING YOU CAN DO? *JB

THE SLIDING DOOR OPENED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING . THE CONSUMER HAD TO MANUALLY CLOSE THE DOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE THE RIGHT SLIDING DOOR HAS OPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND TRIED TO CLOSE ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING AS WELL AS STANDING STILL. THE MOTOR AND THE LATCH HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. AFTER THE REPAIR THE DOOR NO LONGER CLOSES ELECTRONCALLY WHEN ACTIVATED BY BUTTON. *TC

THE SLIDING RT SIDE DOOR HAS OPENED ELECTRONICALLY NUMEROUS TIMES AS THE VEHICLE IS MOVING DOWN THE ROAD. MOTOR WAS REPLACED, STILL CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION. LATCH WAS REPLACED, AFTER THE LATCH WAS REPLACED, THE DOOR WILL NOW NOT CLOSE ELECTRONICALLY AND STILL OPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. *AK

DURING INSPECTION DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT FRONT BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY. THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AS TO WHY CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. VEHICLE WAS VALID AS BEING A PART OF THE RECALL. MANUFACTURER HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT REGISTERED WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE CURRENT RECALL. *AK

AFTER APPROX. 15,000 MILES THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING FELT VERY LOOSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE FRONT RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM WAS "WORN OUT" IT WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT CHRYSLER HAD PURCHASED THESE PARTS FROM 2 SOURCES AND ONE OF THE SUPPLIERS PARTS WERE WEARING OUT RAPIDLY. THE STEERING SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. AFTER 3 MONTHS AND 6,000 MILES LATER THE STEERING SYSTEM WAS AGAIN WORN OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THIS IS RIDICULOUS FOR A VEHICLE THAT COST OVER $30,000. *AK

AFTER HURRICANE FRANCES, I NOTICED THAT WHEN I GOT INTO MY CAR,( THAT HAD SAT IN THE STORM OUTSIDE MY HOME,) TO DRIVE TWO DAYS AFTER THE STORM , MY BRAKES DID NOT WORK PROPERLY . IT WAS AS IF THE ABS WAS INGAGED AND SUDDENLY GRABBED.MY HUSBANDS CAR DID THE SAME THING. SO I THINK IT IS A DAIMLERCHRYSLER ISSUE. THE SAME DAY AS THIS OCCURED, AFTER ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MILES IT GOT BETTER AND I HAVE HAD NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT FRONT HEAD RESTS ARE IN THE WAY WHEN VIEWING THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT: CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING NEAR HOME AND LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY STANDING ON THE BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED AND THEY PICK UP THE VEHICLE. THEY REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT AND PULLEY. A YEAR LATER WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. THE DEALER WAS CALLED AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT AND PULLEY HAD BROKEN AGAIN. IT WAS REPAIRED. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. NO MORE PROBLEMS AS OF YET. *AK *NM

THE DAY AFTER I BOUGHT MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN/SE IT STARTED MAKING FUNNY NOISES AND THE STEERING FELT FUNNY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM. SINCE THEN THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING FAST. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY DID A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. IT IS STILL PULLING AND I TOOK IT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEY CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND SAID IT WAS OFF. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT AND THEY DID NOTHING. MEANWHILE MY FRONT TIRES CONTINUE TO WEAR FAST. I HAVE A WARRANTY ON THE TIRES BUT GOODYEAR SAYS IT IS A FACTORY/DEALER PROBLEM CAUSING IT. (IGNORE EQUIPMENT SECTION ON THIS COMPLAINT, IT WAS DONE IN ERROR AND I CAN'T GET RID OF IT). *AK

THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN SQEAKING AND WHEN I LET OFF OF THEM THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE GRABBING. THERE IS ALSO LOTS OF BRAKES DUST ON MY FRONT RIMS. THIS HAS BEEN SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR 3/15/04. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERS SAID THE BRAKE NOISE IS NORMAL. THEY CHECKED THE BRAKES ON 3/17 AND SAID THEY WERE FINE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK 8/17 BECAUSE OF THE FRONT END PULLING AND ASKED THAT THEY CHECK MY BRAKES AGAIN. THE ROTORS WERE WARPED SO THEY "TURNED THE FRONT ROTORS". I ASKED WHAT COULD CAUSE THIS AND THEY SAID DRIVING WITH 2 FEET OR IT COULD ALSO HAPPEN IF THE ROTORS ARE HOT AND IT STARTS TO RAIN AND COLD WATER HITS THEM. THEY BLAME THE DRIVER. IT ONLY HAD 7539 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT BACK 8/23 BECAUSE I DO NOT HEAR OR FEEL A CHANGE IN THE BRAKES. THEYTEST DROVE IT AND SAID IT WAS NORMAL NOISES THAT I WAS HEARING AND NOTHING IS WRONG.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT HE PURCHASED A 2004 GRAND DODGE CARAVAN AND IT VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING. HE STATED IT VIBRATED AS IF THE TIRES WERE UNBALANCED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER HAD REMOVED ALL THE TIRES AND HAD REBALANCED THEM, BUT IT DID NOT HELP. HE ALSO STATED THAT A CHRYSLER ENGINEER WAS CALLED IN AND HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED HE CALLED THE CHRYSLER MANUFACTURER AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A PROBLEM, BECAUSE NO VEHICLE SHOULD VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING. *JB

EXPOSED, UNPROTECTED WIRING IN CARGO AREA.*AK

WHEN IN DRIVE AND SITTING AT STOP LIGHT OR STILL THE MOTOR RUNS ROUGH. IT FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF.*AK