1997 Dodge Caravan Heating & air conditioning Problems

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. INSTRUMENT PANEL DID NOT WORK. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS DIGITAL. BUTTONS FOR AIR CONDITIONER AND REAR DEFROSTER FLASHED CONSTANTLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO GARAGE, AND THEY RECOMMENDED DODGE DEALER. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON THEIR OWN. VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE TO BE ON RUNNING FOR WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO COME ON. THEY CAME ON ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS. ALSO, TRAVELING INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON. CONSUMER STOPPED LIGHTS FROM COMING ON BY PUTTING TAPE ON DOOR. CONSUMER BELIEVED THESE WERE DIFFERENT ISSUES. HE REPLACED FAN CONTROL MODULE LAST YEAR, AND THAT DID NOT HELP.*AK CONSUMER ADDED THAT POUNDING ON THE DASHBOARD MADE THE DASH LIGHT ILLUMINATE. *TT

NHTSA ID

10125113

Incident

Jan 15, 2004

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE THE DEALER. *NM THE A/C WAS INOPERATIVE, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE SES LIGHT. RECALL# 04V480000. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10095138

Incident

Jul 7, 2004

WHILE DRIVING OVER WATER PUDDLES CONSUMER NOTICED THE SERPENTINE BELT FROZE, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP. *AK THE POWER STEERING HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE, THE GEARS WOULD SLIP WHEN SHIFTED, THE WATER PUMP LEAKED, THE BELT TENSIONER FELL APART, THE CONSUMER WOULD LOSE THE STEERING WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER,THE A/C DID NOT BLOW COOL AIR DUE TO A LEAKING EVAPORATOR, AND THE BELT TENSIONER WOULD STICK AND MAKE NOISES WHEN DRIVING THROUGH WATER. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10057730

Mileage

11,475 mi

THERE HAS BEEN 5 REPLACEMENT TORQUE CONVERTERS SINCE PURCHASE. VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN DUE TO THE DEFECT IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *MR THIS PROBLEM HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, EVERY YEAR THE CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT, ALSO THE BRAKES. THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED TWICE, THERE WAS AN OIL PAN LEAK, THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, AND THE AC NEEDED A NEW CONDENSER. *SCC

NHTSA ID

10037856

AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED CLOCK SPRING. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT OTHER VEHICLES ARE INCLUDED IN A RECALL, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS LEAKING, DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *SLC

NHTSA ID

8016097

Incident

May 10, 2002

THE EXACT SAME COMPONENTS FAILED ON MY 1994 DODGE INTREPID AT 30K MILES, IN 3 MODEL YEARS, CHRYSLER HAS MADE NO CHANGE TO THE OBVIOUSLY LOW QUALITY/POORLY DESIGNED/DEFECTIVE AC PUMP. *AK

NHTSA ID

746747

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

WHILE USING AIR CONDITIONER IT STOPPED WITHOUT A WARNING OF ANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK A/C WAS REPLACED ON WARRANTY. THE STRUTS WERE LEAKING. THE FUEL SENSOR SYSTEM FAILED PREMATURELY AND WAS REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID

881048

Incident

Feb 5, 2001

HAD JUST TURNED ON AIR CONDITIONER WHEN CONDENSATION STARTED TO BUILD UP & DRIPPED ON BELT CONTROLLING STEERING. THIS CAUSED BELT TO SLIP & LOSS OF POWER STEERING. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #19-01-97 REVISED A WAS SENT ON THE PROBLEM. REPLACING AIR CONDITIONER. *AK THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WAS DUE TO DESIGN FLAW BY THE MANUFACTURER, ACCORDING TO THE CONSUMER. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR. *YH

NHTSA ID

875967

WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 30 MPH SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER PULLEY BROKE, CAUSING ALL POWER STEERING TO BE LOST. VAN WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE BELT TENSIONER ASSEMBLY AND POWER STEERING PULLEY WAS REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM,AND HAPPENED ALL THE TIME. OWNER VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF HIMSELF AND OTHERS. *AK TRANSMISSION JERKS WHILE TAKING OFF FROM STOP. A/C DOES NOT COOL ENOUGH. *YH

NHTSA ID

866581

Incident

Jul 29, 2000

I FEEL THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IT HAS. THEY ARE DEFENITELY A MAJOR FACTOR IN SAFETY. I HOPE THESE PROBLEMS ARE FIXED IN THE NEWER MODLES BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE PURCHASE MINI-VANS FOR THEIR FAMILY OR COMPANY VEHICLE. THEREFORE, THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE I FEEL COULD PROBABLY FALL UNDER THE LEMON LAW. OR, MANUFACTORS ARE JUST MAKING A BIG PROFIT AND ARE NOT CONSIDERING THE SAFETY OF THEIR DRIVERS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM PUT THEIR FAMILY IN A VEHICLE WITH THE PROBLEMS MINE HAS AND QUARANTEE THEIR SAFETY.*AK

NHTSA ID

722471

Incident

Mar 1, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

721919

Incident

Apr 20, 2000

THE CLUTCH HAD BURNT OUT IN THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR OIL CHANGE & WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

847505

Incident

Jul 27, 1999

A/C NOT WORKING, SALESMAN SAID IT NEEDED FREON SO CONSUMER HAD IT PUT IN BUT THE AIR CONDITIONER STILL IS'NT WORKING.

