2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH IN THE RAIN OR THROUGH A PUDDLE, THE SERPENTINE BELT DETACHES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT TWICE; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE FAILURE OCCURS ONLY WHEN IT RAINS. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,625 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 03/11/08. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE SERPENTINE BELT DETACHED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A SMALL PUDDLE OF WATER, THE SERPENTINE BELT FAILED AGAIN. IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE MOTOR MOUNT FOR THE SERPENTINE BELT AND INSTALLED A DISC TO HOLD THE BELT IN PLACE. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, THE SERPENTINE BELT WOULD CONTINUE TO DETACH WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURRED IN RAINY CONDITIONS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 131,000. UPDATED 02-19-08 *BF UPDATED 02/19/08 *TR

THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. HIT A SMALL PUDDLE OF WATER WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. WATER SPRAYED UP ON THE SERPENTINE BELT WHICH THREW THE BELT OFF OF THE IDLER PULLEY AND TENSIONER PULLEY. BOTH TIMES WE WERE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN... WHICH MADE IT VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE LOSS THE POWER STEERING. THE FIRST TIME WAS WITH MY WIFE DRIVING...WHICH WOULD BE VERY HARD TO CONTROL FOR A LADY... THE SECOND TIME I WAS DRIVING, WHICH WAS BETTER... BUT STILL VERY DANGEROUS. I AM PLANNING ON PURCHASING THE GOODYEAR REPLACEMENT KIT THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED ON SEVERAL WEBSITES AND THIS WEBSITE. DAIMLERCHRYSLER SHOULD BE RECALLING ALL THESE VANS AND REPLACING ALL THE PULLEYS WITH THESE SAFER KITS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF STEERING AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. HE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS DETACHED. THE CONTACT RE-ATTACHED THE SERPENTINE BELT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

I FILED A COMPLAINT ON 28 AUG 2007 REGARDING MY VEHICLE AND THE SERPENTINE BELT ISSUE. I HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED AND IT IS GOING TO COST APPROX. 500.00 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR THE 7TH TIME. I HAVE FOUND THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM THAT 30+ FOLKS ON THIS SITE ALONE ARE HAVING. #1 THE BELT IS SMOOTH ON ONE SIDE AND GROOVED ON THE OTHER SIDE SO WHEN OIL, RAIN ETC. TOUCHES THE BELT, IT SLIPS OFF. WHAT I FOUND IT THAT THERE IS A DRAIN HOSE THAT SITS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BELT WHEN THE WATER FROM RAIN COMES THROUGH THE DRAIN FROM THE WINDSHIELD INTO THIS HOSE, AND DRIPS RIGHT ON TOP OF THE BELT CAUSING IT TO BE FAULTY. THE HOSE HAS TO BE DIRECTED INTO A DIFFERENT PLACE . I ALSO FOUND THAT G. AUTO MAKES A KIT THAT COMES WITH THE BELT, TENSIONER AND ALL ACCESSORIES TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANANTLY. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE HOSE AND THE TENSIONER IS GROOVED TO PROVIDE NO SLIPPAGE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO 2 AUTO DEALERS THAT HAVE ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS ISSUE INCLUDING A SHOP IN TENNESSEE THAT SAID THAT THEY HAVE WORKED ON 15 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVANS IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 4-8 BELTS BEING LOST AND HAVING TO BE REPLACED FOR EACH VAN FROM 2000. THERE IS NOWHERE TO COMPLAIN, SO YOU WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THE SEVERITY OF THIS ISSUE WITH OUT CHECKING INVENTORIES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DODGE DEALERS THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THE KITS AND THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE CORPORATION BUT AS YOU AND I KNOW, A RECALL WILL COST THEM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WHAT ABOUT THE LIVES THAT MAY HAVE OR MIGHT BE LOST WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AND THE STEERING GOES OUT. THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THE ISSUE IS THAT FOLKS BOUGHT THESE CARS IN GOOD FAITH AND THEY HAVE PAID HUNDREDS AND MAYBE THOUSAND OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS THAT THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD TO IF THIS PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF IN THE BEGINNING. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED EMAILS CORRESPONDING WITH THE MANUFACTURER. UPDATED 09/23/07 *TR

WE PURCHASED NEW A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WITHIN 2 YEARS WHILE I WAS DRIVING NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING ON THE STEERING ON THE CAR WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING AND I ALMOST HIT A TREE. I FOUND THAT IT WAS THE SERPENTINE BELT. FROM THAT POINT ON I HAVE ALMOST HAD 2 ADDITIONAL ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THE BELT EITHER WAS CHEWED UP OR CAME OFF. MY HUSBAND FELT THE EXPERIENCE YESTERDAY WHEN THE STEERING WENT OUT. THIS WILL BE THE 6TH BELT PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE BUT TO NO AVAIL. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BELT GOES AND YOU ARE TRAVELING 60-70MPH AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF THIS CAR. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO? I HAVE NOT COMPLAINED BECAUSE DODGE SAYS THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY HAVE ADMITTED TI ME THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE SERPENTINE BELTS. I DID NOT EVEN KNOW YOU EXISTED OTHERWISE YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD FROM ME LONG AGO AND WE MAY HAVE SAVED A LOT OF MONEY TIME AND LUCKILY NO LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST TO THIS POINT. THANK YOU. *TR

MY 2000 GRAND CARAVAN (87000), HAS THE DASH BOARD CRACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE SPEAKER GRILLE, (AND TRAVELING). THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER VEHICLES DUE TO NEWS REPORTS RECENTLY. CHRYSLER SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT ECT.. I HAVE REPLACED THE EVAPORATER, A/C COMPRESSOR, & BELT $2300.00. THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING BADLY AND TODAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS IS MY 7TH CHRYSLER VEHICLE IN THE PAST 30 YEARS, AND WILL BE THE LAST IF CHRYSLER DOESN'T STEP UP, ON THIS DASH PROBLEM THIS TIME. *TR

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SERPENTINE BELT KEEPS SQUEALING, BREAKING, SLIPPING OFF, AND SHREDDING. FOR OVER A YEAR NOW WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS BELT THAT HAVE BAFFLED THE MECHANICS. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED, BUT WE HAVE BEEN STRANDED TWICE REQUIRING A TOW, AND H HAD THE VAN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 6 TIMES OVER THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS STILL UNRESOLVED.*AK AFTER A QUICK SEARCH, IT SEEMS TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM THAT MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. MANY 'FIXES' ARE OUT THERE, BUT PERHAPS THE BEST, MOST RELIABLE IS TO HAVE THE MECHANIC INSTALL AN 'AFTER MARKET' KIT WITH SPECIAL PULLEYS AND BELT FOR AROUND $200. I WILL PROBABLY HAVE THIS DONE AS WE CAN'T KEEP ROLLING THE DICE WITH THE FAMILY VEHICLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FAILURE AS NOTED IN THE RECALL REGARDING NON-FLEX FUEL ENGINES. THE DEALER WOULD NOT SERVICE THE VEHICLE FOR FREE BECAUSE IT HAD A FLEX ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DEMONSTRATED SAME FAILURE AS THOSE OF THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL THAT HAD NON-FLEX ENGINES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 168,000, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.AK