2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED AS PRECAUTION THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TO COOL DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURED NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 213,000.*DT CONSUMER STATED AFTER CHANGING THE THERMOSTAT PIECES OF PLASTIC CAME OUT OF THE MOTOR. PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING HAS OCCURED FOR 4 YEARS. *JB*DT*JB

AFTER TAKING ON GAS, ENGINE WILL SOMETIMES STUMBLE AND MOST OF THE TIME QUIT RUNNING. TRIED NOT OVER FILLING IT AND IT STILL WILL JUST DIE SOMETIME AFTER TAKING ON GAS. ON TWO OCCASIONS, IT DID THIS AFTER HITTING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND YOU HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. IT WOULD NORMALLY START BACK UP AND HAVE NO MORE PROBLEMS UNTIL NEXT FILL UP. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE DON'T FILL UP AND HIT THE ROAD. WE DRIVE AROUND BEFORE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ONCE, IT DIED IN FRONT OF SEVERAL CARS AND A BIG TRUCK HAD TO BRAKE HARD AND SWERVE OFF THE ROAD. SO FAR, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY KNOWN ACCIDENTS BUT FEEL IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH A VALVE IN GAS TANK AND THAT YOU CAN'T BUY THE PART....

FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS OR SO, ALMOST EVERY TIME AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK, THE 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ANNIVERSARY EDITION STALLS. I CAN BE JUST PULLING AWAY FROM THE PUMP WHEN IT HAPPENS, OR STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES FROM LEAVING THE GAS STATION. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR 'JUMP' LIKE SOMEONE IS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY AND IT JERKS THE VAN A BIT FORWARD. THEN IT STALLS. IT TAKES A FEW TURNS OF THE KEY AND PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL VERY QUICKLY AND FORCEFULLY TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. I HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE HABIT OF DRIVING THE VAN AROUND A PARKING LOT FOR A FEW MINUTES UNTIL IT FEELS BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, AS I'M CONCERNED IT WILL STALL OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THIS ONLY HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK. IT...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THIS INCIDENT OCCURS EVERY TIME I FILL UP WITH FUEL. IT BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES AND CONTINUES UNTIL THIS DAY AT ABOUT 116,000 MILES. INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: I ENTER THE GAS STATION. I FILL UP WITH FUEL UNTIL THE PUMP STOPS, NOT A "TOP-OFF". I START THE IGNITION AND BEGIN TO DRIVE AWAY. THE ENGINE STUTTERS AND SOMETIMES STALLS COMPLETELY. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE, 3 MILES OR SO, IT RUNS NORMALLY. RECENTLY AFTER MY KNEE SURGERY, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, LEFT HAND TURN, AFTER A REFUEL. WE WERE TRYING HIGH-TEST ETHANOL FREE GASOLINE. WELL SHE MADE IT INTO THE CENTER TURNING LANE AND WAITED HER TURN. WHEN AN OPENING ARRIVED SHE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VAN STARTED AND FAILED COMPLETELY, LEAVING US HALF-WAY IN THE LANE FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THANKFULLY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC SLOWED AS THEY BLEW THEIR HORNS AND SHE WAS ABLE TO...

SINCE THIS DATE, AFTER EVERY FILL UP, THE CAR WILL HESITATE, BACKFIRE, AND IN MANY CASES DIE. THE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED, AND THEN WILL OPERATE WITH NO DIFFICULTY. ON ONE OCCURRANCE THE BACKFIRE WAS SO PRONOUNCED THAT IT BLEW THE AIR CLEANER OFF, BREAKING ALL OF THE MOUNTING CLIPS. THE CAR MUST BE DRIVEN VERY CAREFULLY AFTER A FILL UP DUE TO THIS CONDITION. YOU CANNOT RELY ON GETTING INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC DUE TO THE HESITATION AND FREQUENCY OF THE ENGINE DIE OUT. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR IN TO THE DODGE DEALER ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASSION AND THEY CLAIM NO KNOWKLEDGE OF THE ISSUE. I WRITE THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE KENOSHA NEWS, DATED WEDNESDAY MAY 15TH, 2013 WHICH DETAILED 3 CHRYSLER, DODGE BRAND CARS PROBED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. THEY MENTIONED ONLY V8 ENGINES, BUT I WANT TO LET SOMEONE KNOW THAT THIS...