1998 Dodge Grand Caravan Fuel system Problems

THE CAR JUST STOPPED WORKING IT WOULD'T START ANY MORE

NHTSA ID

10767516

Incident

May 1, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S MUFFLER BECAME LOUDER AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT RESTART. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MUFFLER, FUEL TANK, AND WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,563.

NHTSA ID

10726684

Incident

May 20, 2015

Mileage

156,563 mi

THERE ARE AT LEAST 4 RECALL ITEMS LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN CONTACTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED? IF YES, WHAT SHOULD I DO? *TR

NHTSA ID

10680587

Incident

Feb 2, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, FUEL FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 201,000.

NHTSA ID

10551115

Incident

Oct 1, 2013

Mileage

200,000 mi

I OWN 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND I'M 1-ST OWNER. FOR SOME TIME NOW I CAN SMELL GAS FUMES INSIDE OF CAR, IN PARTICULAR AFTER HARDER BREAKING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10227133

Incident

Apr 25, 2008

Mileage

101,000 mi

AS I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE I SMELLED A STRONG ODOR BUT EVERYTHING AROUND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO WORK NORMALLY (NO SMOKE OR OVERHEATING PRESENT). LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AFTER THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE IS BURNED, THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. EXPERTS THAT LOOKED AT THE ENGINE AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OFF SUGGEST A FAILURE IN THE GAS HOSE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO CATCH FIRE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10177093

Incident

Dec 26, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER BEING TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL RAIL AT THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT ENCOUNTERED A NHTSA RECALL # 00V268000 REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS AS STATED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 02/16/07. *JB

NHTSA ID

10174553

Incident

Nov 28, 2006

Mileage

157,000 mi

1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. TRIED TO START IT AND IT WOULD START AND DIE ABOUT 3 TIMES AND THEN NOT START AT ALL. REPLACE PCM. WORKED A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN STARTED AGAIN. READ ON WEB BOARDS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND IF THEY HIT THE DASH IT WOULD START AND WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN I HIT THE DASH AND IT WOULD START. WHEN IT WOULDN'T START ALL THE GUAGES ON THE DASH WOULD NOT WORK. THIS SEEMED TO WORK. THEN WHEN I WENT OVER A BUMP AND TURNED AT THE SAME TIME THE VAN WOULD DIE. I COULD PUT IT IN "N" AND GET IT STARTED AGAIN WHILE I WAS STILL TURNING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECASE YOU LOOSE POWER STEERING WHILE GOING AROUND A CORNER. HEARD ON MESSAGE BORAD IF YOU TOOK THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OFF AND CHECK THE SAUDERING THAT THIS WOUDL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. DID THIS BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEN THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD STOP READING WHEN IT DID HAVE GAS IN IT. THEN THE FUEL GUAGE WOULD START DINGING EVEN THOUGH IT READ FULL. I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET WITH MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. BELOW IS ONE SUCH WEBSITE. HAVE DONE ALL KINDS OF DIAGNOSTICS ON IT AND CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. IT STILL LOOSES GUAGES AND WILL NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/DODGE-GRAND-CARAVAN/TPC8IH1LI2S41I22D/P5. *NM

NHTSA ID

10172633

Incident

Mar 22, 2006

Mileage

75,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES FUEL RAIL IS LEAKING. AS A RESULT, FUEL FUMES SEEP THROUGH THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10075570

Incident

May 23, 2004

Mileage

105,000 mi

MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN BEGAN SMELLING LIKE GAS INTERMITTENTLY IN 2002. WHEN THE SMELL REPEATED ITSELF OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS, WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER FAILED TO FIND A LEAK OR REASON FOR THE SMELL. THE SMELL CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY AND IN 2004, WE TOOK THE CAR BACK AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK AT A COST TO US OF $572. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LABOR COST WAS. THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE COST OF THE POOR DESIGN. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE REPLACED IT WITH A 2000 FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE PUMPS FOUND POOR IN AN INSURANCE CRASH TEST RATING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10067716

