1997 Dodge Grand Caravan Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN LE/ES. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH, THE SUN VISOR FELL FROM OVER THE CONTACTS HEAD ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND HAD TO BE TOWED OUT. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. SHE ADVISED THE SUN VISOR WAS DESIGNED TO SIT TOO CLOSE TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

NHTSA ID

10325820

Incident

Apr 9, 2010

Mileage

140,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHENEVER THE CONTACT SHIFTS, THE VEHICLE MAKES AN UNFAMILIAR NOISE. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED, IT OPERATES NORMALLY. THE TRANSMISSION STALLS AND WILL START BACK UP, BUT IT IS UNRELIABLE. THE VEHICLE WOULD REV AND HAVE TO BE RESTARTED IN ORDER FOR THE REVVING TO STOP. IF THERE IS A POWER FLUCTUATION, THE REAR WIPERS WILL TURN ON AND OFF AT RANDOM. THE HIGH BEAMS ON THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT WORK, BUT THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED. THE PARKING LIGHT ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED. HE REPLACED THE BULB, BUT IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE IS CONSTANTLY REPLACING THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS. THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPS OFF; HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF AND THERE IS A BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLY IS RUSTING AND ROTTING. THE ROCKER PANEL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS RUSTED COMPLETELY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 186,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,766. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF UPDATED 09/11/08.*JB

NHTSA ID

10237378

Incident

Sep 13, 2006

Mileage

149,766 mi

MY 1997 DODGE CARAVAN HAS THE HABIT OF TURNING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON BY THEMSELVES ABOUT TWICE A MONTH. WHILE THEY HAVE NEVER FAILED TO WORK WHEN I NEEDED THEM, I'VE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT OTHER CARAVAN OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING WITH MUCH EXPENSE TAKEN TO FIX AT NO AVAIL. I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANT A FAULTY WIPER SYSTEM AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MFG. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY IF THIS IS INDEED AS RAMPANT A COMPLAINT AS IT SEEMS TO BE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10174501

Incident

Nov 26, 2006

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

WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. VEHICLE WAS ON RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10094260

Incident

Sep 16, 2004

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON RECALL. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10091453

Incident

Sep 7, 2004

MY 1997 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS BEEN A HEADACHE SINCE I GOT IT. RIGHT AFTER I GOT IT I HAD TO PAY $600 TO GET MY DASHBOARD FIXED BECAUSE ALL MY GAUGES QUIT COMPLETELY. NOW MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL GO OFF BY THEMSELVES EVEN WHEN THEY ARE OFF. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES OR UNLOCK THE DOORS OR OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE IT PUT ON A TESTER AND THEY CANT FIND WHY ITS ON. THE REAR END RATTLES PRETTY BAD ALSO AND SOMETIMES THERE IS NO PICK UP AND GO.*AK

NHTSA ID

10078643

Incident

Mar 6, 2004

WHILE DRIVING FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON WITHOUT WARNING. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10068640

Incident

Mar 11, 2004

Mileage

113,000 mi

THE WIPERS OCCASIONALLY COMES ON WHEN TURN SIGNAL IS ON. THE WIPERS CAME ON WHILE I WAS TURNING - CHANGING LANES AND PARTIALLY BLINDING MY VIEW OF THE ROAD. I ALMOST CRASHED WHILE MAKING THE TURN AND IN THE SAME TIME TRYING TO TURN OFF THE WIPER. SINCE THE WIPERS WENT ON WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS DRY, IT CAUSES THE WIPERS TO STREAK LOUDLY AND SCRATCH THE GLASS. ALSO, THE WIPERS CROSSED EACH OTHER AND CAUSE IT TO SUDDENLY BACK AGAINST THE GLASS. LUCKILY, THE WIPERS DIDN'T SMASH THE WINDSHIELD. HAVING THE WIPERS TURN ON A DRY WINDSHIELD GLASS WHILE TURNING IS VERY DANGEROUS. WE WERE LUCKY THAT MY CHILDREN AND I WEREN'T HURT BY THIS INCIDENT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10066419

Incident

Apr 17, 2004

REPORTED PROBLEM TO DODGE CORP. SEVERAL YEARS AGO ABOUT WIPERS COMING ON BY THEMSELVES. WAS ADVISED THAT SINCE NO RECALL, NO REMEDY. ON THIS ISSUE, MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS AND THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE HANDLED BY A RECALL. SECONDLY, AND MOST RECENTLY. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS FAILED. DODGE REPRESENTS THAT TIME/MILEAGE PRECLUDES REPAIR AT THEIR COST. REAR WING VENT WINDOW QUIT WORKING APPROX. A WEEK AGO (MAR. 2004). VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART ELECTRONICALLY. MILEAGE/WARRANTY SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. DEFECTS ARE DEFECTS. RECALL REQUESTED. *JB *NM

NHTSA ID

10063839

Incident

Mar 25, 2004

Mileage

92,000 mi

THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON OUR 1997 DODGE CARAVAN WILL TURN ON BY THEMSELVES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME WORSE OVER TIME. THE LOCAL DEALER BELIEVES THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM AT A COST OF $200. THE PROBLEM IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND AN ANNOYANCE AND I BELIEVE CHRYSLER SHOULD COVER THE COST TO REPAIR IT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10029111

Incident

Feb 1, 2001

CONSUMER STATES WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10029799

Incident

Jul 21, 2003

Mileage

105,000 mi

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *TS

NHTSA ID

10009353

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ACTIVATED ON THEIR OWN, WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS USE.*JB *TS

NHTSA ID

10009205

WHILE DRIVING, WIPERS COME ON AND OFF ON THERE OWN. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WON'T GO OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

NHTSA ID

10004042

WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON AND GO OFF ON THEIR OWN. CONSUMER STATEEDS PROBLEM IS REALLY NOTICABLE WHEN TURNING CORNERS. *JB MUTIFUNCTION SWITCH REPLACED. *TT

NHTSA ID

10003662

Incident

Sep 19, 2002

Mileage

22,000 mi

INTERMITTENT WIPERS WILL NOT CYCLE CONSISTANTLY. THEY MIGHT SWEEP 3 TIMES QUICKLY AND THEN WILL CYCLE NORMALLY, THEN MAY STOP CYCLING FOR 4-6 CYCLES. WIPERS WILL SOMETIMES ACTIVATE ON THEIR OWN. INTERMITTENT WIPERS WILL SOMETIMES BEGIN TO CYCLE AND CONTINUE CYCLING EVEN AFTER THE SWITCH HAS BEEN TURNED TO THE "OFF" POSITION IN DESPERATION. WE LIVE IN THE PACIFIC NW AND HAVE TO DRIVE IN RAIN CONSTANTLY. NOT HAVING RELIABLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR TO A DEALER TWICE AND HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED TWICE WITHIN ONE YEAR. PER THE DEALER, THE SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE BOTH TIMES. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALER AFTER HAVING THE SWITCH REPLACED THE SECOND TIME, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN BUT BY THE TIME WE TURNED AROUND AND GOT BACK TO THE DEALER, IT WAS WORKING FINE SO THE DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ID

10000105

Incident

Dec 12, 2002

Mileage

32,000 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. MR

NHTSA ID

8021435

Incident

Jul 1, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY COME ON WITH OUT TURNING ON THE SWITCH. *MR

NHTSA ID

8020212

Incident

Sep 2, 2002

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ACTIVATE BY THEMSELVES. NO APPARENT RHYME OR REASON. NO PATTERN.*AK

NHTSA ID

762742

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

THE MOUNTING BOLT ATTACHING THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONING PULLEY HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE BELT TO ENLODGE NEAR AN ENGINE MOUNT. *JG

NHTSA ID

564352

THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER COMES ON WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. SOMETIMES THIS SCARES ME SO BAD, MY HEART JUST STARTS TO RACE. I FEAR THAT ONE OF THESE TIMES IT MIGHT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WISH DODGE WOULD PUT OUT A RECALL ON THIS ITEM SINCE I SAW IT MENTIONED FREQUENTLY ON YOUR WEBSITE BY OTHER DODGE GRAND CARAVAN OWNERS. *AK

NHTSA ID

757824

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

WHILE DRIVING CLOCK SPRING BECAME INOPERABLE, FORCING AIR BAG TO DISENGAGE, AND HORN TO BECOME INOPERABLE ALONG WITH CRUISE CONTROL. ALSO WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHEN USED AT HIGH SPEED COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8003128

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN ON WHEN NOT SELECTED, AND IS VERY DISTRACTING, AND HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. SOME OF MY FRIENDS WHICH ALSO OWN CARAVAN/VOYAGER HAVE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I THINK DODGE NEEDS TO REDISGN THE SWITCH, AND RECALL ALL THE EFFECTED VEHICLES AND HAVE IT CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. ALSO AS FAR AS THE FRONT BRAKES, I HAVE HAD THE FRONT BRAKE SHOES REPLACED AT LEAST 7 TIMES IN THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. I HAVEN'T REPLACED THAT MANY BRAKES TOGETHER ON ALL THE OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED. I THINK THE FRONT DISC BRAKES ARE UNDERSIZED AND CANNOT MEET THE WEIGHT OF THE VAN. DODGE ALSO NEEDS TO REDISN THE FRONT BRAKE SYS AND MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.*AK

NHTSA ID

757378

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED ONCE AT CONSUMERS COST, HOWEVER WIPERS CONTINUE TO COME ON WHILE MAKING TURNS, IN COLD WEATHER, AND OCCASIONALLY IN THE SUMMER FOR NO REASON, POSSIBLE WIPER MOTOR FAILURE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

785813