1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE VEHICLE HAS KELLY SPRINGFIELD TIRES, SIZE P21570R15. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD THE TREAD SEPARATING AND STRIKING THE WHEEL WELL. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE HAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED. HE PLACED THE SPARE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE ALSO SEPARATED IN THE SAME MANNER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 115,000.

IN FEB 2007, A NEW MOPAR SERPENTINE BELT WAS INSTALLED ON MY 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (89,000 MILES) BY A LOCAL DODGE DEALER. AFTER ONE WEEK BELT STARTED A LOUD SQUEAL. AT THE SUGGESTION OF MECHANICS I TRIED BELT DRESSINGS, SPRAYS AND WIRE BRUSH, ALL WITH NO HELP TO THE PROBLEM. ONE MECHANIC SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE PLASTIC PULLEY ON MY PROPERLY WORKING TENSIONER WITH A METAL PULLEY. THIS I DID WITH NO HELP. ALL PULLEYS WERE CHECKED AND FOUND O.K. DEALER INSTALLED ANOTHER BELT IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR. SAME PROBLEM AFTER ONE WEEK. ENDED UP GOING TO LOCAL INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP (NOT DEALER) AND THEY INSTALLED "KIT", WHICH CORRECTED PROBLEM. "KIT' CONSISTED OF BELT WITH GROOVES ON BOTH SIDES AND IDLER PULLEY AND TENSIONER PULLEY WITH GROOVES. PROBLEM SOLVED. THE DODGE DEALER NEVER HEARD OF THIS "KIT"....COME ON DODGE BOYS, GET WITH IT!!!! *JB

MY 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN STRUT TOWER IS RUSTED OUT ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IS IDENTIFIED IN CHRYSLERS TSB 23-044-02. THIS DEFECT APPEARS TO BE COMMON ON ALL MODELS IN THOSE YEARS. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR DESPITE THE FACT IT IS A LATENT DEFECT. THE TOWER HAS BEEN RUSTING FOR MANY YEARS AND I NEVER NOTICED IT BEFORE. NOW I OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY AND I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF THE STRUT TOWER BREAKS I COULD LOOSE CONTROL AND CRASH. *TR

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN TAKEN TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN MARCH 2007 FOR NORMAL SERVICING , OIL CHANGE/TIRE ROTATION, AND SHOP MANAGER INDICATED THAT THE FRONT STRUTS WERE WORN OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT DO THIS SINCE BOTH FRONT STRUT MOUNTS WERE BADLY RUSTED AND WOULD LIKELY BREAK UPON SERVICING. THE REPAIR SHOP WARNED ME TO IMMEDIATELY GET THE STRUT MOUNTS FIXED FOR SAFETY REASONS. I VISITED A LOCAL 5 STAR DODGE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM DOES OCCUR AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY/RECALL. COST TO REPAIR PROBLEM , NO NEW STRUTS WAS $1300. I CALLED A NUMBER OF BODY SHOPS AND FOUND A LOCAL SHOP WHICH HAS BEEN REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2000! THEY SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS COMMON FOR THESE VEHICLES FOR MODEL YEARS 1996-2000 IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. THEY HAD DEVELOPED A SYSTEM TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM INCLUDING REMOVING THE OLD STRUT MOUNTS, MACHINING NEW STRUT MOUNTS FROM ALUMINUM BLOCKS, AND BOLTING/WELDING THEM IN PLACE. REPAIR WAS MADE , EXCLUDING NEW STRUTS FOR $600.*AK

THE FUEL LINE IS NOT SECURED TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. IT CAME OUT OF ITS OPEN U SHAPED HANGER AND FELL AGAINST THE DRIVELINE. THE DRIVE LINE THEN WORE A HOLE IN THE GAS LINE SHUTTING DOWN THE VEHICLE AND SPEWING FUEL ALL OVER. STRANDING EVERYONE. LUCKILY IT DID NOT START A FIRE FROM THE MUFFLER. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND TIED TO THE HANGER SO THAT IT WILL NOT COME OUT AGAIN.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN OCTOBER OF 2006 AND THE SECOND TIME WAS ON JUNE 27, 2007. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD BOTH TIMES AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 101,000.

THE SERPENTINE BELT ON THE PULLEY SYSTEM CAME OFF ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THEN ON 6-8-07 THE BELT NOT ONLY CAME OFF AGAIN, BUT THE P/S WHEEL {NOT SURE IF THAT'S THE CORRECT NAME FOR IT} OR PULLEY METAL BRACKET, BROKE COMPLETELY OFF. SO NOW I CAN'T EVEN REPLACE THE BELT THIS TIME, AS THEIR IS NOTHING THERE FOR THE BELT TO MELD/ADHERE TO. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OR PROBLEM, MANY CONSUMERS ARE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME TYPES OF PROBLEMS WITH THE BELTS COMING OFF. BEFORE I INVEST ANYMORE MONEY WITH BELTS AND KITS AND SUCH, I NEED TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY RECALLS REGARDING THE "TENSIONER PULLEY SYSTEM." PLEASE EMAIL ME REGARDING THE ABOVE MENTIONED. THANKS, R.JONAK HARTOFUSA@YAHOO.COM

CONTINUAL SERPENTINE BELT ISSUES WITH DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 1999, IT HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES AND HAS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE SERPENTINE BELT AT LEAST 4 TIMES. ADDITIONALLY, THE BELT HAS COME OFF ON 2 OCCASIONS WHEN VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THROUGH A PUDDLE. THIS SEEMS EXTREMELY EXCESSIVE. *TR