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Dodge Caravan

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Richard of Marengo, OH October 7, 2009

I had a Dodge Grand Caravan that I purchased there less than a year before with brake noise. My wife complained on previous occasions but was told nothing was wrong. When they finally looked at it vehicle was out of warranty period and they said the repair would not be covered. It cost us $471.98 to replace front and back pads and resurface rotors. Was not informed that a TSB #05-006-08 had been issued. Part number recommended in TSB does not match part number on my invoice.

Now they need replaced again a year later because they were making a squealing noise and overheating. When I took it in to a local mechanic, he said my left rear caliper is leaking and needs to be replaced. No calipers are available as they are on national backorder. I now have a van that is too dangerous to drive and no parts are available to repair it.

Richard of Southaven, MS August 19, 2009

I bought a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan new in the fall of 2005. It now has slightly over 90,000 miles on it. During the warranty period, the transmission had to be replaced. After the warranty period was over the transmission had to be replaced again. Since then The power window motors went out, the air blower motor went out, the brake calipers locked up and had to be replaced to include new rotors and pads, the alternator went out, the A/C compressor went out, now the rack and pinion steering is in need of replacement. All prior to breaking 90,000 miles.

My van is a money pit. I will never buy another Dodge again.

Tamara of San Ramon, CA July 8, 2009

My 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan has had a couple of unusual problems. All of the lug nuts broke off when the wheels were first being changed and had to be replaced. Recently, I heard a pop, the battery light went on (it's a brand new battery) and the heat went to high. The bolts broke and the timing cover broke and sliced the serpentine belt. The auto shop said they had never seen anything like it, but suspected by the way Chrysler sold the part that they knew. They had to replace the timimg cover, belt, and drill out broken bolts. There was metal all over the inside of the car. I believe Chrysler used inferior steel in their bolts. I emailed Chrysler but they don't care.

Joseph of Glassboro, NJ April 22, 2009

I bought a new 2008 Dodge Caravan in October 2007. In April 2009 I have replaced all new brakes and rotors on this vehicle with less than 20,000 miles (around town driving). I called Dodge and they told me that brakes and rotors are not covered under the warranty. Dodge tells me that it is normal for brakes to go under 20,000. I disagree and so does my machanic.

On several web-sites many people have the same complaint about the brakes on the Dodge Caravan. This is a premature problem with defective brakes and rotors. I hope they recall this problem before Chrysler/Dodge goes out of business so I can get back my $600.00 for the repairs to their new vehicle. $600.00 out of pocket for new brakes and rotors on a new vehicle.

Allen of Brookfield, IL March 4, 2009

Allen of Brookfield IL (03/04/09)
I purchased 7/70 MAXIMUM CARE UPGRADE Chrysler service contract in good faith at the time I purchased a new Dodge Caravan. My decision to purchase the service contract was in part for the WAVER OF DEDUCTABLE clause. Since then the local dealer has gone out-of-business and sold out to another dealer a couple of months before this service contract became active. The phone number of the original Dodge dealership was still connected and answered by a voice mail message identifying it and prompting the caller to leave a message with promise to return the call.

I left a message including 2 contact numbers and have never received a return call. I spoke to the service manager at the assuming Dodge dealership and he told me that they would not honor the WAVER OF DEDUCTABLE terms of the contract. I then called Chrysler Service Contracts to ask them, since the dealer has gone out-of-business, who is required to fulfill the WAVER OF DEDUCTABLE terms of the contract and they told me in so many words too bad-so sad.

I then wrote a detailed letter to A. Tomlanovich at Daimler Chrysler Service Contracts. She never answered my letter. I then was forced to contact the states attorneys office who contacted Chrysler Service Contracts on my behalf and secured me a contract naming the assuming dealership. Its a shame that big corporations ignore you and hope that you will just go-away.

Lots of lost time and frustration.

