1997 DODGE CARAVAN Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasher Problems

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. INSTRUMENT PANEL DID NOT WORK. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS DIGITAL. BUTTONS FOR AIR CONDITIONER AND REAR DEFROSTER FLASHED CONSTANTLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO GARAGE, AND THEY RECOMMENDED DODGE DEALER. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON THEIR OWN. VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE TO BE ON RUNNING FOR WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO COME ON. THEY CAME ON ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS. ALSO, TRAVELING INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON. CONSUMER STOPPED LIGHTS FROM COMING ON BY PUTTING TAPE ON DOOR. CONSUMER BELIEVED THESE WERE DIFFERENT ISSUES. HE REPLACED FAN CONTROL MODULE LAST YEAR, AND THAT DID NOT HELP.*AK CONSUMER ADDED THAT POUNDING ON THE DASHBOARD MADE THE DASH LIGHT ILLUMINATE. *TT

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON BY THEMSELVES, AND RUN ERRATICALLY, AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF AT THE CORRECT POSITION. WHEN IT'S RAINING, WIPERS CANNOT BE CONTROLLED. THE DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT SIMILAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *LA

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES ALL THE TIME, SOMETIMES THEY STOP AFTER A FEW SWIPES AND SOMETIMES I NEED TO TURN THE SWITCH ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN TO MAKE THEM STOP. SO FAR THEY HAVE WORKED WHEN I NEEDED THEM BUT IT MAY ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, IT IS VERY UNSAFE! (1999) AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON NEARLY ALL THE TIME NOW. (JUN 2003) SLIDING DOOR LOCK DOESN'T ALWAYS ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE WHEN USING THE POWER LOCKS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES. *NLM

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

FUEL TANK, BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, EVERY TIME WE GO TO BRING THE VECHICLE IN FOR THEM, THEN COULD NOT FIND AN ANSWER AFTER ABOUT THE 4TH TIME WE BROUGHT IT IN, WE SAID THIS IS TO MUCH AND WE BROUGHT IT IN MORE THEN 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND WE SHOULD GET REPAIRED FREE, I BELIVE BY LEMON LAW?, WELL NUTTHING YET 3 YEARS AND RUNNING, WITH SEVERAL SEVERAL PROBLEMS, SHOULD ALL BE A RECALL CAUSE THAT TOMANY PROBLEMS, SUCH AS ON ALLDATA.COM AND READ ABOUT THE 97 DODGE CARAVAN 3.3L, MY LORD EVER PROBLEM ON THAT SHEET I HAVE, REALY GETTING ON MY NERVES...

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS START UP SPORADICALLY ON THEIR OWN (NO ONE TURNS THEM ON - THEY JUST START WIPING). THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. OUR MECHANIC TELLS US THAT DODGE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT CAN NOT ISOLATE WHAT CAUSES IT. INSTEAD, THEY RECOMMEND YOU START WITH ONE EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO SEE IF THAT WORKS, AND IF NOT, YOU MOVE ON TO PROGRESSIVELY MORE COSTLY REPAIRS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY WILL GO OFF AND IT IS SOMETIMES STARTLING WHEN THEY DO. YOU THEN HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TO TURN THEM OFF TAKING YOUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO (DRIVING!).*AK

WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY COME ON AND REST IN THE MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD, CAUSING A DISTURBANCE WITH VIEW OF DRIVER.*AK

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AT THE SAME TIME, THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL CEASED TO FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE WIPERS COME ON AT RANDOM, BUT ESPECIALLY UPON USING TURN SIGNALS (WIPER CONTROLS ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER).*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME BY THERE SELF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OR MAKING A TURN. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WITHOUT DRIVER INTERVENTION. SO FAR, NO ACCIDENT BUT THIS INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH THIS ESSENTIAL SAFETY SYSTEM. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT TWICE A MONTH. THE CAR IS DRIVEN DAILY. DEALER HAS NO EXPLANATION. *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

