1997 Dodge Grand Caravan

CAR HAS FAULTY GAS GAUGE AND DESPITE HOW MUCH GAS I PUT IN, WILL TOGGLE BETWEEN HAVING GAS TO EMPTY AND SITS ON EMPTY, HAS RUN OUT OF GAS AS A RESULT, HARD TO START AND NOW WILL NOT START. ALSO HAS MANY ELECTRICAL QUIRKS, TURN HEADLIGHTS ON INBOARD DASH LIGHT GOES OFF AND VICE VERSA. HAD SOMEONE FIX FAN TO GO ON WHEN PLUGGED INTO BATTERY SINCE CANNOT GET INTO COMPUTER DASHBOARD AND INTERNAL HEAT FAN STOPPED WORKING, ALSO INDICATORS WORK SPORADICALLY (SO EVIDENTLY AN ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE). I'VE READ THAT THIS YEAR HAS HAD RECALLS DUE TO FAULTY FUEL HOSES/LINES AND WHEN USING AFTER MARKET FUEL FILTERS EVEN FROM NAPA WHICH WILL CAUSE FUEL LINES TO BECOME FAULTY. MY VAN FALLS WITHIN THIS YEAR, BUT I WAS TOLD MY SPECIFIC VIN # DIDN'T APPLY. VAN IS 3.3 LITER ENGINE, V6. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A FUEL SMELL. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND AFTER INSPECTING IT, HE NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V268000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) AND WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000. UPDATED 7/11/12 *CN UPDATED 07/17/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED A FUEL LEAKAGE COMING FROM THE FUEL RAIL ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON THE FUEL RAIL. THERE WAS A PRIOR RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AGO UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V268000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THE REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR PART WAS DEFECTIVE. ALSO, THE HIGH FUEL PRESSURE LINE SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE DUE TO MASSIVE CORROSION AND THE FUEL PUMP LINE EXHIBITED A CRACK. THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WITH REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL PUMP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000. UPDATED 10/21/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPLACEMENT FUEL SENDING UNIT THAT WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL IN 2004 CRACKED. UPDATD 10/25/10

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS FUEL LEAKING FROM THE INJECTION RAIL AND THE O RINGS. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 98V184000, WHICH PERTAINS TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

IN DRIVING MY 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL EPISODES WHERE IT STALLS WITH NO WARNING. THE FIRST TIME IT STALLED WAS AFTER STOPPING AT A TOLL BOOTH AND IN PULLING OUT FROM THE BOOTH IT JUST DIED. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC AS MY HUSBAND AND THREE SMALL CHILDREN WERE IN THE VAN WITH ME AT THE TIME. HAD IT BEEN DURING RUSH HOUR OR THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS JUST IN A HURRY, THIS INCIDENT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE QUITE TRAGIC. MY VAN HAS ALSO STALLED SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND SEVERAL TIMES DRIVING DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREETS. WE CAN NOT SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVERYTHING LOOKS O.K. AFTER SEEING A NEWSCAST TONIGHT THAT SPOKE OF THE SAME STALLING WITHOUT WARNING ISSUES IN OTHER VANS I AM HAVING MY FUEL PUMP REPLACED. THIS NEWSCAST SAID THE ISSUE WAS WITH ONLY 1991 - 1995 CHRYSLER/DODGE MODEL VANS. I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT IT COULD BE RELATED TO NEWER MODELS AS WELL. *NM

DT: DT: THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM AN INDIVIDUAL. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE CONSUMER LEARNED OF TWO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, ONE FOR THE FUEL RAIL AND ONE FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON THE LETTER SENT TO CONSUMER. THIS HAPPENED ON JANUARY 17, 2005 . *AK *NM

HEAVY FUEL VAPORS IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, AND UNDER HOOD. OCCURRED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST BUT THEN WENT AWAY THE NEXT DAY. ALL OCCURRENCES WERE DURING COLD WEATHER (20-30F). DRIVER AND PASSENGERS EXPERIENCED NAUSEA. MECHANIC SAID THAT THE FUEL TANK ROLLOVER VALVE IS MALFUNCTIONING ALLOWING FUEL INTO THE VAPOR CANISTER. THIS SOUNDS ALOT LIKE THE RECALL FOR 1996 MODELS OF THIS VAN. *NM

CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 00V268000 CONCERNING FUEL LEAKAGE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE CHECK UP, AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE DONE PROPERLY. ON MA 3, 2004 WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE HOOD. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONSUMER THEN TURNED ON THE VEHICLE BACK ON AGAIN RETURN BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE MECHANICS IDENTIFIED THAT THE RUBBER BUSHINGS ON THE ORIGINAL FUEL RAIL. THE GAS LEAK WAS STILL PRESENT AND COMING FROM THE BUSHINGS. *SC THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A ALTERNATOR PROBLEM. *JB

1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. STARTED VEHICLE AND LET IDLE WHILE IN PARKING LOT. ENGINE APPEARED TO FORM VAPOR LOCK AND STALLED. TRIED RESTARTING. NO EFFECT. SMELLED FUEL. LOOKED OUTSIDE AND FOUND VERY LARGE FUEL SPILL ON SIDE OF VEHICLE. EVACUATED VEHICLE AND CALLED 911 IN CASE OF FIRE. FD REPORTED SEPARATION OF FUEL LINE FROM FUEL TANK. VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. AWAITING PARTS AND REPAIR INFO. *NLM