1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

THREE TIMES IN SIX WEEKS, THE SERPENTINE BELT (WHICH POWERS THE POWER STEERING, ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP) HAS SLIPPED OFF THE PULLEYS. IN ONE OF THE THREE INSTANCES, THE DRIVE BELT WAS SHREDDED. AFTER A QUICK SEARCH OF THE INTERNET, LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS WERE FOUND. FORTUNATELY, IN OUR CASE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INJURY TO DATE, HOWEVER A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT THE WRONG MOMENT COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. LIKEWISE, LOSS OF ACCESSORIES SUCH AS THE ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP COULD LEAVE SOMEONE STRANDED. ON THIS VEHICLE, THE BELT TENSIONER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN 1,000 MILES. *TR

I HAVE A 99 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WHEN I FIRST GOT IT EVERY THING WAS WORKING FINE. I HAVE HAD IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND NOW THE HORN DOESN'T WORK, THE BLINKERS ONLY WORK SOMETIMES, THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON WHICH MEANS IT ISN'T WORKING. THESE PROBLEMS ARE DANGEROUS IN ALOT OF WAYS AN AIRBAG FAILING CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. ALSO MY BLINKERS ONLY WORKING SOMETIMES HAVE CAUSED ME TO GET A TICKET AND THE HORN NOT WORKING MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET MY CAR INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO THE WIRING IN THE DASH. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE THE WHOLE THING REWIRED SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IT YET. *TR

INSTRUMENTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS BECOME INOPERATIVE WITH NO WARNING. IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WHILE DRIVING THE 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AND ALL GAUGES WOULD QUIT WORKING. USUALLY, A SMACK ON THE TOP OF THE DASHBOARD WOULD BRING IT BACK, HOWEVER, LATELY THIS DID NOT WORK. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS ON A COLD, DARK, WET EVENING WITH MY WIFE DRIVING AND THE CHILDREN IN THE VAN. THIS PROBLEM RESULTS IN NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER NOR THE GEAR SELECTION. I FEEL THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE MANUFACTURER. IN PERFORMING AN INTERNET SEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT, IT APPEARS THERE MAY BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE SOLDERING OF SOME CONNECTORS FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THANK YOU. *TR

I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR (1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE) AND IT INITIALLY WOULDN'T START. THERE WAS JUST A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE STARTER BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I TRIED IT A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND IT FINALLY STARTED. BUT THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL RATTLING NOISE. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND THE ENGINE STOPPED BUT SOME PART ON THE CAR KEPT RUNNING. I HAD MY FIANCE LOOK AT IT - HE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON EITHER. IT DROVE OK AROUND THE BLOCK BUT IT SOUNDED HORRIBLE. HE COULDN'T GET IT TO TURN OFF COMPLETELY EITHER. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. MY FIANCE COULD SEE IT WAS IN THE AREA OF THE STARTER. INITIALLY, IF THE CAR WAS LEFT IDLING, THE SMOKE LESSENED BUT IF THE IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF THE SMOKE GOT WORSE. SO WE LEFT IT IDLING WHILE WE LOOKED FOR POSSIBLE WAYS TO SHUT IT OFF COMPLETELY. AFTER A FEW MORE MINUTES, THE SMOKE BEGAN AGAIN AND THERE WERE FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD AROUND THE STARTER. I CALLED 911 TO GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE WHILE MY FIANCE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AFTER WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH THE EXTINGUISHER AND THEY HELPED US DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE IN A SAFE MANNER SO THAT EVERYTHING SHUT OFF. THE FIREMAN SUGGESTED WE CHECK FOR POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VANS LIKE OURS AND TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING OUR EXPERIENCE. THEY TOOK DOWN MY INFORMATION AND FILED A REPORT FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO THE FIRE. WE REPLACED THE STARTER AND CHECKED ALL THE CONNECTIONS FOR FIRE DAMAGE. THE OLD STARTER WAS TAKEN BY THE AUTO PARTS STORE SO IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE. THE MECHANIC AT THE STORE SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SOLENOID ON THE STARTER WAS STUCK IN THE "ON" MODE AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE ODD NOISE AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. SINCE THEN, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE RUNNING JUST FINE. *JB

POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE SHORTED TO GROUND MELTING THE INSULATION ON THE CABLE AND NEARLY ALL INTERCONNECTED HARNESS WIRES. TOTAL ESTIMATE TO REPAIR AND REPLACED DAMAGED WIRES, STARTER, SENSORS, CONNECTORS, ETC: $3,000+. INVESTIGATION STILL ONGOING.. FAILURE RESULTED FROM DESIGN PLACEMENT OF POSITIVE CABLE IN PROXIMITY OF STRUT TOWER BOLT. BATTERY LOCATION FOR 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IS IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF STRUT ASSEMBLY. THIS CABLE DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY INSULATION SLEEVE (E.G., CONVOLUTED TUBING OR LOOM) AND IS THEREFORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WEAR AND ABRASION FROM VIBRATIONS DURING DRIVING.*JB