1997 DODGE CARAVAN Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

1997 CARAVAN DASH GAUGES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, ENGINE DIED. *TS ***NAR*** THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SAME MODEL VEHILE AND THEY HAD THE SAME COMPLAINTS .I THINK THE MAKER OF THIS VEHICLE SHOULD DO A RECALL AND PRORATE A DOLLAR SCALE ON THESE MINI VANS. FOR I TRUST THE VECHICLES THAT FOLLWED HAVE TO BE MORE RELIABLE. THIS VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITH ME DRIVING AND IS CURRENTLY PARKED IN MY FRONT YARD UNDRIVIBLE

WARNING LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING BRAKE LIGHTS TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY, AND AIR BAG SENSOR TO STAYS ON. *AK THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHED, THE ENGINE LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN WAS INOPERATIVE. THE AIR BAG AND HORN PROBLEM MAY BE THE RESULT OF A CLOCKSPRING FAILURE. *PH *NLM

ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED WHEN VEHICLE WAS APPROX 1 YEAR OLD. DODGE FIXED CRACK IN ENGINE WITH PUTTY. I WAS TOLD BY DODGE SERVICE PEOPLE THAT WAS THE STANDARD FIX FOR THAT PROBLEM. THE CRACK HAS EITHER REOPENED OR A NEW CRACK HAS DEVELOPED. LOCAL MECHANIC REPORTS THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAS ALSO FAILED. I JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS SHOULD BE NOTED IN YOUR FILES, SINCE I AM SURE OTHER OWNERS ARE SEEING SAME PROBLEMS. A CO-WORKER HAS THE SAME YEAR DODGE STRATUS WITH SAME ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, HE HAS SAME PROBLEM- HIS WAS FIXED AT SAME TIME MY CARAVAN WAS BY THE SAME DEALER WITH SAME PUTTY. HE HAS SINCE TRADED HIS VEHICLE OFF. THANK YOU. *TS *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***762668

PRIOR TO THE RECALL NOTIFICATION, THE CONSUMER HAD PAID FOR THE REPAIRS REGARDING THE CLOCK SPRING, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER REPLACED ENGINE OIL FILTER. *AK. ALSO THE GAS FILLER DOOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *TS

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM . PH

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN, CONSUMER CAN HEAR WATER IN ENGINE. THIS CAN RESULT IN A FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CAR STARTING MAKING NOISE AND SMOKING, TIMMING BELT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR WAS SHUT, AND BEARING WAS GRINDING THAT WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE.*AIK

ENGINE CONNECTING ROD BROKE WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE, TRAVELING AT 30 MPH. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

IDLER/TENSION PULLEY FAILED CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SKIP AND CAUSING VALVES TO BE STRUCT BY THE PISTONS. TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO COMPRESSION AT ONLY 26,160. VEHICLE WAS MAINTAIN VERY WELL. DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE FULL PRICE BUT AGREED TO A 50/50 SPLIT OF COST. THEY ARE DRIVING UP THE COST OF REPAIRS BY FINDING OTHER PROBLEMS. CAN YOU HELP?

WHEN DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AND ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE CONSUMER NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END, PLACED VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND, THEN PLACED VEHICLE IN DRIVE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND IN DRIVE, CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER NOTICED MAJOR PROBLEMS WITHIN TRANSMISSION AND OIL PAN, TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACING. *AK *SLC

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER. GEARS WERE NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. THEN WOULD REGAIN POWER. COMPUTER WAS GOING OFF. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND WAS INFORMED CYLINDER HEAD GASKET WAS CAUSING PROBLEM, AND IT COULD BE REPAIRED.*AK THE HEAD GASKET WAS DETERMINED DEFECTIVE BY THE MECHANIC. WATER WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE COMPUTER TO MALFUNCTIONS. *YH

HEAD GASKET FAILED. *SLC

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ENGINE IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED DOWN TO 25 MPH, AND CONSUMER COULD NOT GO OVER 30MPH. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND TRANSMISSION/ ENGINE MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS DEFECT.*AK

ENGINE HAD LEAKING SEALS WHICH CAUSED EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO LEAK. FUMES WOULD COME FROM BLOWER (DEFROSTER) WHEN IT WAS TURNED ON. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN ENGINE. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ERRATIC & WOULD COME ON OR OFF BY THEMSELVES, AND HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH STARTER. *AK GASOLINE LEAKS FROM THE TANK DUE TO THE SEAL FAILURE. INSIDE DOOR PANEL ON DRIVERS SIDE IS BROKEN. *YH