Incident

Apr 23, 2004

WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FULL, FUEL LEAKS PROFUSELY FROM THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE, POOLING ON THE GROUND UNDER THE CAR. THIS SAME PROBLEM RESULTED IN A RECALL OF 96 MODEL YEAR CARAVANS AFTER ONLY SIX SMALL FIRES. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10049134

Incident

Nov 22, 2003

Mileage

109,500 mi

STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN OUR GARAGE ONE MORNING LED US TO FIND THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING.*AK

NHTSA ID

765529

Incident

Jul 9, 2002

CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT A MONTH BEFORE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. CONSUMER STATED RECALL LETTER 00V268000 WAS NEVER SENT, AND WATING LIST IS VERY LONG. *AK

NHTSA ID

8006893

Incident

Apr 1, 2002

DOOR THAT COVERS GAS CAP EASILY DISENGAGES, EXPOSING GAS CAP.*AK THE GAS CAP LID BROKE OFF. *YH

NHTSA ID

8005840

Incident

Apr 15, 1999

WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTANENCE, IT CAME BACK WITH A RECALL FOR THE FUEL RAIL THAT CAN CAUSE A FIRE. HOWEVER, THE DEALER CLAIMED NO INORMATION YET ON THIS RECALL, SO IT IS NOT YET FIXED. AFTER RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THE RECALL DATE WAS 9/14/2000 . THIS IS 16 MONTHS AGO. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH NOTICE VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL AS REQUIRED. THIS SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME BETWEEN RECALL AND WHEN I FOUND OUT. SHOULD NOT THIS RECALL INFORMATION AND THE FIX NEEDED ALREADY HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE AFTER RECALL TO GET THE FIX TO THE DEALERS?*AK

NHTSA ID

757065

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

757023

Incident

Jul 1, 2000

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 20-5406-593. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900664

Incident

Aug 26, 2001

HAD JUST FILLED FUEL TANK, GOT INSIDE VEHICLE, AND SMELLED AN ODOR OF GASOLINE FUMES. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON & STAYED. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST. MECHANIC RESET THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, AND IT CAME BACK ON.*AK CONSUMER STATES ENGINE LIGHT IS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED AND THERE IS A STRONG ODOR COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK DOOR. *SLC

NHTSA ID

884490

FUEL WOULD LEAK FROM GASKETS "O" RING FROM GASOLINE TANK, WHICH WAS CORRODED. *AK THE LEAK WAS FROM CONNECTION BETWEEN TANK AND FUEL LINE. *YH

NHTSA ID

882776

Incident

Feb 17, 2001

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE, CLAIM 75-A337-158. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900666

Incident

Mar 7, 2001

SCREW CLAMP THAT CONNECTS RUBBER FUEL LINE TO THE METAL FUEL LINE ON TOP OF ENGINE CAME LOOSE, CAUSING GAS TO LEAK ONTO HOT ENGINE. I SCREWED CLAIM TIGHT AND SO FAR SO GOOD. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE USED A DIFFERENT TYPE CLAMP TO SECURE THIS FITTING.*AK

NHTSA ID

740774

Incident

Jan 25, 2001

RECENTLY A PLASTIC BAG GOT CAUGHT UNDER MY VAN WHEN I WAS DRIVING 30 MPH. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID

730394

Incident

Sep 4, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THOS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

702565

Incident

Jan 11, 1999

DEFECTIVE GAS TANK IS CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK WHICH COULD RESULT IN FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

828354

WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY AND THE WEATHER IS HOT, UPON FILLING UP THE FUEL TANK, FUEL LEAKS FROM THE GASKET ON THE TANK. THE FUEL TANK WILL LEAK ABOUT 3 GALLONS OF FUEL WHEN ONLY 18 GALLONS OF FUEL IN PUT IN THE TANK. THE FUEL TANK IS A 20 GALLON TANK. THE DEALER TIGHTENED UP THE GASKET ON THE FUEL TANK. A NEW FUEL TANK AND GASKET AS ALSO BEEN ORDERED.

NHTSA ID

825234

Incident

Jun 22, 1998