1997 Dodge Grand Caravan Powertrain (other) Problems

CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60MPH; ENGINE REMAINED ON. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND IT STARTED BACK UP AGAIN AND DROVE FINE FOR ABOUT 2 MILES. 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN IT LOST POWER AGAIN, I SLOWED AND THEN TRIED TO REACCELERATE, AND IT DROVE FINE FOR ABOUT 5 MILES, ENOUGH TO GET ME OFF THE FREEWAY AND TO A SAFE LOCATION. I CHECKED THE OIL AND TRANSMISSION LEVELS, WHICH WERE OK, AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEAKING UNDER THE CAR. WENT TO AN APPOINTMENT, AND CAME BACK TO THE CAR, WHICH STARTED UP AND DROVE OK FOR ABOUT A HALF MILE, THEN IT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THIS TIME IT WOULDN'T START BACK UP AGAIN, SO I PUSHED IT ONTO A SIDE STREET, WHERE IT STARTED UP FINE AND DROVE TO THE NEAREST GAS/REPAIR STATION. NOW, THE VAN WON'T START AGAIN. VAN WAS PROCEEDING STRAIGHT IN ALL SITUATIONS.

NHTSA ID

11282502

Incident

Nov 26, 2019

Mileage

104,233 mi

WAS DRIVING THE VAN ABOUT APPROX 35 MPH IN A SNOW STORM WHEN IT STARTED TO SLIDE, I ACCELERATED TO KEEP FROM SPINNING OUT AND THE TRANSMISSION LET GO..TOOK IT TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT PUT IT IN AND THEY SAID THE SPIDER GEARS WERE "WELDED" TO THE SHAFT AND IT CAUSED THE SHAFT TO BREAK..THIS IS THE SECOND TRANNY WE PUT IN THIS VAN FOR THE SAME THING. MANUFACTURE DEFECT..THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE NEW TRANNY.. IT COST ME OVER $1950 TO PUT THIS TRANNY IN AND IT IS A REBUILD FROM ADVANCED AUTO..THEY SAID ITS A MANUFACTURE REBUILD..ALSO, THE SWITCH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS IS VERY LOOSE AND YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH IT AND GET IT IN A CERTAIN POSITION TO GET THE LIGHTS TO STAY ON. YOU HAVE TO TURN THEM ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT THEN PULL IT OUT A LITTLE THEN IT WILL STAY ON.. *TR

NHTSA ID

10494980

Incident

Jan 16, 2013

Mileage

126,321 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT WAS CHANGING THE TIRE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED AND EXHIBITED SIGNS OF RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE UNATTAINABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 107,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000.

NHTSA ID

10352950

Incident

Mar 16, 2010

Mileage

104,000 mi

THE 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WEAR OUT NEARLY EVERY MONTH. THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SWAY WHILE DRIVING 55MPH ON FREEWAY OR WHEN CHANGING LANES. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT IS ON DUE TO A LEAKAGE IN THE BRAKES. THE EGR VALVE KEEPS GOING OUT AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.

NHTSA ID

10128830

Incident

Feb 24, 2005

Mileage

152,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT GEARS IF THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON. THE AIR CONDITIONER TURNED ALL THE WAY UP WILL BLOW OUT AIR AS IF IT WAS ON MID WAY. THE WIND SHIELD WIPERS COME ON WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL IS ACTIVATED, WHICH CAUSES ME TO BUY BLADES MORE OFTEN. THE BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK UP WHEN THE GROUND IS WET. YOU CAN HEAR METAL HITTING TOGETHER, AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO ROLL. MY SISTER-IN-LAW, AND ONE OF MY DAYCARE MOMS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE NOT AS LUCKY AS I WAS IT CAUSED THEM TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10070637

