For 3 summers in a row, we have had to recharge the air condition system for it to only work 3-4 weeks at a time. Our mechanic says that it isn't that the air conditing unit has failed it seems to be loosing the freon some where.the locks on the van to the tail gate doesn't seem to work correctly, 90% of the time you have to beat on the lock from the out side for it to unlock. We have also replaced the brake pad approx 3 times and they still squeak and seem to grab at times.
1996 Dodge Grand Caravan: grinding or squealing brakes
14 of the 1,146 complaints about the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan describe grinding or squealing brakes.
- owner complaints
- 14
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
Grinding or squealing brakes by model year
What owners say
While trying to start vehicle consumer heard a loud grinding noise, and then a loud pop. When trying to drive off consumer did not have any way to control vehicle. Contacted dealer.
While driving in the phoenix area making a normal left turn at a street intersection, suddenly my steering wheel jammed, so that I was unable to straighten up at the end of the turn and had to brake sharply and stop, else hit cars on the left waiting for their light! In the few seconds of this process I felt a "clicking-grinding" of what sounded like broken plastic inside the steering column housing. Had I been in heavy traffic or other circumstances, the defective part and jammed steering would have caused a serious accident with injuries or fatalities. Inspection showed a broken white nylon or plastic piece in the named turn-signal switch module, requiring replacement of the module. Part.
Upon applying gas from a dead stop, van began making a harsh grinding sound and wouldn't move. Van was towed to chrysler dealer who said the output shaft had snapped. Transmission had to be replaced.
Automatic lock motor doesn't shut off right away when opened from keyless remote or during autolock when driving, struts are leaking oil at less than 50000 miles, windshield wipers lock up during cold weather, transmission slips out of gear during cold weather, front brakes vibrate and chatter: pads and rotors have been replaced twice in the last 6 months, grinding noise from steering column, whinning noise during accelleration. Are there any recalls regarding these issues. The car is falling apart after 4 years.
Anytime it rains or water puddles on the street , if I drive over it the steering becomes extremely stiff and sometimes you can't steer at all. I have noticed that even a small amount of water splashes under the right front wheel (the serpentine belts' location) the belt immediately squeals and is difficult to steer. If the compressor is on either the air conditioning or the defroster, and water is splashed on the belt the vehicle ha little or no steering. During a right turn at a green traffic light water splashed the before mentioned area and I almost hit another vehicle in the other lane that was preparing to make a left turn! Is there any recall or some kind of panel that can protect the water pump assembly from water contacting the belt and thus leading to little or no steering capabilities?
Steering tends to hang,rattle & grinding noise,hard turning left or right.dealer checked all suspension,said steering box was bad.I know the vechile has a lot of milage but I have never had a gear box go bad under normal driving conditions.the steering has tried to lock up several times(felt a catch in the wheel) but released pressure then was ok.had dealer check for problem. Could not duplicate.would cost $500.00 to replace steering box.
Ie98054, while driving over a water puddle vehicle lost power steering for that moment which could hav e caused loss of control. After it was out of the water, a squeaky noise was heard and vehicle returned back to normal. Dealer replaced steering belt tensioner and serpetine belt. Problem is reoccurring. Please provide further information.
Brakes failed causing loud grinding.
Constant rubbing and grinding noise when brakes are applied and vehicle would lurch to a stop. Dealer cleaned the rear brake shoes of dust and machined the warped rear drums, however the noise and lurching continued.
Steering is very wobbly & very loose; speed would vary when it happens. Would pull to right & drift; intermittent grinding in steering mechanism; would lock up when parking or backing up; took to dealer 3 times & had rack & pinion , steering pump replaced, but problem still exists.
Heard squealing noise coming from front wheel, according to dealer caused by wear and tear, replaced brake rotors/pads.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan grinding brakes
Is grinding or squealing brakes a common problem on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan?
14 of 1,146 owner complaints about the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan (1%) mention grinding or squealing brakes. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
Airbag light 123Adaptive cruise 115Wipers 98Fuel leak 65Stalling 51Transmission failure 50Door locks 36Fire or smoke 33Power steering loss 33Fuel pump 25Fuel smell 25Loss of power 20ABS 17Won't shift 17Slipping 15Jerking 13Brake failure 11Harsh shifting 10Headlights 10Check engine light 9No deployment 8Steering lock-up 8Steering noise 8Tire blowout 8Won't start 8Engine failure 7Fuel gauge 7Coil spring 6Hesitation 6Misfire 6Overheating 6Power windows 6Seat belt 6Ball joint 5
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