Ellen of Londonderry, NH February 21, 2009

Ellen of Londonderry NH (02/21/09)
I live in New Hampshire and purchased a 2008 Dodge Caravan at the end of February 2008. In December, 2008, while trying to defrost my front windshield, I noticed that the lower portion of the windshield would not defrost and ice would build up. The middle part of the windshield would clear, so I turned the fan on the highest setting and the defrost temperature on the highest setting and attempted to drive. The lower portion of the front windshield still didn't clear and the wipers were scraping as they went over the icy portion. The heat seemed to be blowing up and out toward the driver, but not addressing the ice on the bottom of the windshield. I wanted to check it out under similar conditions a second time to make sure I hadn't pressed the wrong button, but I didn't get another opportunity until January (I don't do extensive driving because my workplace is only 1 mile from my home.)

In January, I was driving once again in sleet/frozen rain. I tried the front defroster and encountered the same problem. I called my local dealer to bring it in to service and have the problem checked out. The tech confirmed that there was snow and ice on the lower windshield. He checked the vent temperature and the air flow and determined that the system was blowing air on the windshield as designed, yet the lower windshield was not clearing. The vents seem to be directed at the mid portion of the windshield. I commented that this seems like a design flaw and asked if it could be repaired in any way. I was told that there are no kits to address this problem and I was given the Customer Service Line to question what could be done.

I called them and, over the course of a week, was told that there was really nothing they could do. I said, That's not a good enough answer because I can't drive my car safely in wintry weather conditions and I live in New Hampshire. She suggested I get in touch with the sales manager of the dealership where I purchased my car. I connected on February 9th. He was sympathetic and told me that he has the same problem with his vehicle and told me he'd try to see if he could get me some information or a phone number of the next higher up in the chain of command. It took another week to connect with him again and I was told that the best he could do was offer me a trade. He could give me between 10K and 12K for my van that had 6000 miles on it. I told him that that was ridiculous and that I was getting penalized for a design flaw that was Chrysler's to own.

He didn't yet have any other information for me so I again requested to be able to speak with a district or regional sales person. He said he'd try to get me a number to call. We spoke again on Feb. 20th and he told me he couldn't get that phone number and advised me to call Customer Service yet again to obtain that number. I told him that they had refused to give me that number earlier when requested, but instead referred me to the sales manager at my dealership where I purchased my car. At this point, I'm frustrated and disgusted with the responses I have gotten to this point. I have a new vehicle that is unsafe to drive in wintry weather because the front windshield does not defrost properly. Chrysler design is to blame and they are not taking responsibility for addressing the problem. The solution should not be at a cost to me.

The only consequence thus far is my inability to drive a distance in wintry weather.

Teri of Osseo, WI January 25, 2009

Teri of Osseo WI (01/25/09)
I bought a 1990 Dodge Caravan in 1993. I loved that van! It had minor transmission trouble, while still under warranty, so was repaired quickly. The transmission never actually went out. Also, there was a short in a map light that drained the battery when the light was left on. We shut the switch off and never had any trouble with it. I bought a 1996 Plymouth Voyager in 1997 because my prior van had been hit. I switched to a brand new Saturn Ion in 2004 and it was great on gas, but had lots of other issues...went through tires like crazy, extremely poor mileage in winter, and some mechanical recalls. In spite of gas prices, I switched to a 2007 Dodge Caravan and I still love it! Although my husband has had a few issues with his 96 Dodge Ram 1500 - rebuilt the transmission @165000 miles, ball joints (may have been from negligent mechanic never greasing them), and some minor repairs...he bought another used 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 truck.

I have had good luck with my Dodge vans, and the Plymouth van was ok. My husband has been satisfied with his Dodge trucks. They have cost no more to keep than his Ford or Chevy trucks did. The Dodge seems to have better payload and mileage when loaded.

Bob of Mount Dora, FL December 15, 2008

Bob of Mount Dora FL (12/15/08)
My Dodge Caravan was new when I bought it in 1996. Over the first three years the special red paint began to slowly fade. Dealers in Memphis, Nashville and Las Vegas said it was normal, not warrantied or simply too late to correct. They provided lots of doubletalk and little help. The Dodge corporate office said it was a dealer responsibility and they were all independent operators. 