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

Mileage

100,000 mi

AT 91,000 MILES THE VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORS & FRIENDS ALSO EXPERIENCE GRAND CARAVAN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN 97 & 98 MODELS, THERE OBVIOUSLY IS A MAJOR DESIGN PROBLEM. I HAD OWNED A 1989 GRAND CARAVAN THAT HAD TWO TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I TOOK A CHANCE GOING BACK TO CHRYSLER AND LOST THE BET. WHILE CHRYSLER "CUSTOMER NO SERVICE" HAS TOLD ME "SIR, WHEN YOU SIGNED THE DOTTED LINE, YOU KNEW THE WARRANTY WAS 36,000 MILES", CLEARLY THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION IS THAT TRANSMISSIONS IN $30,000 AUTOMOBILES SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 90,000 MILES. WHILE CHRYSLER CAN HIDE BEHIND THE WARRANTY ALL THEY WANT, THEY CLEARLY ARE BREAKING WITH THE PUBLIC''S TRUST. THE FACT THAT CHRYSLER HAS HAD 100,000 MILE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTIES ON OTHER YEARS OF GRAND CARAVANS BESPEAKS TO THE LEVELS THAT THEY: 1. HAD TO GO TO GAIN PUBLIC TRUST 2. THE RECOGNITION THAT THEY MAY HAVE DESIGN PROBLEMS. LASTLY, AS I HAVE LEARNED, THEIR "CUSTOMER NO SERVICE" DEPARTMENT IS A VERY SHORT ONE WAY STREET. WHEN I CALLED, I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE PROCESS TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN IN VERY SHORT ORDER THAT THE FIRST PERSON I TALKED TO WAS ALSO THE LAST PERSON THAT I WOULD TO TALK. HE QUICKLY MADE THE DECISION THE CHRYSLER WAS NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING IN ANY WAY AND THAT HIS DECISION WAS FINAL. THERE WAS NEVER ANY "I AM SORRY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NOT MUCH THAT I CAN DO". IT WAS "YOU KNEW WHAT YOU PURCHASED, AND I AM NOT GOING TO HELP YOU IN ANY WAY". IN FACT HE KEPT REMINDING ME HOW LONG WE SPOKE ON THE PHONE AND THAT I WAS WASTING MINE AND IMPLICITLY HIS TIME. ALL IN ALL A VERY POOR EXPERIENCE WITH A LOUSY PRODUCT AND NON-EXISTENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

NHTSA ID

10070510

Incident

Jul 15, 2003

Mileage

91,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED AIR BAG INDIACTOR LIGHT WAS ON INTERMITTENTLY SOON AFTER, RADIO CAME ON AND BEEN REPLACED. ALSO, SPEEDODOMETER GAVE WRONG READING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND REPLACED BATTERY. HAS BEEN REPLACE 6 TIMES. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

897737

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR UNDER LOAD CONDITIONS GOING UPHILL. WHEN WEATHER IS HOT, THE DRIVETRAIN AND ENGINE OVERHEAT, CAN NOT MAINTAIN SPEED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTIN SPEED OF GREATER THAN 45 GOING UPHILL. WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO A HIGHWAY GOING UPHILL WITH THE SPEED LIMIT 45 OR MORE, YOU CAN NOT ACCELERATE TO THE SPEED WITHOUT THE ENGINE RACING AT OVER 6,000 RPM AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR WHILE IT IS IN A LOAD SITUATION. DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS STATING IN WRITING THAT IT IS A DESIGN FUALT ISSUE AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF RESOLVING THE BAD DESIGN. THIS CONDITION HAS CAUSE NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS CONCERNING ACCIDENTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

718703

Incident

Jul 2, 1998

THIS VAN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WILL JERK SUDDENLY AS IF IT IS LOSING POWER. IT ALSO STALLS OUT AND HAS DONE THIS AT SPEEDS AS HIGH AS 40 MPH DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. I ADMIT THAT THIS IS A INTERMMITENT PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN THAT COULD BRING SEVERE INJURY TO MY FAMILY.

NHTSA ID

712449

Incident

Jul 1, 1999

REAR RIGHT TRANSMISSIONS FRONT PUMP SEAL IS LEAKING. YH

NHTSA ID

607353

Incident

Aug 17, 1998

TRANS AXLE FAILED COMPLETELY. YH

NHTSA ID

606537

Incident

Feb 25, 1998

HUB AND WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ID

604435

Incident

Aug 10, 1997