NHTSA ID

782376

THE SERPENTINE BELT PULLY HAS BROKEN TWICE, RESULTING IN VEHICLE BEING TOWED TWICE, THERE IS A CONSTANT THUD FROM THE GAS TANK WHEN ACCELERATING, STOPPED DRAINS FROM THE "AC" ARE A CONTINOUS PROBLEM, CAR STUTTERS AT TURNPIKE SPEEDS AS WELL AS NORMAL CITY DRIVING, CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 22 TIMES IN 27 MONTHS, TRIED TO GET INFORMATION CONCERNING "LEMON LAW" BUT WAS ASKED TO "GIVE US THE CHANCE TO MAKE IT RIGHT" .HAVE HAD A NIAGRA FALLS FROM UNDER THE DASH TWICE SINCE THEY "FIXED THE PROBLEM" CAR VIBRATES AT TURNPIKE SPEEDS. DOOR LOCKS BREAK/FOUL SMELL WHEN THE "AC" COMES ON, ENGINE SERVICE LIGHTS COME ON FOR NO REASON, THE VAN WAS LEASED, AND TO GET OUT OF THE LEASE WOULD INVOLVE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I WOULD TAKE MY 7 YEAR OLD BONNEVILLE ON TRIP BEFORE I WOULD TAKE MY 2 YEAR OLD VAN. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? *AK

NHTSA ID

705119

Incident

Mar 2, 1999

THE FIRST INCIDENT INVOLVES THE AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM, I REPORTED A WHINING NOISE TO THE DEALER AND ON THE FIRST INSPECTION THEY INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, ON THE SECOND VISIT I INSISTED THAT THE SERVICE ADVISOR RIDE WITH ME AT WHICH TIME HE DID INFACT HEAR THE NOISE,THEY INSPECTED THE VAN AND SAID THAT IT WAS LEAKING FREON.THE NOISE STILL PREVAILED AND WHEN I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALER THEY REINSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INDICATED THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR,A MOVE TO A NEW LOCATION BY THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER REQUIRED ME TO WAIT OVER A MONTH, AND CAUSED MY VAN TO GO OUT OF WARRANTY, WHICH THE DEALER TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY THAT THEY WOULD HANDLE ANY PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD WITH NO CHARGE. I RETURNED THE VAN TO THE DEALER ON WEDNESDAY NOV. 18,1998 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT AGAIN, AND INFORMED THEM THAT IT STILL MAKES NOISE AND IN FACT IT MAKES OTHER NOISES, POSSIBLY THE FAN BELT WAS LOOSE ETC. THEY REPLACED THE FAN BELT AND CHARGES ME $71.00 TO DO SO AS IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY.I HAVE PURCHASED A MAX WARRANTY FROM CHRYSLER FOR $1200.00, IN OCTOBER BEFORE IT WENT OUT OF WARRANTY. THE SECOND PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING IS THAT THE VEHICLE IS BURNING OIL, AND I HAVE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCATIONS TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT. THEY DID A MILAGE CHECK TO SEE THE CONSUMPTION OVER A GIVEN TIME PERIOD.IT WAS FIRST DONE OVER A 3000 MILE PERIOD AT WHICH TIME IT BURNED A HALF QUART OF OIL,WHICH THE DEALER SAID WAS ACCEPTABLE, THE SECOND TEST WAS OVER A 6000 MILE PERIOD AND THE VEHICLE BURNED A HALF A QUART OF OIL, THE THIRD TIME WAS OVER A 3000 MILE PERIOD AND NOW THE VEHICLE BURNS A FULL QUART OF OIL, AND WHEN I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY SAID THAT WAS STILL ACCEPTABLE. I AM CONFUSED, THIS DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT I THINK THAT I MAY HAVE A LEMON, PLEASE RESPOND, AS I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT.

NHTSA ID

700745

Incident

May 1, 1998

WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT THE SENSOR BEING TRIGGERED. PREVIOUSLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH A/C, BUT NO AIRBAGS PROBLEM. OCCUPANT SUSTAINED INJURIES DUE TO THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

813912

Incident

Jun 16, 1997