The serpentine belt popped off my 1998 dodge caravan, it is 02/10/10 -- the day of the blizzard. This happened before on the day of the blizzard in december. This leads to an immediate loss of power steering during the worst possible driving conditions. When I tried to find out what had happened in december, two mechanics at the dodge dealership both immediately knew what had happened. They said it happens all the time when ice or snow gets up under the car. I believe this is a very dangerous manufacturer's defect. Loss of critical steering capability during the worst possible driving conditions.
1998 Dodge Caravan engine complaints
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Defective engine intake manifold bolt broken inside housing. 1998 dodge caravan se, 121000 miles.
Serpentine belt comes off of accessory pulleys, resulting in loss of power steering and other vehicle functions, possibly at any speed. Wet weather is a constant contributing factor, although is not required for this defect to occur.
My daughter's van with 2 kids inside. (1) no cause. Four failures of same parts. Belt and related pulleys. Dealer(s) can't repair properly. (numerous similar problems noted on the net.) (2)repeated serpentine belt failure - 98 dodge caravan, 3.0l engine. Causes instant power steering loss, engine overheating and more. Could easily lead to loss of control, injury or death. (3) parts replaces 4 times. Not fixed, belts still squeal and will come off again.(just found out aftermarket goodyear and gates kits are available with redesigned pulleys and belt to address this problem. Chrysler dealer mentioned nothing about them) if only some of what I have read is correct, this should be a safety-related recall.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan. After parking and exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed flames rising from under the hood. While inside the passenger compartment, the driver felt heat underneath her feet. The vehicle was towed to a garage and labeled as destroyed. The fuel pump and radiator were previously replaced. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 148,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan. While driving 25 MPH in rainy conditions, the serpentine belt detached from the vehicle. This failure occurred more than 20 times. The mechanic has been unable to duplicate the failure. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage is 153,242 and failure mileage was 151,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan. The contact has changed the vehicle's serpentine belt eight times. The belt has either detached, shredded, or become worn while driving 35 MPH. The vehicle's pulleys and belt accessories have also been replaced. She believes that it is a design flaw due to the numerous repairs for the same failure. She also feels that the failure is a safety issue because once the belt detaches, the alternator begins to overheat and the power steering fails. The current mileage is 79,000 and failure mileage was 36,351. Updated 06/08/07.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the serpentine belt which controled the engine became detached on five different occasions. The belt failed when driving at 50 MPH. The belt detached once during rainy conditions , and several times during favorable conditions. When the belt detached the contact lost control of the vehicle and the steering became inoperable. The current mileage was 117,811.
Subject: defective serpentine belt design I have a concern about a recent malfunctioning serpentine belt in my 1998 caravan. The belt has slipped off twice last month while driving in the rain. The first incident left me stranded off the side of the freeway waiting for a tow truck. The second incident occurred when backing out of a parking spot on damp payment (no standing water) while at a rest stop many miles from home. Both incidents occurred on normal pavement and driving during rainy days, and without any warning. The van has the standard 3.0 liter v6 engine with 88k miles, but the serpentine belt installed was less than 1 year old. Two sets of professional mechanics found the belt, the belt tensioner, and all related parts of the system in good working order (including the engine mounts). In summary, the system was well maintained and working as designed. The concern we have is the design of this system. The vehicle has been very reliable during the last eight years. But this particular problem is greatly distressing. Not only is the range of the vehicle limited to a couple of miles with a strong battery, the loss of power assisted steering makes this both a safety and reliability issue.
Tl*- the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan, and had to replace the serpentine belt 8 times since 05/06. The last incident was on 01/25/07. While making a 10 MPH turn the serpentine belt came loose causing the loss of the power steering and brakes. The contact towed vehicle to a local repair shop and they tightened the serpentine belt, but they couldn't find the cause of the serpentine belt coming loose. The contact took the vehicle to the dealership and they could't find a solution to the problem. The contact stated that it happened on all types of roads and weather conditions. *ak updated 2/27/2007 -
My 98 dodge caravan sport is having repeated problem with the serpentine belt and belt tensioner. From a quick search on the web it appears to be a common problem, that the belt would slip off when it gets wet. I have experienced this problem 3 times so far, twice in jan 2006 and another one just today (nov 06). I cannot trust the van anymore, I cannot tell when this problem is going to happen again and when it does, the van lost power steering and would overheat. Lost of power steering can be extremely dangerous especially when trying on a freeway, and being easily overheat would leave me stranded at possibly isolated places. This is a problem that takes repeated fixing yet would not resolve.
