Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions

tomone · February 2000

I bought my 96 GC ES in 1996 used with 23K miles on it. The previous owner traded it for an SUV. The only problem he experienced was the failure of the CD compartment door latch.

I have been very pleased with the performance and reliability of this car. I have 62K miles on it now. The only maintenance, other than normal wear items..tires, brakes, wiper blades, etc..has been the replacement of the radio,CD,tape unit, idler/tension pulley, transmission seal, rear window motor, and two more CD door latches. All replaced under warranty..standard and extended. Oh, and two occasions of body work correcting dents my wife incurred in learning to back up the van.

I will purchase an extended warranty on my next vehicle also....one major repair will pay for it.

We are now shopping for a new GC ES...We're really disappointed with the color choices.

greagan · February 2000

I am considering purchasing a Dodge Caravan (not the Grand Caravan.)

Living in Texas, I am concerned that the "front only" AC won't be sufficient for our 100-plus heat. Does anyone have any experience with this?

69impala · February 2000

My sister-in-law in Oklahoma City had a new '88 Grand Caravan without rear air and AC was an issue. Here in Dallas, we have had rear air in all of our Grand Caravans and would not buy a van without it. I have not owned a Caravan, but I don't think I would be happy without rear air in one if I was going to carry passengers behind the front seat in summer. The regular Caravan is not that much shorter than the Grand Caravan.

swampcollie · February 2000

I had a 93 Caravan without rear air. I live im Missouri, so not as hot as texas, but still plenty warm.. what we saw was it took a while.. once you got going it was ok.... but, front seat passengers might get a tad frigid trying to cool the rear. one warning..get the heavy tint windows. makes a real difference. I really like the short van. I have a GC now, but for a lot of applications that short van is neat. And it is not that small...

swampcollie · February 2000

this is first van with rear heat and air..heats up the whole cabin a lot faster. run the rear heat even when nobody is in the back... once heated up you can cut it off.... and some days when it is just cool.. we only run the rear heat..

thebrakeman · February 2000

PREACH IT BROTHER CARLETON!!!!!!

capecodder · February 2000

Well, carleton1, time once again to expose your lack of honesty. Having read what turned out to be your fiction of being provoked by Odyssey owners causing trouble in the Caravan problems thread, I went back to Jan 99 and read *every* posting in that thread up to your first nastygram about Honda which was #383 on 26 Aug 99. There was *one*, just one, from a Honda owner, #169 on 22 Feb 99, which was not in the slightest inflammatory or in any way negative toward Caravans. ("As an odyssey owner, I'm not exactly
unbiased...but reading about all the problems with
the CC's transmissions made me Sooo glad of my
choice. If you want to know more about the Odyssey, come over to the Odyssey discussion
groups." Really offensive, eh?) From that one posting there were then *none*, zero, nada, no more, until *your* first nastygram about Honda headlined "Mythical Honda Reliability." So who started all this baloney here, carleton1? Not any Odyssey owner(s), but YOU! That's right, YOU! In case you've forgotten, here's the negative baloney about both Honda and Toyota which you chose to write, utterly unprovoked, last August.

"Why have 3 of the 7 Honda Accords owned by people
that I personally know have needed major repairs re(transmissions, engines, electrical) whereas NOT one of the many owners of Caravans, Voyagers and Town and Countrys have had problems? We wanted an Odyssey but after hearing these problems with Hondas, I do NOT dare buy the so-called "reliable" Honda!

As for the Toyota Sienna, why can't Toyota design a decent looking van at a reasonable price? The Previa was the ugliest van on the market...was way over priced, grossly underpowered, etc. The earlier Toyota vans were also very ugly. The Sienna is one of the ugliest of the current vans.

My experience with foreign name vehicles we owned was that the dealerships were far more hostile to the owner than any American dealership has treated us. The foreign name vehicle had VERY expensive parts and service was more costly."

Even better, posting #384 from guitarzan, made immediately after yours, chastised you to "please stick to the topics at hand. This topic is about specific problems with Caravans."

In conducting this exercise, I did get the chance to read about two hundred impassioned, angry postings by frustrated Caravan owners describing their horrific experiences with Caravans. So it's no wonder that you, a seemingly fanatical Chrysler minivan partisan, after reading all of these unfortunate stories, could take it no longer, and responded with the first of your groundless and emotional attacks on two companies which happen to make reliable minivans. What's truly troubling is that, in your unwillingness to believe that Chrysler vans are trouble-prone, or even that *anyone* could possibly have a problem with one, you further insult these people who already seem to have enough troubles by calling them liars. ("Looks like another Odyssey owner spreading lies in a DC Forum.") What nonsense, carleton1.

