We bought this van one year ago and so far we had to replace both oxygen sensor, speed sensor, head gasket, water pump, the transmission is slipping, doors lock and unlock whenever they want not just the 16 MPH thing, ball joints are clunking, the cd player quit and then soon after fm radio only am works.
1997 Dodge Caravan locks problems
10 complaints (1% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Doors: latch9
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Dodge Caravan locks problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Dodge Caravan locks
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 1997 Dodge Caravan owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Consumer received a recall notice regarding the air bag warning light. Air bag light had been on since she owned the vehicle. The consumer received a letter from the dealer which asked her to bring the vehicle in for service. When the consumer arrived at the dealer it was too late. On the way back home she smelled smoke but kept driving until she reached home. The vehicle was turned off and the consumer looked under the vehicle and saw flames coming from under the vehicle. She got the hose and put the fire out. Then, called the mechanic/dealer. There were also problems with the automatic door locks.
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.
Vehicle experienced several electrical problems: windshield wipers inoperable due to a short in switch, radiator fan relay replaced, ground wire loose in engine causing dash cluster to go haywire, horn, power windows, radio, speedometer, and air conditioner inoperable at times.
Sliding door locking mechanism fails--door remains locked and door will not open, or door is impossible to lock. Just before failure door has problem latching successfully. Auto door lock makes buzzing noise when locking is attempted. After second failure, dealer service technician stated that it is common to require replacement of rockwell actuator part for these vehicles. We've had 3 failures of drivers side and 5 on passenger side. Latest was today, 10/11/00. Vehicle is now out of warranty, but the failures keep happening.
The driver side sliding door will not open several tsb's on the doors dealer said it is not a safety issue.
Deal said can not find the problem, but I notice there is a difference lacth mechanism between the right and left doors. The right door has one latch and the left has two latches.
Vehicle experiences hesitation, bucking and misfires continually, several repair attempts to several components however continues to experience symptons. Mjs
Sliding door failed, door could not be opened from inside. Owner is very concerned for safety. Please provide further details.
Driver and passenger side locks failed on sliding doors.
Questions about the 1997 Dodge Caravan locks
Does the 1997 Dodge Caravan have locks problems?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the locks of the 1997 Dodge Caravan, 1% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1997 Dodge Caravan locks problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Dodge Caravan locks?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Dodge Caravan have the most locks problems?
The Dodge Caravan model years with the most locks complaints are 2005 (203 complaints), 1996 (60 complaints) and 1994 (57 complaints).
Other 1997 Dodge Caravan problems
Airbags 152Transmission 133Engine 121Electrical 94Brakes 72Fuel system 59Visibility 56Acceleration 45Steering 40Lights 22Seat belts 22Body 21Suspension 20Tires 15Seats 12Wheels 2
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1997 Dodge Caravan?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history