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle has been to the dealership multiple times, but the dealership is unable to determine a problem.
Dt*: the contact stated in wet conditions, the serpentine belt fractured and slipped off. The serpentine belt was replaced 5 times over the past two years. The vehicle was driven to the local independent shop for inspection and repair.
Dt: the consumer owns a 1998 dodge caravan. Serpentine belt failed five times. When this occurred there was a loss of power steering as well as the charging of the battery. This only happened in wet or rainy conditions. The consumer took vehicle to a dealer, who said they could again replace the serpentine belt, but it would fail again in wet conditions or rainy weather. There was no guarantee. The last trip to the dealer resulted in the replacement of the serpentine belt. No accident or injury was reported. The consumer contacted the manufacturer and filed a complaint also. The local dealer said nothing could be done about. *ak updated 02/07/06.
Dt: the consumer is having problems with his serpentine belt. He states that the belt keeps coming off of the pulleys causing his van to over heat and loose steering.
Consumer states: have put on 3 serpentine belts, and is getting ready to put on 4th serpentine belt. Had the vehicle less than a year.
Dt: the contact owned a 1998 dodge caravan. She stated that the timing belt kept coming off. Dealer said they had numerous similar complaints, and they do have a tsb, but it has not been made a recall yet.
Dt: air conditioning light is blinking; engine check and air bag light is on, nothing on the dash (speedometer etc) does not work. Door locks do not work; it's like it all went out at once.
While my wife and daughter were driving, the timing belt on her 1998 dodge caravan (2.4 l)broke. The car immediately died in the middle of the street creating a very hazardous situation for my family. Looking at the recommended maintenace on this car I noted that there is no recommended maintenance for the timing belt until 120,000 miles. Thus, since the car only had 72,000 miles, this belt broke far earlier than it should have. I feel that this should not have occurred. Since this can create a very hazardous/dangerous situation if it occurs on a busy street or on a freeway, dodge should determine whether this is becoming a common problem with this car and if so whether it should notify owners that the belt should be examined far earlier than at 120,000 miles or if the car should be recalled and the timing belt replaced.
The serpentine belt continued to break off. The owner has taken the vehicle to the dealer who continued to replace the belt. Please provide further details. *jb
Experience lost of engine power and steering. Bolts broken and replace gaskets. Lost steering while driving. *bf the front end appeared to be much lower than usual and the belt was hanging below the chassis.
Consumer stated half of the engine had to be replaced because the vehicle failed the emission test. As a result, oil burned excessively.
The engine appeared to continue running one day after a short run to the grocery store. I went to my mechanic and he diagnosed the problem as my radiator fan. Further, he found the item was a recall problem and suggested I take the van to the dealer. I did the following day, they researched and stated it was not a recall item although my mechanic had given me the memo indicating it was on recall. In order to avoid hurting the engine, I authorized the dealer to make the repair with plans to file a complaint for reimbursement at a later date.
The consumer stated that the radiator fan did not work which caused the vehicle to overheat. The consumer had the fan relay replaced by an aftermarket repair shop. This vehicle's year, make, and model is currently being recalled for this defect, however the vehicle identification number was not included. *jb
We smelled coolant, and brought our van to a mechanic. He told us we had a blown head gasket. He said our engine was faulty. We had 48,300 miles on the engine. The head gasket was repaired, don't know if our mechanic kept the old gasket.
While driving,the thermostat light flashed on the dashboard and remained on. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the junction box needed to be replaced and rewired.
While driving at any speed in the rain, the serpentine belt slipped off. The belt disconnected from the pulley five times in the last five months. The consumer examined the pulley and found that it was smooth and did notr have a lip to hold the belt on. *ak *sc
Transmission failed at 80,000 miles. Also, engine head gasket was replaced two months ago.
I have a 1998 dodge grand caravan with just under 71,000 miles on it. We first noticed some anti freeze on the ground and could see it leaking thinking it was a hose or something. I went under to take a look and it was leaking from the engine block. I brought it in to have it checked out and it turns out the headgasket sprung a leak. I gave them the go ahead to fix it. He took it apart and said their was a 2 inch piece missing from the gasket. I couldn't believe it. It cost me $1000+ to have it repaired .what a piece of crap.
My A/C stopped working right after my 3 year 36 mile warranty ran out. Dealer said it was the evaporator coil. Costs me $400. Right now my A/C just quit. My van has 58,000 miles on it. I go through belts like crazy. My mechanic can't figure it out. And other mechanics say it's an epidemic with caravans. Please help.
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