Steering system makes a loud humming noise all of the time. Vehicle has 51000 miles on it, and my mechanic told me the rack and pinion has to be replaced. I asked how he could tell without looking, and he told me that this is well known problem, with these vehicles.
2006 Dodge Grand Caravan steering complaints
Page 3 of 3: complaints 41 to 61 of 61, newest first, as owners wrote them.
We bought almost three years ago 2006 dodge grand caravan. Right now it only has 47000 miles. Recently we noticed a leak and we took the car for service & we found out the power steering rack is broken and leaking oil. We thought it was covered by the warranty. But the dealer told us it wasn't covered by the warranty. They estimated the cost around $1300. We called chrysler and they failed to help us. After we did some search we found out so many dodge grand caravans getting end up breaking the power steering rack at early age. We believe chrysler need to recall this and fix the issue. It is not fair for us when our car has only 47,000 miles .
My 2006 dodge grand caravan has developed a loud whining sound from under the hood at a cold start and continuing for several minutes. The noise is present when sitting still with the wheels straight but gets worse when the wheel is turned.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. The contact stated that the air conditioner became inoperative and had to be replaced. The power steering rack also had to be replaced due to a loud grinding noise that was heard coming from the steering column. In addition, the radiator fans would overheat and were replaced. The manufacturer did not assist. The failure mileage was 4,300 and current mileage was 58,000.
I got up and went out to start the van and noticed a awful whining sound I took it to a garage and they told me that it was the rack and pinion I told them I just bought this van.they told me to take it back to the dealer and find out if there is a recall on it. He said this is a known problem for this van and the part is probably on back order. So my question is if it known for this problem why would a dealer sell me this van knowing I have a family of six. I did take it back to the dealer im still waiting for them to call me back and let me now what's going on. Sound like a big law suit waiting to happen if something isn't done and it causes a accident. What gets me is they sold this van to me with this existing problem. Van was bought in march 2009 mileage 49,628. They should have to start telling people about recalls or known problems on vehicles they are selling.
Rack and pinion leaking fluid from rubber boot and needs replaced; mechanic said very common problem for 2006 grand caravans with over 40,000 miles. Has replaced more than he cares to admit. Of course no longer under warranty and part is on back order? Must really happen alot when the part is on back order, maybe time for a recall.
Maintained oil changes & at 14670 mi did 15000 mile service/maintenance kit; 3/6/08-20565 miles,leaking steering rack, under warranty, gear assembly power steering replaced & checked brakes for noise but no repair of them; 3/11/08-20740 miles, ses light is on & just replaced rack & pinion, cause=leak detection pump failure,pump natural vacuum leak detection, emissions,under warranty; 5/12/08-22282 miles, checked brakes for noise, replaced front brake pads & rotors,I paid & reflash for harsh 1-2 @/or 2-3 shift so reflashed PCM per tsb 21-018-07 for harsh shift, no charge but don't know if it was b/c of warranty; 9/09/08 25192 oil change & on 9/19/08 25562 miles ck engine light on & van died twice while driving, cause valve exhaust gas recirculation control so replaced egr valve, covered under warranty; 10/13/08 26324 miles, brakes squeaking, clean & adjusted brakes; 10/31/08 26788 miles,breaks squeaking, replaced front brake pads,under warranty; 1/13/09 28092 miles replaced right faulty right sliding door track,under warranty; 2/2/09 28463 miles replaced battery b/c battery failed vat test & did oil change; 2/20/09 28945 miles did 30k service said will need rear brakes soon had no choice but to get the extended warranty due to all the time spent at the dealer. Reported all problems to chrysler but all they did was notate it but doesn't appear are going to do anything about all of the issues I had. They said, well the car was repaired. No one should have to be at a dealer this many times &so frequently especially since I only avg over 9000 but less than 10000 a yr. 3/30/09 car turned off by itself at stop light, I turned it on, van shook, gas pedal wouldn't move, turned on &off a couple of times &kept shaking &pedal wouldn't move &then finally it stopped shaking& I drove off. I set up appt & was sch for 2 days later but was able to drive the car so I cancelled & was told to bring in if happens again. Approx incident date is date of 1st issue since multiple issues.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle would make a whining sound, especially in colder temperatures, and distract the concentration of the driver. She stated that the noise was loud enough to cause a concern. The noise occurred every time the vehicle was driven and would intensify when making turns at various speeds. She has scheduled an appointment with the dealer, but has not notified the manufacturer. The current mileage was approximately 50,000 and failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
My 2006 dodge grand caravan with only 42,000 miles has developed a power steering fluid leak. Repair shop says steering rack needs to be replaced. Have not had this expensive repair done as yet. Seems to be a universal chrysler problem, numerous other owners of same automobile have indicated the same problem.
