1997 Dodge Grand Caravan Airbags Problems

I PURCHASED MY 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN 2009, AND SHORTLY AFTER THE GAUGE CLUSTER STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE AND ABS LIGHTS CAME ON WHICH ON CHECKING WITH MY MECHANIC SAID MY ABS SYSTEM IS NON-FUNCTIONAL AS IS ALL OTHER INSTRUMENT RELATED READINGS. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE PANEL CAME BACK ON AND WORKED FOR AWHILE THAN SHUT OFF AGAIN. SOMEONE SAID HIT THE PANEL FACE AND THE GAUGES SHOULD COME BACK ON. I DID AND IT DID. FOR AWHILE. OVER TIME THE GAUGE FAILURE INTERVAL GREW SHORTER AND SHORTER, AND HITTING THE PANEL FINALLY FAILED TO RETURN THE USE OF THE GAUGES. TO REPLACE THIS GAUGE CLUSTER IS AN $800.00 PLUS REPAIR IN A SHOP WITH A REBUILD PANEL COSTING OVER $200.00 BY ITSELF. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT A DEALER WILL CHARGE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I HAVE LEARNED THE GAUGE FAILURE CULPRIT IS COLD SOLDER JOINTS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE GAUGE CLUSTER AND IS AN ALL TOO COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CLASS OF VEHICLE. THIS DEFICIENCY CAN EASILY BE AVOIDED BY BETTER QUALITY CONTROL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10614903

Incident

Jul 21, 2014

Mileage

106,500 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE STOPPED AND PREPARING TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, DESTROYING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, HOWEVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS KILLED. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000. UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF

NHTSA ID

10382621

Incident

Oct 27, 2010

Mileage

220,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. HE CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V293000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 69,500. UPDATED 05/27/09. *LJ UPDATED 05/28/09. *JB

NHTSA ID

10267227

Incident

Apr 16, 2009

Mileage

69,500 mi

TL*THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE CLOCK SPRING, BUT HE DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED BECAUSE THE DODGE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE SINCE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ID

10227559

Incident

Mar 28, 2003

Mileage

80,000 mi

NO AIRBAG, NO HORN. *NM

NHTSA ID

10143388

Incident

Jan 15, 2003

Mileage

85,000 mi

DT: 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1996. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO FIXED THE MASTER CYLINDER BECAUSE THE LIGHT TO AIRBAGS STAYED ON. THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHTS BLINKED OFF AND ON OCCASIONALLY. WHEN SEEING THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD THE CONSUMER COULD LOOK AT THIS AS A WARNING, BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE HOW FAST SHE WAS GOING OR HOW MUCH GAS THERE WAS IN THE GAS TANK. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. I THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP IN 2003, AND THEY CHANGED THE CLOCK SPRING. ALSO, THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. FIRST, THE ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF, NOW ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON, BUT NOTHING WAS WORKING ON DASHBOARD. *AK

NHTSA ID

10140224

Incident

Jan 1, 2003

DT: DT: THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM AN INDIVIDUAL. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE CONSUMER LEARNED OF TWO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, ONE FOR THE FUEL RAIL AND ONE FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON THE LETTER SENT TO CONSUMER. THIS HAPPENED ON JANUARY 17, 2005 . *AK *NM

NHTSA ID

10130453

Incident

Jan 17, 2005

Mileage

93,000 mi

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 MPH ,AND WHILE CROSSING THE RAILROAD TRACKS, BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. WHEN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IT CRACKED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. *AK

NHTSA ID

10105364

Incident

Dec 23, 2004

Mileage

189,000 mi

THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10099556

Incident

Oct 15, 2004

Mileage

111,793 mi

AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB *TC

NHTSA ID

10092514

Incident

Jul 20, 2004

Mileage

93,353 mi

VEHICLE IS BEING RECALLED FOR A CLOCK SPRING FAILURE. HOWEVER, PARTS ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. *AK THE CRUISE WAS INOPERATIVE, THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT STAYED ON. RECALL#02V293000 AND RECALL#96V215000. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10073619

