1997 Dodge Grand Caravan

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES ON THIS MINIVAN APPROXIMATELY EVERY 6 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. I KNOW OF SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. YES, I GOT A WARRANTY BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR LABOR AND BRAKES SHOULD BE LASTING 40,000 MILES OR MORE. I THINK THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT BRAKES, OR WHEEL BEARINGS. (WHICH I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE) DT

THE POWER STEERING/POWER BRAKES HAVE BEEN LOCKING/FAILING INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE PAST YEAR. TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP IN JULY OF 2001 AND WAS TOLD THE STEERING WHEEL PROBLEM WAS DUE TO HUMIDITY AND LOOSE BELTS AND THE WEATHER WOULD IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE. NOTICED THAT WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MILES PER HOUR. ALSO, WHEN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, POWER BRAKES WOULD FAIL. HAD TO LITERALLY STAND ON BRAKE PEDAL OR TURN OFF CAR IGNITION TO STOP CAR. THREW CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION IMMEDIATELY TO REGAIN STEERING AND BRAKES. HAD NO STEERING CAPABILITY AT ALL. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ABOUT ONCE EVERY 2 MONTHS BUT SEEMS TO BE GETTING MORE FREQUENT WITH 3 FAILURES IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS. TOOK CAR INTO DEALER ON 6/24/02 AND THEY WORKED ON IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE DECIDING THE PROBLEM WAS SOME PART OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY COULD REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING BUT NOT WITH THE BRAKES. THEY REPLACED SOME COMPONENT OF THE POWER STEERING AND RELEASED THE CAR 6/26/02. PICKED UP THE CAR ON 6/27/02. THE NEXT DAY, 6/28/02, BOTH STEERING LOCKED AND BRAKES FAILED. WILL HAVE CAR TOWED TO SHOP TODAY. BOTH SON AND HUSBAND HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING. SON NEARLY HIT A TREE WHEN STEERING LOCKED. SAID "CHECK OIL LIGHT " CAME ON DASH. SAID THE ONLY WAY HE COULD STOP THE CAR WAS THE TURN THE IGNITION OFF WHILE IN DRIVE. WE HAD NOTICED THE PROBLEM MORE WHEN MAKING A TURN. HUSBAND SAID THE PROBLEM HAPPENED TO HIM THIS PAST FRIDAY (6/28/02) AND HE WASN'T TURNING AT ALL. WE DO NOT SEE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT FLASHING ON WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. WE ARE ALL SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID IT WILL STALL OR THE STEERING WHEEL AND POWER BRAKES WILL FAIL TO WORK AT HIGH SPEED.*AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN ON WHEN NOT SELECTED, AND IS VERY DISTRACTING, AND HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. SOME OF MY FRIENDS WHICH ALSO OWN CARAVAN/VOYAGER HAVE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I THINK DODGE NEEDS TO REDISGN THE SWITCH, AND RECALL ALL THE EFFECTED VEHICLES AND HAVE IT CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. ALSO AS FAR AS THE FRONT BRAKES, I HAVE HAD THE FRONT BRAKE SHOES REPLACED AT LEAST 7 TIMES IN THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. I HAVEN'T REPLACED THAT MANY BRAKES TOGETHER ON ALL THE OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED. I THINK THE FRONT DISC BRAKES ARE UNDERSIZED AND CANNOT MEET THE WEIGHT OF THE VAN. DODGE ALSO NEEDS TO REDISN THE FRONT BRAKE SYS AND MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON HOT DAY NOTICED BURNING RUBBER SMELL. STARTED DOWN A HILL AND NOTICED BRAKES DID NOT SEEM TO WORK. PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. TRIED PARKING BRAKE. CAR WAS STEERED INTO ABANDON GAS STATION TO AVOID COLLISION. HAD TO PUT INTO PARK TO STOP VEHICLE. GOODYEAR EMPLOYEE TRIED BRAKES:WENT TO FLOOR. TECHNICIAN VIEWED (IN HOUR)HAD BRAKES:BLEED LINES. TOLD AIR IN LINES. SAME AS ODI-ID 887484.TOOK TO DEALER:COULD NOT EXPLAIN. REAR BRAKES THIN. MENTION OF POSSIBLE MASTER CYLINDER DEFECT.NHTSA TOLD ME OF 1996 RECALL. CALLED CHRYSLER-VIN NOT INVOLVED.VERY CONCERNED OVER FUTURE BRAKE PERFORMANCE.*AK

FRONT BRAKE PADS CRUMBLED/FAILED CAUSED ROTORS TO BE ROUTED/RUINED AT 46K MILES AND AT 63K MILES, SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOTS OF PAD LEFT, FAILURE LEAD TO EXPENSIVE REPAIRS INCL ROTOR REPLACEMENT,, COULD HAVE LEAD TO DEATH/DISABILITIES, DEALER HIDING PART FAILURE THROUGH NON-DISCLOSURE, ALSO CLOCK SPRING FAILURE IN STEERING RING LEAD TO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT PROBLEM, DEALER CHARGED OWNER FULL PRICE ROTOR REPLACEMENT FIRST AND SECOND TIME, PART DEFECTS VERY DANGEROUS. *AK

TWICE DURING OUR OWNERSHIP THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAVE CRUMBLED AND COMPLETELY FAILED EARLY IN THEIR USEFUL LIVES CAUSING THE ROTORS TO BE BADLY ROUTED. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE DEALER HID THE FACT THAT THE PADS FAILED COMPLETELY AND STUCK US FOR THE ENTIRE BRAKE JOB, THE SECOND TIME I WALKED IN UNANNOUNCED TO THE REPAIR AREA AND SAW THE EVIDENCE FIRST HAND. BOTTOM LINE, IF WE HAD BEEN DRIVING AT SPEED EITHER TIME LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN LOST. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.*AK