I submitted this complaint to a local dealership that serviced my vehicle. I worry that there could be a major safety issue. I own a 2006 dodge grand caravan sxt. In the past year, I have brought it into dodge city of milwaukee for two service appointments, one in winter 2007 and another in spring 2008. During both visits, I complained of an persistent problem with the steering system. On sharp left turns, the van often makes a "pulsing" or "howling" sound. On both occasions, dodge city of milwaukee fixed something in the steering system, but the sound never went away. Earlier today, as I was pulling into the alley behind my house, the car's steering suddenly froze and the oil light came on. I am not sure of the reason for this, but if there had been any traffic, or if I was traveling at a high speed, this would have been a major safety hazard. I checked the oil, which was a bit low but still in the normal range (I also complained on both visits that the car loses oil quickly and was assured by dodge city of milwaukee that this is normal). I shut off the car, turned it on again, and it seemed to work normally. Since the steering was affected, I strongly suspect that this incident is somehow related to the problem that your technicians negligently failed to address. When I purchased a new dodge van in 2006 for my family of six, I never imagined that it would cause me to fear for our safety within two years. This is an entirely unacceptable situation. I believe that it is largely due to the failure of dodge city of milwaukee's service department to address problems that I repeatedly mentioned. I am copying my lawyer on this message, along with the wilde dodge salesman who originally sold me the car, and I also plan to inform the national chrysler customer service department. If the problem with this car is too obscure to identify, then I should be provided with a new vehicle that will not put my four small children at risk.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. After repairing the brakes, the contact turned the steering wheel and heard unusual noises. A week later, he discovered oil on the ground underneath the vehicle. The mechanic stated that the rack and pinion was failing. The dealer stated that the parts for the repair were on backorder. The failure mileage was 41,000. Updated 6/16/08
Owner noticed whining noise when turning. Inspected power steering resevoir and noticed low reading. On next service date, dealer noted leak and stated that steering column was leaking. Scheduled replacement of steering column and tie-rods. Covered under warranty - 33,000 miles on 2006 grand caravan. Waiting for scheduled repair.
Around 37,000 miles a whining noise started coming from the front on my 2006 dodge grand caravan. After just speaking to the dealership mechanic on the phone, he knew immediately what the problem was, the rack and pinion was leaking steering fluid. This issue has been common enough that the parts have been constantly on back order. After research online I have found many of the same complaint. How many complaints does it take?
Observed loud humming noise from under the hood while running engine. Looking underhood observed fluid sprayed on engine. Dealer diagnosed problem as rack & pinion. The van only has 53,000 miles. Full dealer inspection in december prior to purchase claimed there were no issues with the vehicle. The repair estimate was $800. I was told squeezing the boot on end and you could see oil leaking out as the cause of the oil. Also, previously observed a click sound when doing tight u-turn at speed. The van sat for several days until we took it to dealer monday morning. I contacted chrysler (1‑800‑992‑1997) very few miles for this to fail. After a long delay while the researched the issue, they said that it was outside the 36,000 warranty and would not be covered by other warranties. They said they could not provide me any information on how often this problem has occurred. I would hate to have steering fail while driving on the interstate. The dealer told me rack & pinion is commonly on back order but they happen to have one in stock.
I noticed what appeared to be an oil leak coming from the right front side of my undercarriage. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my mechanic, who informed me the rack and pinion in my 2006 dodge grand caravan needed replaced. When I asked him how common it is for a vehicle of the age mine is, with so few miles for cars today, he said it was becoming common and even showed me another dodge grand caravan on the rack for the exact same thing. I was told $873 to fix it. I then called the local dodge dealer who said they had not heard of any grand caravans having this kind of problem and that they could not help me. I immediately got on the internet where I have found website after website describing the same problem as mine and that the rack and pinion for my vehicle is on back order. This really seems like a real issue that dodge needs to address, rather than jab it to the consumer.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. Contact stated that the vehicle began making a clanging noise when the wheel was turned. Additionally, the power steering fluid was low. When more power steering fluid was added in the vehicle, the fluid began leaking. The dealer stated that the power steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The repair was not made because the part was on back order. The VIN, purchase date, powertrain, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 20,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. While the vehicle was at a shop for a routine inspection, the mechanic stated that the rack and pinion was defective. The contact notified the dealer and they stated that the parts for the repair were on back order and did not know when they would be available. The manufacturer did not provide any assistance. The failure and current mileages were 45,345.
Vehicle power steering makes loud resonating hum when turning. Dealership cannot find the location of the noise. Rack & pinion and power steering pump have both been replaced, and the noise still persists.
Popping noise in steering column. While traveling at least 50 miles a loud winding noise was heard coming from the steering column, -possibly transmission. Vehicle became hard to steer. All fluids have been checked and vehicle was serviced regularly.
Loud whining noise coming from engine when cold. Had power steering pump replaced on 1st visit. One month later same problem, had alternator replaced. 3 weeks later same thing. Tech said there was an air bubble in the power steering line. The line was drained and fluid was replaced. Better not happen again!
On january 12, 2006 my van starting making a clunking sound from the front right passenger side and then would suddenly jerk and pull the van to the right. I scheduled a service appointment for the next day. While in route to the dealership the van came to an abrupt stop as well as while trying to stop the van there was no control in the steering. The van slid until stopping. Fortunately I was only going about 15 MPH as I had just started through the intersection. The outcome was the bolt that holds the control arm in place broke in half. There was rust in the center on the broken bolt. The van was towed to the dealership and new parts were ordered. It took about one week to repair. Dodge was notified but has failed to call me back in regards to the letter I sent them.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history