Dodge Caravan slipping problems

Filed Mar 11, 2016 · Electrical, Transmission · 75,000 miles · IA

Car was not running and keys were not in the ignition, they were laying on the dash. No one was in the vehicle. When the passenger's front door was opened the horn started honking and windshield washer started spraying (wipers were not activated).it lasted only a couple seconds and stopped. It also activated the driver's side mirror's auto dim feature. Once I was on the road discovered it also prevented the car from shifting out of first gear. I tried manually shifting and slipping it from drive to neutral but that had no effect. The indicator light showed no response to the manual shifting it just remained on the "d". The van did go into neutral and the indicator light showed "n". I didn't try the van again until 24hrs later and everything was working fine. After researching online I see there is an obvious problem with the tipm and will be replacing it. If this would have occured in heavy traffic there would have been a definite safety hazard issue. I was lucky it happened at home and it only lasted a few seconds. Others have not been that lucky!! This is a serious issue that if it hasn't already it very easily could have deadly consequences. Make the recall!!

Filed Mar 2, 2014 · Steering · CA

The belt keeps slipping off on my dodge caravan. This has been continual. The forums are full of these complaints. It is the serpentine belt. I have been back and forth to the mechanic. They try everything, but when it is wet, it comes off. I even try not to drive in rain, but after the rains, I drive a short distance and its off again., I called the dealership that seems to take no responsibility for this. This is really dangerous, as it is very hard to turn the wheel. Fortunately so far, I have not been going at speed during these incidents. I had the tensioners tightened again last month, and its off again.

Filed Aug 7, 2013 · Electrical, Steering · 80,500 miles · OH

Today I was on an urban freeway in heavy downpour. The downpour was so heavy rain could be seen running off the road. Traffic was wide spread, but moving at 45-50 MPH, due to the rain. My wipers, at the highest setting, slow down. Car dings. Battery light comes on. I turn off the defroster (AC and ventilation), reduce wiper speed setting, switch from headlights to running lights, all to reduce electrical load. I then notice that the power steering has failed. It was really scary. True fear. The fear which we do not often encounter. I safely got the vehicle off the freeway. No further failure of systems. I drove the vehicle to the nearest shop I knew of, with caution lights on. I there learned that the accessory belt had come off of the engine, due to the rain. The belt was still in good condition, so they slid the same belt back on. I will have my preferred mechanic install an "anti slip" tensioner, belt, and pulley this weekend. This issue, the serpentine belt slipping off the engine in rain and snow, is known to chrysler, and known to the federal safety agency. But it was not known to me until it threatened my safety, and the safety of the motorists around me. If I had begun going around a curve while switching off accessories, driving one handed with a failed power steering system before I knew it had failed, I could have wrecked. Why one handed? Because I was turning off accessories because I didn't understand what was wrong, because the warning the car provided suggested that was what I should be doing to keep my car from stalling. I don't know why the federal safety agency decided this did not merit a recall. They were wrong. I am very thankful that money (to implement the technical service bulletin the federal safety agency won't share) can fix what went wrong today. Don't operate a gen iii chrysler minivan without a belt upgrade. We cannot control when it rains.

Filed May 29, 2012 · Electrical, Engine · 140,000 miles · MN · crash

Serpentine belt slips off in the rain causing a loss in power steering, AC (for window defogging), power (no alternator when headlights are on during rain). When it slipped off, the ability to correct for loss of traction due to water was reduced due to lack of power steering and the windshield fogged up quickly due to the loss of the AC compressor. Slid of the interstate and slid down the median. Multiple other instances of belt slipping off (4 times in past 3 days), though at lower rates of speed. Dodge denies there is an issue even though there are many reports on the internet relating to this problem. It is also interesting that they now sell a upgrade kit that changes out the two non-grooved pulleys for grooved ones and add a belt with grooves on both sides. They said that they would only fix this problem when enough people reported the problem.

Filed Jun 22, 2011 · Steering · 95,000 miles · OH

Purchased used 2000 caravan w/90,000 miles. Warranty expired in 2003 and because of mileage. Problem: belt slips off when it rains, causing power steering to not work, mechanic says it can destroy engine if you continue to drive w/belt off. Had belt put back on 5 times. Won't drive when it's wet out, plan to purchase this "kit" needed in order to stop belt slipping off. Kit is est. $600, plus labor cost. I keep wondering what did prior owner do for this problem.

