Complain about a product or service

DaimlerChrysler Minivans

There seems to be no end of trouble with these vans, including head gasket failures and transmission failures and plenty of other problems. Be sure to read Marty's letter if you're thinking of buying one of these.

Here are some of the more representative tales of woe:

Dale of Melbourne, FL, writes:
I purchased a 1995 Dodge Caravan in 1997 and have had nothing but trouble ever since. It all started with a terrible vibration in the front end whenever the Caravan hit a speed between 50 & 55 mph. It is still doing that despite countless attempts to correct the vibration through new tires, alignments, etc.
Next there was thick, black "paste-like", glue seeping out from around the rubber seal on the rear window, which the Dodge dealer cleaned several times, but refused to replace. It still continues to ooze from all around the back window. Next I had to replace both the alternator & battery due to complete failure. Soon after that, the solenoid in the lock/release switch on the back door quit functioning and had to be replaced.
Then came the biggest problem to date...the transmission totally died about a year ago and had to be completely replaced. Following this very costly repair, the engine has decided it doesn't want to run all the time and periodically doesn't start or completely stops running while I'm driving down the road. Several mechanics have been sought to find the problem but no one can figure it out.
Last, but certainly not the least...and probably not the last...the paint and clear coat finish has begun to peel off the hood, top & back of my van. After making yet another trip to the dealer the other day, one of their employees told me i would be lucky if they offered me 50% of the cost to repaint it. Oh yeah...he said they would only repaint the hood, top & back, but not the sides. He also said I was looking at about $350 for this halfway paint job! If I decide to pay this ridiculous amount for a partial paint job, imagine how swell my van will look going down the road with shiny, new paint everywhere but the sides. I just can't believe that Chrysler/Dodge would sell such a piece of junk!
I have spent literally thousands of dollars in repair costs and continue to do so. I have spent countless hours in various garages, shops & dealerships...losing pay from work and precious time. I have endured enough emotional distress over my Caravan's problems that i am willing to do almost anything to get help...including writing my complaints here on your web page.
My Caravan is only a little over 4 years old...but I've already had more problems and dumped more money into it than every other automobile i have ever had.

Pamela in New Jersey writes:
We have had an unbelievably difficult time with our van...I will never purchase a Dodge (or any Chrysler) product again. The paint job was the least of our difficulties.

When we bought the car with the integrated child seat, the night we took the van home, it nearly choked our ten month old son to death (the car seat locked up with him in it and kept tightening on him -- he was choking and gagging and we couldn't get him out.)

Thankfully, we finally did get him out. When I told Chrysler what happened, they sent us a check for the integrated child seat ... but we couldn't use the seat -- and since it happened the night we brought the car home, we've never really liked it and have felt bitter and upset about it.

Recently, we encountered another difficulty with Dodge....we purchased an extended warranty and now are told it wasn't through Dodge. The company who sold it won't repair the car ... the van is stalling while we're driving..just turns off, for no reason. We had it in for diagnostics but they said that all that needs to be done is for a knock sensor to be disconnected (not replaced but discarded, according to them). And that that isn't covered -- replacing it would be covered, though.

The car shouldn't simply turn off while driving. I think that the car is garbage. And at only 3 years old (with regular oil changes, etc.) that is a shame.

Kelly of Amherst, NH, writes:
In October of 1995 I purchaed a 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan from Dependable Dodge in Canoga Park CA.

In March of 1996 the nightmare began. The fuse block and a multi function switch had to be replaced because the wipers would come on by themselves while I was driving, a contact and plunger kit was replaced because the right sliding door would not always unlock when using the electric door lock, the fuel tank was replaced because when it was originally installed they installed it so that the tank was bowed therefore it would only hold 12 gallons instead of the 18 - 20 it was supposed to hold.

The car was never recalled for this defect, I discovered it on my own.

Also the front door panel was re-atteched to the door and the left sliding door was repaired because it would not unlock with the key.

Then in August of 1997 the switch for the interior lights was replaced because the lights would flicker, the left side door lock was replaced again along with the rear door latch. In Sept. of 1997 a gear was replaced for the power steering, the left sliding door had a moulding replaced because the clips were broken. In August of 98 the stereo was replaced because the treble constantly faded out, the vehicle mysteriously shut off while I was driving the car and no one could explain this phenomenon and the relay switch was replaced.

The rack and pinion was replaced at this time also and the multi-function switch again as well.

In September of 98 the car was back in the shop because the air bag light came on. Evidently, when they replaced the relay switch or the multi - function switch things started working that had never worked before such as I was not aware that the car will chime if you leave the blinker on for over one mile. It had never done it up to that point. This occured only 7 days after this work was done.

They found out that the air bag was never secured in the module with screws. It took them 7 days to get the screws but I asked them why they had to order screws, wouldn't the screws be inside the module if they had just come out? They said there never were any screws! My husband and I drove that car for two years thinking that there was a working air bag when in fact there was not.

Finally this past week we were on vacation and the transmission went out, we replaced it to the tune of $l,771. and only five days later the car is back in the shop because the transmission is slipping and the engine is reving at high rpms.

I sincerely need help, I do not know what else to do, I have contacted Chrysler every time there have been problems. Fortunately we purchased an extended warranty on the vehicle but it ran out at 50,000 miles. The car has 56,000 miles on it today.

I wrote a letter to Chrysler in September of l997 telling them I believe that I have been sold a lemon and they promptly told me I did not have a case. They were unwilling to work with us on the transmission, they said it was our fault for not maintaining the vehicle because my husband told them that he did see some liquid under the car that he thought was condensation from the air conditioner they said we should have taken the car to the shop immediately even if it appeared to be water.

The car by the way did have transmission fluid in it my husband checked it two days before the car had to go into the shop.

I feel that Chrysler should be held liable for selling vehicles that absolutely can not be depended upon.

We are driving our children around in these cars expecting to be safe and to not have to worry about being stranded; that is why I bought a new car to avoid these problems.

This car has continued to be a problem and the end does not seem near. I was four months pregnant during the air bag incident and the car shutting off. I was very worried about being left on the side of the road with a six-year-old and a seven-year-old and being pregnant. I spent numerous hours in the dealership waiting for this car and worrying about being able to pick my kids up from school.

Fortunately most of the repairs have been covered under the warranty but the transmission was not and I fear that we will only be having more frequent and expensive repairs in the future.

I bought a new car so that I would know that I was getting a good car and not someone else's troubles and so that I would be able to depend on this car.

Incidentally this last repair had to be done in Virginia, we now live in New Hampshire and had driven through five states in unbearably hot weather with our children, one being only 6 months old. Thank God the car did not break down on us on the road and thank God we were able to get back home before it started acting up again.

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