1997 Dodge Grand Caravan engine problems

Filed Nov 26, 2019 · Engine, Fuel system · 104,233 miles · CA

Car suddenly lost power while driving on the freeway at 60mph; engine remained on. I pulled over, turned off the car, and it started back up again and drove fine for about 2 miles. 'service engine soon' light came on. When it lost power again, I slowed and then tried to reaccelerate, and it drove fine for about 5 miles, enough to get me off the freeway and to a safe location. I checked the oil and transmission levels, which were ok, and there was nothing leaking under the car. Went to an appointment, and came back to the car, which started up and drove ok for about a half mile, then it shut down completely at a traffic light. This time it wouldn't start back up again, so I pushed it onto a side street, where it started up fine and drove to the nearest gas/repair station. Now, the van won't start again. Van was proceeding straight in all situations.

Filed Dec 15, 2016 · Engine, Steering · 271,000 miles · MI · crash

Serpentine belt comes off while driving in snow causing loss of power steering on slippery road surfaces. Loss of vehicle control and ability to regain vehicle control was compromised by lack of steering assist causing the vehicle to leave the roadway. I contacted chrysler and they said there is no recall for my vehicle.this was a very dangerous situation as a school bus was near my vehicle when this incident happened. This issue needs to be addressed and a recall should be mandated.

Filed Jul 9, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 77,000 miles · CO

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. While driving at 62 MPH, the vehicle stalled intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the instrument cluster and the body control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

Filed Jun 16, 2014 · Engine · 107,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine warning lamp illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 107,000. The current mileage was 114,000.

Filed Sep 6, 2012 · Engine · 130,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle hit a small pothole and the contact lost power steering. Also, the vehicle overheated and the alternator warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnosed the failure but decided to replaced the serpentine belt as a safety precaution. The failure recurred several times mostly when it rained or hit a pothole. The contact stated that the serpentine belt came off several times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000 and the current mileage was 143,000.

Filed Feb 1, 2012 · Electrical, Engine · 122,000 miles · NH

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. The contact stated that while driving at the speeds of 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a local automotive store, where it was diagnosed that the coil pack malfunctioned. The dealer was notified and they could not assist the contact with the failure of the coil pack. The vehicle experienced this failure a total of six times and it was repaired. The failure mileage was 122,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. Updated 03/05/12*lj updated 03/08/12

Filed Mar 2, 2011 · Engine · 186,542 miles · AR

When driving in the rain we hit water on the road and the serpentine belt comes off, you lose power steering at the time if it happens in heavy traffic you could have a crash. When looking for a solution for the problem I found it happens to a lot of people. Gates makes an after market fix part# 38379k. Dodge will not fix it.

Filed Jul 7, 2010 · Engine · 142,826 miles · GA

The belt tensioner on my 1997 dodge grand caravan se 3.3l engine is a safety hazard. It has a design flaw, the belt comes off when the van is driven through puddles. I have owned my van for 2 years and I have had to replace the belt and coordinating parts about 7 times. I am at the point where I do not feel safe driving my children around during wet weather conditions nor do I feel comfortable selling this vehicle to another family and passing this severe problem on to them. Please come up with a solution to this design defect and do a recall!!!!!

Filed Aug 15, 2008 · Engine · 134,000 miles · PA

The problem is with a 1997 dodge grand caravan, the accessory belt keep coming off if you drive the vehicle through water. It has happen a least 20 time in the last year which lead to power steering failure and over heating and battery failure. I tried to fix the problem by changing the tensioner the belt also the idler puller all about twice which did not solve the problem.

Filed Aug 7, 2008 · Body, Electrical · 149,766 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. Whenever the contact shifts, the vehicle makes an unfamiliar noise. When the vehicle is parked, it operates normally. The transmission stalls and will start back up, but it is unreliable. The vehicle would rev and have to be restarted in order for the revving to stop. If there is a power fluctuation, the rear wipers will turn on and off at random. The high beams on the headlights do not work, but the failure was repaired. The parking light on the front driver's side failed. He replaced the bulb, but it still does not work. The contact stated that he is constantly replacing the low beam lights. The serpentine belt slips off; however, it has been repaired. The check engine light flashes on and off and there is a burning electrical smell coming from the vehicle. The front strut assembly is rusting and rotting. The rocker panel on the driver's side is rusted completely. The current mileage was 186,000 and failure mileage was 149,766. Updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/11/08.