Filed May 31, 2010 · Engine · TN

While driving our 2006 dodge caravan in the rain or thru a puddle the serpentine belt keeps slipping of comes off this is an on going problem and the date listed below is the latest incident. This seems to me like a safety issue, power steering is lost and if not expecting this problem an accident could happen.

Filed Mar 9, 2010 · Engine, Suspension · 10,600 miles · VA

I bought a 1998 dodge caravan from falls church motors falls church va after a couple of months of driving I started to notice and feel a wobble in the front left drivers front tire a few months later I had a flat while the van was parked it took me and two other men to loosen the lugs on the tire to get of the tire the jack while the van in the air bent and the van fell to the side I pulled one of the men away from the van as I saw it falling toward us we got another jack and got the van back up in the air and put the donut on I than a short time later got on the highway and the donut flew off the van if it were in traffic it could have killed me and other on the highway a couple of month later the timing belt broke and the water pump I thought the van was still under warrant of the extended warranty from falls church motors I later found out it was not they I thought fixed the timing belt it has been running rough ever since the van now while running the motor turns off while any sharp turn to the left or right they said to me in the recent past after I thought they fixed it . It's not going to run like new I feel this dealer ship did sell me a defective van and unsafe parts on the vehicles and some other vehicles they are selling maybe endangering other peoples life I met one man at a gas station he said he had a transmission problem right away and it slipping after he bought it.

Filed Nov 9, 2009 · Transmission · CA

For the last 4 years I've been taking my vehicle into the dealership with concern of transmission problems. My transmission slips in 2 and 3rd gear, I've been in reverse and my van has gone into drive, I've been in drive and my vans gone in reverse, my van hesitates, stalls and even dies. My transmissions feels as though it's dropped into "neutral" when it slips gear causing my van to immediately decelerate speed (sometimes die), freeway or city driving. I have taken my van in handfuls of time with this concern and everytime I was told my transmission is fine, 1 tech said he noticed a slight slip in gears. But there was nothing to worry about. I've been to 3 different dodge dealerships and no one has noticed the transmission problem. I've taken it to aamco 1 time and they instantly found the problem, they just can't repair my transmission because I am still under dealer warranty. What aamco has found is: 2-3 gear slips bad, torque converter: noisy, bad, tcc/lockup: slips bad. Dodge will not honor aamco findings, which it to be expected but I have 3 children under the age of 9 and not one dealer wants to take it under warranty and fix the known problem.

Filed Feb 20, 2009 · Transmission · 138,000 miles · NC

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge caravan. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact stated that the transmission appeared to be slipping. The vehicle would not shift from second gear and, once it stopped, it vibrated excessively. Upon further investigation, the contact found metal shavings in the transmission pan. There were no recalls available for the failure and the vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were less than 138,000.

Filed Feb 2, 2009 · Transmission · 124,000 miles · MI

I was driving down a major road (m-59) and my minivan made a popping noise (my initial reaction was my tire blown) and came to an abrupt stop and engine cut off. I was able to restart and pull into a parking lot near by. I noticed transmission fluid leaking(which left a trail and a decent puddle when stopped). After speaking to 6 different transmission repair shops they all stated that there is a pin that is know to slip and shoot out causing the gears to slip out that has been know with the 99 dodge caravan .two mechanics believed there had been a silent recall because it is the most common problem with the transmission and dodge was aware of this problem. After reviewing online it seems that this is the biggest complaint. There is a bracket that now fixes this problem. I am grateful what happened didn't cause my 6 yr old daughter and I to get into a collision. I talked to my local dealership and the lady, samantha, I talked to was aware that this issue does exist. I don't understand why the consumer has to experience this expensive, dangerous event and be left to bear the cost to fix this. All of the repair shops state there are brackets that are designed to prevent this from occurring again, but it's something that shouldn't occur in the first place! There was no warning that my transmission was about to falter. The consumer shouldn't have to bear the financial consequence of a faulty design. If there is solution then dodge should have/or be fixing this not the consumer!