1996 Dodge Caravan Body & structure Problems

WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE I TOUCHED BREAK AND THE VAN ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE. THE VAN JUMPED THE CURB AND WAS HEADING TOWARD 3 PEOPLE, I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH TO HIT A LIGHT POLE INSTEAD OF THEM. THE VAN QUIT RACING FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN REVVED UP AGAIN. THE LIGHT POLE FELL AND I WAS AGAIN HEADED TOWARD THE PEOPLE. I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VAN, BUT NOT BEFORE HITTING THE PEOPLE. LUCKILY THEY WERE JUST BRUISED BECAUSE I JUST BUMPED THEM AND DIDN'T RUN OVER THEM. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I ALMOST KILLED SOME PEOPLE AND NO LONGER HAVE TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THE VAN WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA ID

10724131

Incident

May 9, 2015

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HATCHBACK HANDLE ASSEMBLY JAMMED IN AUGUST 2002. THE HATCHBACK HANDLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED IN AUGUST 2002. THE SAME PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND THE HANDLE IS CURRENTLY JAMMED. SOMETIMES THE HATCH WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. THE DEALERS HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE REOCCURRING PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/16/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10158649

Incident

Aug 21, 2002

Mileage

100,631 mi

DT: IN APRIL WHILE DRIVING DOWN I-70 AT ABOUT 70 MPH THE OWNER WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A RIPPING NOISE . LOOKED BACK AND SAW SIDE PANEL IN THE AIR AND IT FLEW INTO THE MEDIAN. IT WAS A PIECE OF GRAY PANEL THAT WAS ALONG THE VAN AT THE BOTTOM. THERE WERE CARS AROUND, BUT THE PLASTIC PIECE DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING OR ANYONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. OWNER HAS NO IDEA WHY THE PANEL FELL OFF. THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE, AND IT WAS REGULARLY SERVICED. THE ONLY DEALER INFORMATION THE CONSUMER HAD WAS THE NAME AND CITY AND STATE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10129095

Incident

Apr 14, 2005

Mileage

125,000 mi

LEFT FRONT STRUT MTG TOWER RUSTED THROUGH BY THE TIME THE RUST WAS SEEN THE METAL IN THE STRUT TOWER HAD FAILED CHRYSLER REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING STATING IT WAS OVER 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE FOR MANIFACTURERS DEFFECT REPAIR YET THIS IS KNOWN AS A COMMON PROBLEM AND CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL IF IT FAILS ON THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID

10071030

Incident

Oct 15, 2003

Mileage

103,000 mi

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, HE STOPPED AT A REST AREA AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING. TRANSMISSION FLUID STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE FILL TUBE. THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. *SCC

NHTSA ID

568054

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WILL FLASH ON AND OFF/ WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT WORK OR SOMETIMES COME ON BY THEMSELVES, AND POWER DOOR LOCKS WILL COME UNLOCKED BY THENSELVES. HAS CHANGED CONTROL MODULE AT LEAST 4 TIMES. DEALER CONTACTED. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

8005126

Incident

Mar 6, 2002

CONSUMER STATED THAT COULD CLOSE THE SLIDING DOOR BUT IT WILL NOT LOCK WHERE WHILE DRIVING COULD FEEL THE OPENING OF THE DOOR DEALER WAS CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.

NHTSA ID

8002852

Incident

Jan 22, 2002

AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD HAS COME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE, BUT INFORMED CONSUMER HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS TO VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATES HORN ALSO IS INOPERABLE. AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR COIL FAILED. DOOR LOCKS DO NOT GO DOWN AUTOMATICALLY. *SLC

NHTSA ID

893794

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

WHILE USING AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS SLIDING DOOR AND BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS FAILED TO LOCK. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED PARTS. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

890199

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY WENT FROM 70 MPH TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING, UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE PAN, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THERE HAD BEEN A THUMPING NOISE WHEN TAKING OFF. NLM

NHTSA ID

561071

EA-01-007; CONSUMER HAS NOTICED AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. ALSO, HORN WAS INOPERABLE/ WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, AND ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO LOCK OR UNLOCK. ALSO, NOTE ABS BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, BRAKES HAVE FAILED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF FAILURES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