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

Mileage

150,000 mi

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN OUR '97 DODGE CARAVAN HAS STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT IS DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT CLOCKSPRING WIRING HARNESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN, MEANING THAT THE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK AS WELL AS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. IT APPEARS THIS CLOCKSPRING FAILURE MODE IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL. I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY THE DEALER TO FIX IT (AROUND $200). *JB

NHTSA ID

10062690

Incident

Mar 20, 2004

Mileage

113,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, BUT DISCOVERED THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, IT TOOK THE VEHICLE OVER 100 YARDS TO STOP. *AK THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10053908

Incident

Jan 4, 2004

Mileage

70,000 mi

HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING AND AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. *AK

NHTSA ID

10056441

Incident

Dec 27, 2003

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A CLOCK SPRING PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055583

Incident

Jan 21, 2004

Mileage

82,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT CROSSED OVER THE MEDIAN. UPON IMPACT, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER'S ANKLE WAS SHATTERED AND RECEIVED CONTUSIONS TO THE CHEST.*AK

NHTSA ID

10053358

Incident

Dec 28, 2003

Mileage

91,000 mi

VEHICLE HIT A DEER WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH. UPON IMPACT WITH THE DEER, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE CORRECT VIN NUMBER UPON RECEIPT OF THIS COMPLAINT. *PH

NHTSA ID

10047784

Incident

Nov 5, 2003

THE FRONT BRAKES WERE WORN, AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, TENSIONER ASSEMBLY FAILED, HORN WAS INOPERABLE, AND THE WATER PUMP LEAKED. AS CORRECTIONS, ALL DEFECTIVE COMPONETS WERE REPLACED. *PH *JB

NHTSA ID

10029509

Mileage

89,122 mi

WHILE TRAVELING 5 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

10021852

ON 04-26-2003 MY FAMILY AND I WERE LEAVING THE DETROIT METRO AIRPORT PARKING GARAGE. WE HAD JUST LEFT OUR PARKING SPOT WHEN WE PASSED OVER WHAT I ASSUMED WAS A SPEED BUMP GOING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH HEADING TOWARD THE TICKET BOOTH WHICH WAS JUST AHEAD. AS WE PASSED THIS SPEED BUMP OUR AIR BAGS SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLE THAT WOULD JUSTIFY THE AIR BAGS GOING OFF AS THEY DID. WE HAVE INFORMED OUR DEALERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM, AS WE FEEL THAT THE AIR BAGS ARE FAULTY, AND THEY ALSO AGREED AT THAT TIME THAT THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, [XXX] AT THE M-59 DODGE DEALER WHO SAID THAT WE WOULD BE CONTACTED AND THE MATTER INVESTIGATED. I SPOKE TO A [XXX]. , WITH THE CHRYSLER INVESTIGATIONS DEPT WHO STATED TO ME THAT THEY DETERMINED THAT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FROM IMPACT WITH A SPEED BUMP AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. WE FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS A POSSIBLE PROBLEM IN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM AND AT THE LEAST HAVE THE CAR FIXED, AS OUR DASH BOARD IS ALL TORE APART AT THIS TIME, MAKING THE CAR VIRTUALLY UNDRIVABLE. WE HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AS THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN A WORSE SITUATION IF WE HAD BEEN DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND PASSED A BUMP OR HIT A POT HOLE AND THESE BAGS HAD DEPLOYED,CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT/FATALITY. THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, VIN # [XXX]. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10017108

Incident

Apr 26, 2003

Mileage

112,550 mi

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL IN REFERENCE TO THE CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. THE AIR BAG WAS IN FACT FAULTY AND THE CLOCKSPRING WAS REPLACED. MR SCC

NHTSA ID

10011702

WINSHIELD WIPERS AND HORN FAILED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10013744

Incident

Jan 1, 1999

Mileage

15,000 mi

THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY. *JB

NHTSA ID

10014563

Incident

Sep 20, 2001

Mileage

60,000 mi

PREMATURE WEAR OF REAR BRAKE SHOES, NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ALSO, CLOCK SPRING FAILED WHICH CAUSED HORN TO BE INOPERATIVE.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID

10009271

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON HORN WOULDN'T WORK CRUISE CONTROL WOULDN'T WORK DEALER KNEW RIGHT AWAY WHAT PROBLEM WAS. DT

NHTSA ID

769415

Incident

Aug 14, 2002