2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN - THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL PERIODICALLY AND SPONTANEOUSLY UN-LATCHED. IT JUST COMES UN-LATCHED ON ITS OWN - WITHOUT MOVING IT OR TOUCHING IT. VERY DANGEROUS!!!! IF I GET IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, AND THE SEAT BELT BECOMES UN-LATCHED, NOT ONLY WILL I PROBABLY GET KILLED, BUT IT WILL LOOK LIKE I WASN'T WEARING MY SEAT BELT. PLEASE HAVE CHRYSLER RECALL THE MODELS PRONE TO THIS!!! *JB

A RATTLING NOISE WHEN CAR IN USE, ESPECIALLY WHEN POWER USED FROM AIR CONDITIONING AND DEFROSTER. DIAGNOSIS FROM DODGE DEALER WAS A CRACKED FLEX PLATE. TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO REPLACE PART. 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO BRINGING THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR THE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE UPON ACCELERATION (ESPECIALLY UP HILL), FELT VERY UNSAFE DRIVING. BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER THEY DIAGNOSED THE SHAKING PROBLEM TO BE THE FLEX PLATE. DEALER REPLACED THE FLEX PLATE AT MY COST, BECAUSE IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. VERY EXPENSIVE WORK BECAUSE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE LIFTED. AFTER REPAIR THE MECHANIC TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE. REMARKED THE RATTLING NOISE IS GONE, BUT FRONT END SHAKE REMAINED. RE-EXAMINED CAR AND SAID THE FRAME WAS BENT ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THAT THE CAR MUST HAVE BEEN HIT AND TO CALL A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF ANY DAMAGE TO THE EXTERIOR. THE VAN IS GARAGED AND AT MOST DRIVEN APPROX 75-100 MILES P/WK. I DRIVE SAFELY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND HAVE NOT HIT EVEN SO MUCH AS A CURB OR JACK RABBIT. HOW CAN THE FRAME OF A CAR BE DAMAGED IN SUCH A WAY, WITHOUT ANY MISUSE OR ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE AND IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO LOSING CONTROL AT ANY TIME AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *JB

MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IS RUSTING AT THE TOP OF THE STRUT TOWERS ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT FAILURE IS IMMINENT. HAD A NOTICE BEEN GIVEN I COULD HAVE PROBABLY GOT DODGE TO WORK ON THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. AS IS IT IS 10,000 OVER WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM HAD TO HAVE EXISTED BEFORE THE WARRANTY ENDED. NO DEATHS OR INJURIES YET. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE AND WHEN I HAD THE OIL CHANGED LAST SATURDAY, I WAS TOLD THAT THE "STRUT"" HOUSING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IS RUSTING, FLAKING OFF. I COULD NOT FIND ANY RECALLS OR SAFETY ISSUES NOTED, BUT, APPARENTLY, I AM NOT THE FIRST ONE TO COMPLAIN OF THIS PROBLEM. PLUS, NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CORRECTIVE KIT...SINCE IT'S BACK ORDERED. THE AREA CHRYSLER/DODGE DEALER STATED THAT DODGE DID NOT MENTION THIS UNTIL THE WARRANTY WAS COMPLETED ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. I HAVE MY WIFE NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE, SINCE IF THE HOUSING BREAKS, THE STRUT WILL COME THRU THE HOOD OF THE CAR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO ITS DESTINATION AND WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE DIFFERENTIAL CROSS PIN CAME LOOSE, LOGGED INTO THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE AND RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

I AM A DAY CARE PROVIDER AND WHILE I WAS TRANSPORTING FIVE SMALL CHILDREN, MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN'S TRANSMISSION BLEW ON THE INTERSTATE WITH NO WARNING. I WAS HORRIFIED AND WE WERE LEFT STRANDED FOR NEARLY AN HOUR. I RECENTLY HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED, AND OIL CHANGED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MY VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 80 THOUSAND MILES ON IT. I KEEP UP WITH MAINTENANCE. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FINDING OUT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $2000 TO FIX, I MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS. I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL LOCAL SERVICE SHOPS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AND THAT ON AN AVERAGE THEY SEE THIS HAPPEN ON A WEEKLY BASIS. ONLINE RESEARCH TURNED UP THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE ALSO HAD THIS HAPPEN. THE TRANSMISSION BLOWS, SOMETHING ABOUT A PIN FLYING THROUGH THE CASE AND THE VEHICLE IS RENDERED USELESS UNTIL A $2000 PLUS REPAIR IS MADE. CONTACTED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY AND THEY STATED THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS, YET THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT WHETHER THIS WILL OCCUR WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION, I WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WOULD BE CORRECTED, IF THERE IS A PROBLEM TO CORRECT ...THEN CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX IT TO BEGIN WITH. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION AND I STRONGLY FEEL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR AT LEAST PART OF IT SINCE IT IS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS IN THE 97-2002 MODELS FROM THE INFORMATION I GATHERED ONLINE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILS AND THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE OR PROCEDURE THAT A CUSTOMER CAN DO TO PREVENT IT. *NM