GASKET FAILED CAUSING OIL LEAK.*ET

TIMING BELT BROKE CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOOSE POWER AND STOP ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD AT THAT TIME. *ET

VEHICLE WAS TAKING TO MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE. UPON INSPECTION OF VEHICLE, DEALER NOTICED OIL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MECHANIC STATED HEAD GASKET WAS GOING BAD, NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE AUTO SHOPS THAT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE MODELS. *YH

FIRST IN JULY THE MASTER CYLINDERS ON OUR BACK BRAKES WERE SHREDDED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS DRIVING ON A BRIDGE WITH A CAR FULL TO TEEN AGE GIRLS. IN DECEMBER, I NOTICED A HESITATION AND SEEMINGLY "JUMPING INTO GEAR" ESPECIALLY IN REVERSE. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND ALTHOUGH WAS 2 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY DECLINED TO PAY FOR IT. THE JOB WAS TO COST ABOUT $1500. IN FEB, WE BROUGHT THE VAN TO A INDEPENDENT SERVICE PROVIDER, AND AS HE WAS LOOKING AT THE ENGINE, HE SAW THE BLOWN HEAD GASKET. WE DID CONTACT CHRYSLER AND WERE TOLD TO BRING IT TO A DEALERSHIP IN OUR AREA. TODAY, WE DID FIND OUT THAT THEY WOULD COVER THE HEAD GASKET BUT NOT THE TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE VOLUMES OF INTERNET SITES THAT SITE SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH 90-98 CARAVANS. THESE STORIES COULD BE RUBBER...

BLOWN HEADGASKET IN REGULARLY MAINTAINED VEHICLE. NO KNOWN CAUSE. *AK

DEALER SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THEY (DODGE) HAVE HAD MANY FAILURES OF THE HEAD GASKETS ON THE CARAVAN 4 CYLINDER. EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, DODGE AGREED TO FIX THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. THIS IS THE SECOND HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THANK GOD THAT I NOTICED THE SMALL OIL LEAKS IN THE CARPORT. IF I HADDN'T THE ENGINE COULD HAVE LET GO ON THE HIGHWAY. SOMETHING IS VERY, VERY, WRONG WHEN YOU HAVE TO GET A HEAD GASKET REPLACED EVERY 10-30K MILES. *AK

AT 57,048 MILES, THE HEAD GASKET BEGAN LEAKING COOLANT ON THE DRIVEWAY. DEALER STATED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO WAY THESE VEHICLES LEAK FORM THE HEAD GASKET THIS SOON.

WENT TO CHANGE THE BRAKES AND NOTICED AN OIL LEAK. CONTACTED DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH A 4- CYLINDER AFTER CERTAIN MILEAGE. ENGINE LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET. *AK

ENGINE HEADS CRACKED, CAUSING ANTI-FREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE OIL PAN, THE ENGINE SMOKES VEY BAD BECAUSE OF THIS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

TENSION PULLEY BELT THATS CONTROLS THE POWER STEERING AND BATTERY WAS VERY LOW. THE BATTERY/ THERMOSTAT WENT INTO A HOT MODE. ALSO, THAT THERE IS WATER UNDERNEATH THE CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A BOAT. THE WATER UNDERNEATH COMES FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHEN RIDING THE VEHICLE. *AK

ACCIDENT. VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT, STEERING WHEEL OFF CENTER. TIRES LEAKING AIR. BENT OIL PAN.

WHILE DRIVING AT 67 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY ENGINE PULLEY BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY THE FLYWHEEL: PULLEY BELT POPPED OUT, CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL AND SHUT DOWN OF THE ENGINE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, OIL BEGAN TO COME FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN OWNER BROUGHT VAN TO DEALERSHIP, DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. THE HEAD GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE LEAKS FUEL WHILE DRIVING. OWNER NOTES PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED 4 DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RETURNS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT PROBLEM BEGAN AT 55 MILES WHEN THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER STATED VEHICLE WAS FIXED, HOWEVER ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED 30 MILES LATER, DEALER REPLACE THE FUEL TANK, PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND DEALER REPLACED THE O-RING AND HOLDING NUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. LEFT SIDE DOOR GLASS WAS BOWED. UNUSUAL NOISE OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE SHIFTS FROM PARK TO REVERSE, NEUTRAL TO REVERSE, AND NEUTRAL TO DRIVE, DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL. OIL PAN BENT, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC