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.
1997 Dodge Caravan: doors won't lock, open or latch
8 of the 706 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Caravan describe doors won't lock, open or latch.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
Doors won't lock, open or latch by model year
What owners say
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.
The driver's side sliding door will not open. This poses a safety hazard if consumer needed to remove children from vehicle in an emergency. Ts
When trying to open sliding door handle did break in driver's hand without a show of a crack. *ak the door lock system was replaced. The dealer pointed out that breaking of door was common with these vehicle.
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.
Steering: steering wheel vibrations, difficult to control, especially when breaking, and popping noises. Had to replace rack and pinion at 37,100 miles. Replaced lower control arm bushings at 54,354 miles. Replaced lower control arm joints at 59,421 miles. Tires: tires loose air pressure and go flat for no apparent reason intermitantly, resulting in the replacement of two tires. Tire burst while driving, resulting in replacement of a third tire. Door locks: intermittent failure of right side sliding door power lock. Will not lock/unlock with power control. Radio tape deck: tape player activated without tape in the deck. Unable to stop tape player. Required replacement.( dot number: tire size: p215/65r15 )
The driver side sliding door will not open several tsb's on the doors dealer said it is not a safety issue.
The serpentine belt pully has broken twice, resulting in vehicle being towed twice, there is a constant thud from the gas tank when accelerating, stopped drains from the "AC" are a continous problem, car stutters at turnpike speeds as well as normal city driving, car has been in the shop 22 times in 27 months, tried to get information concerning "lemon law" but was asked to "give us the chance to make it right" .have had a niagra falls from under the dash twice since they "fixed the problem" car vibrates at turnpike speeds. Door locks break/foul smell when the "AC" comes on, engine service lights come on for no reason, the van was leased, and to get out of the lease would involve several thousand dollars. I would take my 7 year old bonneville on trip before I would take my 2 year old van. What can be done about this?
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1997 Dodge Caravan door locks
Is doors won't lock, open or latch a common problem on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
8 of 706 owner complaints about the 1997 Dodge Caravan (1%) mention doors won't lock, open or latch. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Dodge Caravan
Airbag light 83Adaptive cruise 45Wipers 42Transmission failure 28Fire or smoke 24Stalling 23Fuel leak 16Headlights 15Loss of power 15Check engine light 13Slipping 12No deployment 10Fuel smell 10Power steering loss 10Grinding brakes 7Engine failure 7Jerking 7Overheating 7Won't shift 7Tire blowout 7ABS 6Brake failure 6Harsh shifting 6Ball joint 5Coil spring 5Premature wear 5Seat belt 5
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