2000 Dodge Caravan

EVERY TIME I TURN ON MY HEATER AND DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD A ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. IF I LEAVE THE HEATER OFF FOR A FEW DAYS IT EVENTUALLY GOES OFF. MY DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WILL ACT UP AS THE DOOR LOCK WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE GASKETS UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE LEAKS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I KNOW THAT IT DOES HAVE MILES, BUT IT'S A WELL TAKEN CARE CAR AND I THINK YOU SHOULD FEEL SAFE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I HAVE LOOKED UP THESE PROBLEMS AND THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I WOULD NEVER BUY A DODGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION HEARD FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AS THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE CONTACT'S MECHANIC WHO LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE ENGINE BELT TENSIONER BOLT. THE TENSIONER BOLT FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

ON AUG. 19 MY HUSBAND HEARD A VERY FAINT "PING" ABOUT A 2 MILES FROM HOME. NOTHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG AND HE FELT IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING MOVING AROUND IN THE CAR. ON AUG. 20, AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL MILES, I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD SELF-DESTRUCTING, THE ODOMETER AND RPM GAUGE WENT WACKY, AND I HAD NO POWER. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE PERHAPS 50 YARDS FROM AN AUTO SERVICE CENTER AND COASTED INTO THE DRIVEWAY LEAKING FLUID AND FLINGING PARTS. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BLOWN APART. HAD I BEEN ON A FREEWAY I WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE. FROM TALKING TO MECHANICS IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DEFECT AND DODGE MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS WERE NOT MODIFIED, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. WE WERE TOLD THAT AFTER MARKET PARTS FROM ANOTHER COMPANY HAD THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED. (WHAT RECOURSE DO WE HAVE. CAN WE EVER EXPECT DODGE TO PAY FOR A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION?) NOTE: THE MILEAGE AND SPEED ARE APPROXIMATE. *TR

THE FOLLOWING REQUEST WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NTSB WEB SITE: MESSAGE: VAN ACCIDENT INCIDENT - 2000 DODGE VAN 2500 ON TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 AROUND 4PM, I WAS ON MY WAY TO MARYVILLE TO PICK UP A TV. TRAVELING SOUTH ON EBENEZER ROAD, I ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL SETTING IT AT 45 MPH. APPROACHING NORTH SHORE IN THE RIGHT LANE, I SAW 4-6 CARS WAITING AT THE LIGHT. I TAP THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL AND IMMEDIATELY FELT THE VAN ACCELERATION. I TURNED INTO THE LEFT LANE TO MISS THE CARS IN THE RIGHT LANE. I REPOSITION MY FOOT BY LIFTING IT UP THINKING THAT I HAD PRESS BOTH THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE, AND PRESS IT BACK ON THE BRAKE. THE VAN WAS STILL ACCELERATING AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF WHY WAS IT STILL ACCELERATING? BY THAT TIME, I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION AND HAD NO CONTROL. I HIT A POLE AND GUARD RAIL ON THE FAR SIDE OF NORTH SHORE. I DID NOT HIT ANY OTHER VEHICLE. ALL OF THIS TOOK AROUND 10 SECONDS. THE VAN WAS TOTALED! ARE THERE OTHERS REPORTED WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR WAS LOOSE AND HUNG OVER THE STEERING WHEEL, BLOCKING THE CONTACT'S VISION OF THE ROADWAY AND CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN STEERING ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CURVE BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED AND DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON A RAINING DAY, SHE NOTICED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

I WAS IN MY DRIVE WAY BACKING OUT TO GET ON THE THE ROAD. WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND I SAW A TRAIL OF FLUID ON THE DRIVEWAY. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND PARK THE CAR. WHEN I TOOK A LOOK UNDER THE CAR I SAW A POOL OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE BREAK FLUID AND FLUID LEAKING FROM THE JUCTION TYPE BOX UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE JUST BEHIND THE FRONT TIRE. UPON FURTHER INVETIGATION VIA THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL. LUCKY FOR ME IT HAPPENED BEFORE I LEFT THE DRIVEWAY OTHERWISE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE COSTLY OR EVEN FATAL. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR WEATHER HANDLER LS TIRES, SIZE: 205/75R14. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER DRIVER INFORMED HIM THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WAS FLAT. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE TIRE AND NOTICED THAT THE INNER SIDEWALL WAS PUNCTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND NEW TIRES WERE ORDERED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,813. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,473. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.