DRIVING ALONG AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WITHOUT NOTICE. ALSO NUMEROUS TIMES HAVING TO CHANGE OUT THE FUEL INJECTION ELECTRICAL PARTS. ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO US THAT THEY WERE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE MASTER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM UNDER THE HOOD OF THIS MODEL OF CAR BUT WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION OF THIS SITUATION. PLEASE NOTIFY US IF SUCH A RECAL EXISTS. WE WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THIS INFORMATION. WE ARE AFFRAID THAT IT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO HAVE AN ELECRICAL FIRE.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COMES ON WHEN IN THE OFF POSITION.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SELF ACTIVATE WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM WILL BE REPAIRED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS OCCASSIONALLY COME ON BY THEMSELVES (EVEN WHEN THE WIPER SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION) AND RUN UNTIL THE DRIVER JIGGLES THE SWITCH A LITTLE TO STOP THEM. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TURNS ON SOMETIMES ON ITS OWN. YH

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY COME ON WHILE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD. THEY WOULD COME ON FOR TWO TO FOUR WIPES AND THEN STOP. THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WAS RARE AT FIRST, THEN STARTED TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY. WE FINALLY TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THEY REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH AT NO COST TO US. (ONLY BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE 36MO./36,000MI. WARANTY.) THE NEXT PROBLEM WAS THE BATTERY WENT DEAD. WE TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR, AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BATTERY AT NO COST TO US. (ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER THE 36MO./36,000MI. WARANTY) . THE OTHER PROBLEM WAS THAT THE INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR BECAME UNGLUED FROM THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. I WENT TO A AUTO REPAIR STORE AND PURCHASED A REAR VIEW MIRROR GLUE KIT. I GLUED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ON MYSELF. ( I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE DEALERSHIPS GLUE) THANK YOU...

WINDSHIELD WIPERS GO ON AUTOMATICALLY FOR NO REASON INTERMITTENTLY. MJS

CAMSHAFT BROKE IN HALF AT 59,000 MILES, NECESSITATING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. SERVICE MGR. & TECHNICIAN BOTH INISTSTED THIS WAS VERY UNUSUAL IN ANY ENGINE, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. DODGE REFUSED TO HELP WITH REPAIRS AS CAR WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY". THE WIPERS TURN ON BY THEMSELVES EVERY NOW AND THEN, SOMETIMES WHEN JUST OPENING THE DOORS. THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 43,000 MILES AS IT HAD NEVER BEEN PROPERLY LOOKED AT, EVEN THOUGH SERVICE RECORDS SHOWED INSPECTION AT THREE OCCASIONS BEFORE BREAKING DOWN. ORIGINAL DEALER WAS DUTCHESS DODGE, 614 SOUTH ROAD, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12601 (914) 462-7700. THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING THE BRAKES & WIPERS. THE ENGINE WAS REPAIRED AT HYDE PARK MOTORS. I'VE CONTACTED DODGE (DAIMLER/CHRYSLER) AND THE DISTRICT MGR. (PHIL FORNABAIO) BUT THEY REFUSE TO HELP WITH THE ENGINE AND WOULDN'T EVEN MEET WITH ME.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

WHENEVER MAKING LEFT TURN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD GO OFF, NOW THEY GO OFF AT ANYTIME. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COMES ON FOR NO REASON. *YC

I WAS PARKED AT BURGER KING, TURNED THE IGNITION AND PUT MY CARAVAN IN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE. TO MY SURPRISE, THE CAR GAVE A SEVER JOLT, AND WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE....I TRIED AGAIN AND THE SAME JOLT OCCURRED, THIS TIME SOUNDING LIKE STUFF INSIDE WAS BEING SMASHED UP (LIKE A TRASH COMPACTOR SOUNDS). I TRIED TO GET IT INTO DRIVE (EVEN THOUGH I WAS ALMOST AS FAR UP AS I COULD GO) AND IT WOULDN'T BUDGE EITHER...THE SOUNDS GETTING WORSE. AFRAID I WAS CRUSHING THINGS INSIDE, I TURNED THE CAR OFF. MY TWO CHILDREN AND I WALKED THE MILE OR SO HOME AND I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE MECHANIC SAID IT APPEARED TO BE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. ONCE HE LOOKED IT OVER AND TOOK THE TRANSMISSION OUT, IT WAS A SEVERE PROBLEM, "BIZZARRE" IS THE EXACT WORD OF THE MECHANC WHO ASKED ME...

WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL INTERMITTENTLY COME ON WITHOUT MANUAL OPERATION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VAN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WITHOUT APPLICATION. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED BY DEALER. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERSONLY WORK ON INTERMITTENT SLOW SPEED.

INTERMITTENTLY THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD ONCE OR MAYBE TWICE, THEN STOP. CONSUMER WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON WITHOUT APPLYING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK