1993 Dodge Caravan Engine Problems

I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE A/C, HEATER SWITCHING TO BLOW OUT THROUGH THE DEFROST WHEN ACCELERATING OR UNDER LOAD CAUSING POOR COOLING/HEATING. I TALKED TO CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING IT TO SWITCH. I HAVE HAD THE COMPRESSOR REPLACED WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING. I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING FAN AFTER WARRANTY. IT FAILED AGAIN ALMOST A YEAR LATER. BUT THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH ONLY INSTALLATION COST. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT OTHER THINGS CAN BE DONE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF SWITCHING TO DEFROST. SINCERELY [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10070370

Incident

Aug 15, 2000

Mileage

120,000 mi

DURING VEHICLE INSPECTION THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT STEERING COLUMN WAS EXCESSIVELY LOOSE. THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED THE FRONT COVER, TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, WATER PUMP AND OIL PUMP. *AK *CB *NLM

NHTSA ID

10022850

Incident

Sep 22, 1999

Mileage

91,800 mi

THE BALL JOINTS AND STARTER FAILED, THE BRAKE LINE WAS BROKEN, THE SIDE DOOR FELL OFF, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED OIL AND COOLANT FAILURES. ALSO THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN OUTER ROD END INSTALLED AND A NEW TRANSMISSION WITHIN ONE YEAR OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. *JG *JB

NHTSA ID

10006061

THE SLIDING DOOR SEPARATED FROM THE HINGES, ALSO THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL, COOLANT, BALL JOINTS, STARTER, BRAKE LINE, TIE ROD, TRANSMISSION, EXHAUST AND THE FRONT BRAKES. TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10002079

Incident

Dec 28, 2002

THE CONSUMER HAD A BRAKE RECALL# 96V099000-REPAIRS DONE, AND TWO MONTHS LATER THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. *AK THE ABS WERE CHECKED AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE OKAY. THE FIRST TIME THE BRAKES FAILED, THE CONSUMER WAS THEN NOTIFIED OF A RECALL. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURED WHEN THE DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE-ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DODGE DEALER AND THE CONSUMERS WERE TOLD THAT THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED AND REPAIRS WERE DONE. (BUT BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUED PROBLEMS, THE VEHICLE STAYED AT THE SHOP FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS PLUS) THE LAST INCIDENT HAPPENED ONE MONTH LATER, WHERE THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD COME ON. PER INVOICE-FOUND THAT THE ACTUATOR PISTON IN THE HYDRAULIC ASSEMBLY WAS LEAKING-REPLACED, ALSO REPLACED THE BRAKE VALVE AND BRAKE LINE, THE FITTING WAS FROZEN IN THE VALVE-REPLACED, FOUND A LOW ACCUMULATER TO BE DEFECTIVE-REPLACED, AND THE REAR HEATER COOLANT LINES LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE. *SCC

NHTSA ID

8018738

Incident

Sep 2, 2002

VEHICLE WILL STALL INTERMITTENTLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP, WILL START RIGHT UP AGAIN. DEALER NOT CONTACTED YET.*AK

NHTSA ID

8011100

Incident

Mar 1, 2002

MOTOR MOUNT MAKING NOISE WHEN USING GAS PEDAL

NHTSA ID

9003625

Incident

Jun 10, 2001

BRAKE PUMP PREMATURELY FAILS, CAUSING ENGINE RINGS TO BLOWOUT.ALSO, WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL BECOMES VERY HARD, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

898231

VEHICLE WILL STALL ANYTIME, VERY DANGEROUS. *AK

NHTSA ID

748922

Incident

Jul 1, 2000

VEHICLE STALLS AND WONT RESTART FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, STALLS WHILE DRIVING OR JUST IDLING, PROBLEM CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED ON COMPUTER AT DEALER, I HEARD THIS IS A TYPICAL CARAVAN PROBLEM BUT NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO FIX IT. *AK

NHTSA ID

746420

Incident

Jul 1, 2000

PLASTIC WHEEL ON WATER PUMP PULLEY HAS BROKEN ON THREE OCCASIONS. ALL REPAIRS WERE DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. BUT, PROBLEM KEPT REOCCURRING. BELIEVED THIS PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE PARTS. ASKING NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

889457

Incident

Mar 15, 2001

ENGINE MADE A BANGING NOISE IN MORNING, LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BLOWOUT. IT SOUNDED LIKE NO OIL WAS IN ENGINE. CONSUMER USED UP TO 1 QUART EVERY 900 MILES. CONSUMER HAS BEEN BATTLING THIS PROBLEM FOR SOMETIME. DEALER SAID PROBLEM INVOLVED VALVE SLEEVE. CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $3000 TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE MANUFACTURER WOULDN'T HONOR WARRANTY.*AK THE ENGINE PROBLEM OCCURED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE DEALER WAITED UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CONSUMER POINTED OUT REPLACING OR REPAIRING THE ENGINE OUT OF POCKET WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. *YH