884180

CONSUMER NEEDED TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SHIFTING INCORRECTLY. PROBLEM COULD'VE BEEN A REBUILT TORQUE CONVERTER THEY USED. CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO REPLACED BECAUSE HORN DIDN'T WORK. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON, AND CRUISE CONTROL WENT TOTALLY OUT.*AK DRIVERS SIDE SLIDING DOOR JAMS, LINKAGE APPEARS OKAY. WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETOMES WILL NOT SHUT OFF AFTER KEY IS REMOVED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

882120

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

HORN FAILED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

554289

Incident

Apr 25, 2000

SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT UNLOCK/LATCH MECHANISM WILL NOT RELEASE, AND DOOR CANNOT BE MANUALLY OPENED, CAUSE UNKNOWN. ALSO, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

868306

DOOR SWITCH WOULD NOT UNLOCK PASSENGER'S SLIDING SIDE DOOR. CONSUMER WOULD OPEN DOOR BY HAND BY REACHING AROUND FROM FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

861183

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

SLIDING DOOR RATTLES AND MOVES OFF THE HINGES, AND HOLDS A GAP. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

860025

Incident

Feb 2, 2000

BRAKES SQUEAKING CONTINOUSLY. YH

NHTSA ID

551067

Incident

Nov 24, 1999

AUTOMATIC SIDE SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH IS USED. DOOR HAS TO BE UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE MANUALLY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

857015

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER COULD HEAR NOISE COMING FROM THE SLIDING DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

855631

Incident

Jan 27, 2000

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ADJUSTED TOO LOW. NLM

NHTSA ID

550338

TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE INTO THE MIDDLE OF A ROAD. NLM

NHTSA ID

549666

Incident

Nov 8, 1999

THE ENGINE IS JUST THE MOST RECENT PROBLEM. WE WENT AHEAD AND BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT IS USUALLY NEVER USED. THIS TIME WE USED IT NUMEROUS TIMES. WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS, THE STARTER HAS BEEN REPLACED, THE FUEL PUMP, THE ENGINE HEAD, THE ELECTRONIC LOCKS CURRENTLY DO NOT WORK. IT HAS JUST BEEN A REAL LEMON. WE JUST DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. THIS TIME THE ENGINE BLEW AND THERE WAS NO CLUE THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. WE HAVE BEEN STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES AND LAST NIGHT JUST BARELY MADE IT HOME.

NHTSA ID

711466

Incident

Sep 15, 1999

INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT WONT RETRACT WHEN PULLED OUT. WEATHERSTRIPPING ON DRIVERS DOOR FELL OFF FOUND OUT THE DRIVERS DOOR WAS NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. CONSTANT BELT NOISE ESPECIALLY DURING WET CONDITIONS. DEALER MUST REPEATEDLY TIGHTEN THEM. BRAKES PULSATE WHEN APPLYING THEM. REPLACED NUMEROUS COMPONENTS ON REAR BRAKES. FUEL TANK WOULD NOT READ FUEL LEVEL CORRECTLY. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE FUEL TANK, FUEL PUMP, AND OTHER COMPONENTS AND SAID THE FUEL TANK WAS BOWED. DUAL SLIDING DOORS HAVE TO BE REPEATEDLY ADJUSTED BECAUSE THEY BECOME DIFFICULT TO SLIDE. DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. RIGHT REAR CHILD SAFETY SEAT HAD HOLE IN THE BUCKLE. REPLACED BATTERY ONCE.INSTALLED CHILD SAFETY BELT EXTENSIONS DUE TO RECALL. VAN IS NOW BACK IN SHOP FOR UNKNOWN PROBLEMS, WILL NOT START.

NHTSA ID

710334

Incident

Mar 18, 1997

SLIDING DOOR RATTLES WHILE DRIVING OVER UNEVEN SURFACES. WHILE DOOR IS RATTLING, DOME LIGHT COMES ON, AND DOOR OPEN INDICATOR LIGHTS. DOOR IS DIFFICULT TO OPEN FROM OUTSIDE WHILE DOOR IS IN FULL OPEN POSITION. DOOR LATCH MECHANISM FELL APART INSIDE, SO THAT INSIDE DOOR RELEASE DOES NOT FUNCTION.

NHTSA ID

710058

Incident

Jan 15, 1997

POORLY DESIGN SLIDING DOOR FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ID

782824