1998 Dodge Grand Caravan

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED TWO FAILURES REGARDING THE SERPENTINE BELT. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND HE REPAIRED THE VEHICLE HIMSELF BY RE-ATTACHING THE SERPENTINE BELT. THE CONTACT IS CURRENTLY UNABLE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000.

TL*THE CONTACT'S CLIENT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. AFTER INSTALLING A NEW TRANSMISSION AND DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT'S CLIENT NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FUEL LOSS. THE FOLLOWING DAY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SEAM OF THE MUFFLER HAD ROTTED AWAY AND WAS BLOWING HOT AIR DIRECTLY ONTO THE PLASTIC GAS TANK. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 129,580.

ENGINE STARTS AND IMMEDIATELY SHUTS OFF. AFTER 3 OR 4 TRIES IT WILL NOT TURN OVER AT ALL. THIS HAPPENS COMPLETELY AT RANDOM AND HAPPENS 3 OR FOUR TIMES A MONTH MINIMUM. AFTER 24 HOURS, ENGINE WILL START NORMALLY. REPLACED BODY CONTROL MODULE AND CLOCK SPRING. A MECHANIC ALSO CHECKED FOR LOOSE CONNECTIONS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND CORROSION. *TR

OUR DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS IDLING AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT DURING LATE OCTOBER OF 2007. THERE HAD BEEN NO PROBLEMS UP TO THIS POINT. I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE HAD GONE ALL THE WAY TO THE HOT POSITION AND MY HUSBAND GOT OUT TO LOOK. THE COOLING FANS WEREN'T RUNNING. MY HUSBAND OPENED THE HOOD. HE HEARD THE RADIATOR BOILING LOUDLY, AND THEN THE CAP BLEW OFF WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED, GIVING HIM SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE AND CHEST. AFTER AN EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT, WE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE COOLING FAN RELAY SYSTEM IS A FAULTY COMPONENT LISTED AS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR ALL CHRYSLER MINIVANS AND AS A RECALL ITEM ONLY FOR CERTAIN CHRYSLER MINIVANS. THE FUNNY THING IS THEY USED THE SAME CONTROL UNIT ON ALL OF THE CHRYSLER MINIVANS BUT WON'T FIX THEM BECAUSE THEY AREN'T ON THE "OFFICIAL" RECALL LIST. THE VAN WAS TAKEN TO THE DODGE DEALER IN PENSACOLA FLORIDA AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT WITHOUT AN $80.00 INSPECTION. THE PROBLEM PART IS A FAN RELAY. IT IS CALLED A SOLID-STATE SPEED CONTROL WHICH IS A COMPUTER UNIT CONTROLLING SEVERAL DEVICES ALTHOUGH DODGE CALLS IT A RELAY. WHEN LOOKING TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE, PART STORES EITHER SAID THAT IT IS A RECALL ITEM OR THAT IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLY THROUGH CHRYSLER AS THE ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE "FLASHED" AFTER INSTALLATION AND ONLY A DEALER CAN DO IT. WE CONNECTED A HOT WIRE DIRECTLY TO THE FANS FROM A POWER SOURCE TO RUN THE SYSTEM FULL TIME. AS FOR THE RADIATOR EXPLOSION, IT IS UNCERTAIN WHY THE CAP BLEW OFF. WE THOUGHT THE RADIATOR TOP WAS TO BLAME BUT THE PLASTIC MOUTH IS NOT NOTICEABLY BROKEN. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE OR DEFECT IN THE CAP. WE HAVE SINCE REPLACED IT. PEOPLE ON THE WEB SAY THAT THE BOILING OVER HAD GOT SO VIOLENT IN THE RADIATOR THAT IT MAY HAVE WORKED THE CAP LOOSE AND BLOWN IT OFF WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAPPEN. AS A SIDE NOTE, A RELIABILITY REPORT AT MSN AUTOS STATES THAT THIS IS A "MODERATE PROBLEM". *TR

BELT FALLING OFF 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FOR THE 5TH TIME IN 1 1/2 YEARS. RESULTING IN MECHANIC CHARGES AND LOSS OF VEHICLE. WE HAVE REPLACED TENSIONER ON 2 OCCASIONS, BELTS ON 5 OCCASIONS TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. DODGE/CHRYSLER SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS HURT (THIS TIME). THE ADDED EXPENSE IS KILLING US! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN COLD WEATHER AND APPROACHING A STOP, THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR DURING THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT CONTINUOUSLY DETACHES IN WET WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE BELT DETACHES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.

SERPENTINE BELT FLIES OFF WITH A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF MOISTURE. BOTH WIFE AND I HAVE DRIVEN OUR 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IN WET WEATHER AND THE SERPENTINE BELT HAS COME OFF NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO HIT A PUDDLE, THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF WATER SPLASHING FROM ANOTHER CAR WILL CAUSE IT TO COME OFF. BELT FALLING OFF CAUSES POWER STEERING, COOLING, AND CHARGING TO FAIL RESULTING IN SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AS CAR IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. *TR