The candy apple red paint cost me $1000 extra at time of purchase and Dodge simply failed to stand by their poor workmanship. Over time, I learned that Dodge had a serious problem applying a clear coat finish which simply peeled, flaked and looked like a light brushing of snow. It was a clear case of inferior workmanship that Dodge failed to correct. For what it's worth, the car also needed replacements for the steering column, water pump, horn, outside mirror, door locks, belt tensioner, dashboard, odometer, battery, key assembly, door trim, and others. Most of these were fixed under warranty several times due to cheap, inferior parts.

The car has lost much of its value too quickly because of the inferior assembly, cheap parts and poor workmanship. Driving this inferior, bad-looking car has continued to raise much conversation about its degenerate appearance and Dodge's decline in quality. In its own small way , the car still tells others a lot about Dodge and its standing among car manufacturers. Because of their long proven decline in quality, I have reached the conclusion not to purchase a car designed or produced by the American auto industry.

Byron of Quincy, IL October 10, 2008

Byron of Quincy IL (10/10/08)
My wife was driving our 1999 Dodge Caravan. Something started smelling hot and then the battery light came on. She pulled over immediately into a parking lot and smoke was coming up from under the hood. An off-duty fireman had seen the smoke and called the fire department. He was worried that with it being a mini-van that there would be kids in the van (luckily there wasn't this time). By the time the fire department came the fire was out. They disconnected the battery for safety precautions and we had the van towed to the mechanic.

The mechanic said that the fire had started from within the starter and appears to have been shooting out of where the wire connects to the starter. It was so hot that all labelings on the starter were melted. The mechanic told us that we were lucky; he suspects that within 30 - 60 seconds the van would have been engulfed in flames. He commented that he has never heard of a starter catching on fire before. I am so glad that nothing happened (other than a $300 repair bill, but that is minor to a loss of the van or the lives of my family members). But I am also worried whether this is a problem that can happen again and maybe next time not be so lucky.

Edna of Vine Grove, KY August 21, 2008

Edna of Vine Grove KY (08/21/08)
After Being a sasified Dodge 1996 Caravan Customer for 10 years, I bought another one 2005 in Sept 2206...It had 27,000 miles on it... Since that time it has been nothing but major problems every few months.

1/17/07 oil in CoolantReplaced short block and timing chain cover. 3/21/07 Oil in Coolant from last repair 4/6/07 Cel light comes on ...Replace oil Press Censor 9/5/07 Cel comes on Replace hoses due from deteriation from previous repait 4/8/07 Compressor Clutch Bearings..Repalced clutch Bearings. (I had to have it towed in)..compressor and pulley belt.. 8/9 Started amking the same noise it had made in april of 2008..

The Service manger said it needed a new drive belt again..I informed him it had been replaced I thought in April...Then he changed his mind and said it needed adjustin..Well the noise did go away... 8/19/08 My air-conditioning and my electric key opener stopped working. Now I'm taking it in today to have that problem solved 8/21/08..

I did buy an extended Warranty on it for 60,000 miles I don't know what to do..It drives good and I sure wish it could be fixed to give me several good miles on it. I have almost 50,000 miles on it now. I wish someone could give me some advice on whether to keep or trade in on another car... I am a senior and bought this car mostly to travel in...

Eric of Apple Valley, CA July 25, 2008

I have a 99 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L with a bad transmission. I have read other complaints and it seems like dodge choices to ignore the problem. It shifts rough and gets stuck in second after driving for a cetain period of time. No codes come up when they check and no one knows what to do.

Cindy of Clayton, NJ May 7, 2008

In December of 2007 my husband and I purchased a 2000 Dodge Caravan. The day we bought it the passenger window did not work, they fix it. Since then we have had many engine/brake problems with the car. We are told the car is old and used so problems will happen. We were not told this when the sale was made. We relize that an older vehicle would not be perfect but this vehicle should never have been put on the lot. We asked for a copy of the ORIGINAL safety check point paper and noone can seem to get us a copy.The car has been back almost once a month and in March it took over a week to fix the engine. Saturday May 3 the car died. We took it back to the dealership and were told to wait untill Monday. On Monday the 5th, we were told it was a starter. They fixed it. On Tuesday the 6th, we picked up the car and my husband drove it to work. The brakes were loud and the wheel is off line. Todat the 7th, I took the vehicle in and the service man was very rude. He they can't look at the car till tomorrow the 8th.Every time we get something fixed, something else goes wrong. We asked that we get a vehicle of the same valuse and were told no. We also bought a 2005 Equinox there and have no problems, it is the Caravan that is a problem. We aren't looking for something brand new, we wanted a minivan for a family of four and a dog. The dealership is making it like it is our fault, this vehicle was not ready to be sold.