NHTSA ID

884431

Incident

Dec 1, 1998

ENGINE BELT CAME OFF, CAUSING STEERING FAILURE. DEALER REPAIRED BELT, BUT PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. *AK WHEN DRIVING 38 TO 42 MPH STEERING WHEEL IS VIBRATING. CONSUMER STATES PRESSURE PULLEY OR TENSIONER KEEPS BREAKING BOLT, IT DOES NOT TAKE PRESSURE, AT SPEEDS ABOVE 38 MPH IT VIBRATES LIKE IT'S GOING TO COME OFF. *SLC

NHTSA ID

881860

Incident

May 1, 1998

SEALS NO LONGER FIT HEAD PROPERLY, AND ENGINE IS SUCKING OIL THROUGH, AND CAUSING CAR TO SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPE.*AK

NHTSA ID

739922

THE PULLEY/BELT TENSIONER DISINTEGRATED AND CAME APART CAUSING PARTS TO FALL OFF ENGINE WHILE DRIVING AND RESULTING IN AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. NLM *SLC

NHTSA ID

558564

Incident

Nov 29, 2000

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM FAN KEEPS LOOSENING. IF CONSUMER DOES NOT TIGHTEN FAN PERIODICALLY, IT WOULD FALL OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID

876383

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

ENGINE BURNS MORE OIL THAN GAS. SMOKE IS A BLUE CLOUD COLOR COMING FROM EXHAUST. DEALER WILL FIX IT AT CONSUMER'S COST.*AK

NHTSA ID

875442

Incident

Jul 1, 1998

I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE/CHRYSLER I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TOYOTA. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

726465

Incident

Jun 30, 2000

VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED CONTINUED STALLING PROBLEMS. *MJS

NHTSA ID

552672

FREON WAS LEAKING FROM AIR CONDITIONER. LEAK WAS COMING FROM UNDER DASHBOARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND THEY HAD TO GO UNDER THE DASHBOARD, THEY FIXED THE LEAK. ONE MONTH BEFORE, HAD TO PUT A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. THEN DRIVESHAFT BELT BROKE. CONSUMER HAS HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK LEFT DOOR SWITCH FAILED. HEATER CORE, EVAPORATOR, CONDENSER, O- RINGS AND SEALS ALL REPLACED. STARTER FAILED. ENGINE TIMING CASE COVER, GASKETS SEALS BELT AND TENSIONERS FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

861776

Incident

Apr 11, 2000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE JUST STOPPED. ALSO, ENGINE WAS BLOWING BLUE SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD PIPE. *AK

NHTSA ID

860983

Incident

Nov 11, 1999

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

721222

Incident

Apr 17, 1996

TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO A HALT WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL. NLM

NHTSA ID

551433

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH SERPENTINE BELT COMING OFF PULLY WHENEVER VEHICLE ROLLED OVER A PUDDLE OF WATER OR SNOW. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INSTALLED A SHIELD OVER AREA, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

NHTSA ID

854264

Incident

Jan 15, 1999

BREAKS - AT 21,000 MILES BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE BREAK PROBLEMS - 1ST A BAD BREAK SPRING LATER - 48,000 ABS PUMP REPLACED; 56,000 BREAK PROBLEMS AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM; AT 80,000 PISTON ASSEMBLY (RECALL) WAS REPLACED AGAIN DUE TO LIGHT STAYING ON AND BREAKING FAILURE ENGINE - 18,000 MILES OIL LEAK WAS DISCOVERED; BAD GASKETS 48,000 INFORMED DEALERSHIP VAN WAS USING EXCESS OIL, THEY STATED NO PROBLEM 62,500 CYLINDER GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED, CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE GARAGE 81,000 CAR DIED OUT - BAD INTAKE VALE, ALL EXHAUST GUIDES BAD, HEADS NEEDED REDONE, AND A NEW VALVE JOB TAILGATE - RATTLED AT 18,500 AND WAS ADJUSTED; 21,800 INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT STAYED ON AND DOOR WAS HARD TO CLOSED; TAILGATE HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECT AIR CONDITIONER - DOES NOT STAY COOL, DEALERSHIP CHECKED FOR LEAKS AND RECHARGED ; FOLLOWING YEAR IT IS WAS NOT COLD AGAIN RADIO - AT TIMES IT DOES NOT TURN ON, OR IT JUST TURNS OFF ON ITS OWN OTHER NOT LISTED - WINDOW SEALS SEEM TO BE LEAKING AIR

NHTSA ID

714389

Incident

Oct 21, 1999