2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN A YEAR THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT HAS SHREDDED AND/OR FELL OFF. I REPLACED THE TENSIONER THE SECOND TIME. IT LOOKS AS IF THE PULLEYS ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE TENSIONER SO THE BELT EVENTUALLY RIDES OFF THE EDGE OF THE TENSIONER. ALL TIMES IT WAS NOT RAINING OR SNOW LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE RESEARCHED ON THE WEB. DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 107,000 MILES. 3.8L WITH A/C. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, 3.0 L ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE BELT SLIPPING OFF THE TENSIONER DURING WET WEATHER. THE FIRST TIME WE HIT A SMALL (1 - 2" DEEP) PUDDLE OF WATER WHEN TURNING A CORNER. WE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER STEERING. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL, INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH 1996 - 2000 CARAVANS. HE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PRINT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN DETAILING THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WAS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, HIT A SMALL PUDDLE OF WATER ON A RAINY DAY, LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN. LUCKILY, I WAS GOING SLOWLY BOTH TIMES, BUT WORRY ABOUT A SERIOUS SITUATION OF GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DODGE/CHRYSLER, AND NO "FIX" - ONLY TO REPLACE BELTS AND TENSIONERS. I THEN RESEARCHED THROUGH INTERNET, FOUND SITUATION AS STATED BY FIRST (INDEPENDENT) MECHANIC LISTED ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES BY MANY OWNERS. CHRYSLER IS AVOIDING ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM, YET 2 AFTERMARKET PARTS COMPANIES HAVE DEVELOPED PARTS TO FIX THIS ISSUE. BOTH GATES AND GOODYEAR ACKNOWLEDGE A SAFETY ISSUE, SO I BELIEVE CHRYSLER/DODGE SHOULD HAVE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR VEHICLES. THESE ARE MINI-VANS. SOLD PRIMARILY TO FAMILIES. SO, THE TYPICAL SCENARIO IS A MOTHER WITH KIDS STRANDED IN THE RAIN. I NOW FEAR DRIVING MY VAN IN THE RAIN, AND AM PETRIFIED OF DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN THE RAIN. *NM

SERPENTINE BELT HAS COME OFF DURING HIGHWAY SPEEDS TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE. APPEARS THE TENSIONER PULLEY DESIGN IS NOT ROBUST. SECOND TIME THE ENGINE OVERHEATED DESTROYING 2 CYLINDERS AND THE HEAD STRANDING MY WIFE AND 5 BOYS ON THE INTERSTATE. THE RESULTING FAILURE MODES COULD HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES - RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENT TO THE DESIGN BY RECALL. *JB

WAS DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY WHEN VEHICLE ENGINE TOTALLY SHUT OFF. PULLED VEHICLE OFF ROADWAY. STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE PRESENT. UPON CHECKING VEHICLE, GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING FROM UNDERCARRIAGE ON RIGHT SIDE. WHEN TOW TRUCK ARRIVED; MECHANIC CHECKED VEHICLE AND SAID THAT GAS LINE HAD CAME OFF. NEXT DAY WHEN RESPONDING TO ALARM WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT - IT WAS FOR A GAS LEAK; THERE WAS ALSO A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEM. *NM

THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ABOUT MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. OVER THE PAST YEAR I NOTICED SOME RUSTING AT THE LEFT TOP STRUT TOWER. I QUESTIONED IT AT THE TIME, BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT SERIOUS. DURING THE PAST WEEK I WAS REPLACING THE AIR FILTER AND NOTICED THAT NOW OVER ONE HALF OF THE STRUT AREA WAS HEAVILY RUSTED AND HAD LARGE CRACKS ON ONE SIDE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER TO SEE IF THE RUST THROUGH WARRANTY WOULD APPLY, OR IF IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE MANAGER LOOKED AT IT, LOOKED UP MY WARRANTY AND SAID EVEN THOUGH THE TIME PERIOD IS GOOD UNTIL 12/2006 THE MILEAGE OF 69700 WAS OVER BY 9750 MILES. HE WOULD NOT ADMIT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SAID IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS, TAKE IT TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR. I SINCE HAVE INVESTIGATED THIS COMPLAINT ON NHTSA, AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY IDENTICAL PROBLEMS, AND CHRYSLER HAS EVEN DEVELOPED A CORROSION KIT FOR THIS PROBLEM. SEE ODI ID: 10147504 CAN YOU ADVICE ME OF MY NEXT STEP. WE ARE NOT DRIVING THE VAN UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED. THIS IS A GARAGED VEHICLE. *JB

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CLOCKSPRING FAILED. MECHANIC NEVER TOLD CONSUMER OF RECALL. *KB THE CLOCKSPRING IN THE CONSUMER VEHICLE FAILED AND THE CONSUMER HAD IT REPLACED. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE CONSUMER READ ABOUT A CLOCKSPRING RECALL ON THE CHRYSLER WEBSITE. THE CONSUMER WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALL AND HAS BEEN AT THE SAME ADDRESS SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER SUBMITTED THE INVOICE FOR REIMBURSEMENT PER THE MANUFACTURER BUT ONLY RECEIVED PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT. *NM

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAD TO BE FIXED WITHIN 3 YEARS OF HAVING THE CAR- WHICH WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN 2000. WE SPENT OVER 2K DOLLARS TO FIX A HUGE LEAK AND REPAIR THE TWO SYSTEMS IN THE CAR. I (SINCE 2005) AM NOW SEEING THAT THE AIR STOPS COOLING IF I IDLE OR WE DRIVE FOR TOO LONG, IT WILL NO LONGER BLOW OUT THE FRONT NOR BE COOL...IT BLOWS OUT THE TOP (LIKE THE DEFROSTER) AND IS NOT COOLED.