Roger of Holtwwod, PA May 2, 2008

I purchased a new Dodge Caravan on oct 12, 2007. on April 10, 2008 I was driving down the Highway in the right lane, when my right side vent window blew out for no reason. I went straight to the dealer and showed him that their was very very little glass in my Car and that it blew out. He told me that something had to have hit it. That a rock just nicked it and it blew out. He said it doesn't take much to break that glass. To top it off I was going to have my right side automatic sliding door fixed as well. It has not been working for weeks prior to this. He told me that it is not working becase a peice of glass got into the track and that it is my problem. Theis are warranty issues and they are covered under my BUMBER to BUMPER warranty. After six months of owning this van they don't care to fix their warranty issues. This is how Dodge deals with their warranty issues.

Robert of Benton, MO April 28, 2008

Robert of Benton MO (04/28/08)
Short and simple: We bought a used 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan - paid cash! It came with a 30 day warranty. Before this 30 day warranty was exhausted, our transmission crashed while we were 5 hours away from home. We were basically stranded. We called the 800 number for service and they were ZERO help. We left the vehicle at a certified Chrysler repair shop in Little Rock, Arkansas and rented a car so that we could get home. This cost us almost $700.00 by the time it was returned a month later. The dealership we left our vehicle at stated it would be a month before they could even look at it. We were given the name of another dealer who had it towed from the dealership we left it with to theirs. They looked at it and said they could get to work on it. We were without a vehicle for a month! We had to drive back down again to pick it up. Three or so months later the transmission failed again. Again, the dealer we bought it from locally would not help and the Chrysler warranty division was ridiculous! We again had to drive it down to Little Rock, Arkansas to get it fixed. They told us the first time parts were ordered to fix it, but this second time they said they ordered a re-manufactured transmission. Well, well, well guess what? A few months later here we are again! The transmission is leaking again. We cannot afford to drive it back to Little Rock, Arkansas nor can I afford to rent a vehicle. I have two small children now under the age of two that depend on reliable, SAFE transportation. This has not happened. I have contacted the CEO of Chrylser, Tom LaSorda, whose secretary stated over two weeks ago I would be getting a personal call from him. This did not happen. Instead, they transferred us back to a lady who works under him in the warranty department. She was of no help either. Apparently, all she does is try and get your vehicle fixed. Well we can do that on our own. We do not want to continue to deal with these transmission problems, being without a vehicle, having to rent vehicles, downtime, etc. We want our money back please. We paid cash and everything from our savings for this so-called perfect family vehicle that the dealership, warranty department and Chrysler will not back up.

Michelle of Blaine, MN March 31, 2008

Michelle of Blaine MN (03/31/08)
Bought a used van for 1500.00 92 Dodge Caravan. Drove fine for test drive. Put gas in and the next day it started sputtering. Thought it was some bad gas. Then it would not go past 2nd gear after driving for a short period of time. Had a diagnotic ran and it showed a oxygen sensor and number 15(vehicle speed sensor). Found a prior sales receipt. A couple had bought in January of 2008 and returned it. They had the same problems. I spoke with them. What it is after speaking with a mechanic/friend is the transmission is going out. Went back to the place of sale spoke and let him know we spoke with the people who boght and returned it. 

Marilyn of Maple Heights, OH March 10, 2008

well i purchased a 98 dodge caravan from jd byrider in sept. 06. It's been in the shop 7 times already getting repaired for the same thing almost everytime and have to pay a deductible everytime i just got it out of the shop 2/13/08 and the svc eng light came on again the following day i took it back to them and they had this little hand computer and the light went off--for a couple of hours they told me i needed a catalytic converter which was done already in june 07----Im at my witts end with them now the engine is ticking--svc eng light and oil light is on.

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