I would recommend that whoever is moderating this thread ban you from Edmunds Town Hall for making irresponsible statements such as the one above about your fellow Town Hall members. Just what is it you are trying to do--bully people so that they won't write about their bad experiences with Caravans?

dhaxton · February 2000

You are trying to reason with the unreasonable; just ain't gonna happen.

r10 · February 2000

dhaxton hit the nail on the head: Can't reason with the unreasonable. dhaxton fits the shoe perfectly and is a well known DC basher.
capecodder: have you read in Forum #123?(now archived). You obviously have not been reading long enough to identify all of the Odyssey owners who have made a profession of bashing Chrysler products. Since you love the Odyssey and were offended when I re-stated problems of the Odyssey I had read in Odyssey forums, you have looked for postings to support your one-sided Odyssey view. Those who like Chrysler can find as many or more to support the Chrysler view point.
Frankly, it is not worth my time to go back to identify all of them for you. Your mind is closed and you think the Odyssey is the only true van. If I did not have a pickup, the Odyssey would have been the best to haul cargo.
Since I have a reliable pickup, I value the nice comfort items of the Chrysler vans and they are thus better for me and people who do not need to haul cargo.

r10 · February 2000

And yet Odyssey owners cry "foul" when someone does the same about the Odyssey?
No one has yet answered my question. This is NOT an Odyssey forum so really you do not belong here if you own an Odyssey!

r10 · February 2000

Town Hall User Profile
Sorry 1avengingangel, there is no user .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As this is the message I get when I click onto r-10.

r10 · February 2000

And thanks again capecodder for the descriptive
title. Now, why does the Town Hall list me as r-10 when I am really 1avengingangel?
(Karen S. got it corrected once before)

capecodder · February 2000

Quite simply, carleton1 (or do you prefer r10?), we are here because you insist on bashing Odysseys (and, as we've now seen, Siennas as well) on a thread titled Dodge Caravan problems (for which you've been told to stay "on-topic" by guitarzan). And, as we've also seen, you bash them with utter disregard for the facts. So, I guess we're here to keep you honest, which is a seemingly impossible task given your track record.

capecodder · February 2000

Thank you, carleton1, for pointing out thread #123, titled "Is there anything GOOD to say about
Crysler[sic]/Dodge Minivans." I did the same thing there that I did for the original "Dodge Caravan problems" thread and subsequently described above--went back to 1 Jan 1999 and read all the postings until I encountered the first mention of you, carleton1. Here's what I found.

The first posting by a Honda owner was again by dave594, #153 posted 10 Mar 99: "Geez..you mean they're still using pushrod engines in the Caravan, lol? Hey, this is the 1990s, not the 1940s! Note I can say that, because my Odyssey has a sweet 3.5L, 24 valve, all aluminum
DOHC engine. NICE!"

A necessary posting? No, but hardly inflammatory. And five months before your first appearance in the thread, in any case. Then there were two postings (#173 and #217 in March and June, respectively) by brianinoh, who is now an Odyssey owner but who may not have been at the time of these postings. Neither posting made any mention of the Odyssey and neither was in *any* way critical of the Caravan. #173, in fact, mentioned some interesting features he had read about in an article on the 2001 DC vans. A positive posting for DC if it was anything.

Reading further, I found two postings in August 99 had been deleted (#252 and #253). Then I came to the very next posting (#254) by guitarzan, on Aug 8!! Ready for this, carleton1!! Here goes: "Carleton, you have my curiosity peaked! What were the exact causes of those 2 engine failures, did they tell you? I've never heard of Accord engines dying, unless they were abused."

So here we go again, carleton1. In a thread which had nothing to do with Hondas, Odysseys, or Accords, and in which there was *nothing* significant in the way of Honda or Odyssey owners "bashing" Dodge minivans, you, carleton1, *again* brought up your hokum about the reliability of Honda products. So, carleton1, once again, the cross-brand bashing was started by YOU! That's right, carleton1, by YOU! Not by Honda or Ody owners.

So please stop whining about Ody owners saying things you don't like about DC minivans in any of these threads. This whole problem was started by YOU, not by Honda or Odyssey owners.

As always, facts are the enemy of carleton1 and his baloney.

Karen_S · February 2000

There are several hidden posts. An explanation is posted in About the Vans Conference topic.

KarenS
Vans host

mfd395 · February 2000

I was the one that wrote message 117...please read that and maybe that will stop you from getting the DC. I wouldnt ever buy a Chrysler again. All I have to say is thank god that I got an extended warranty. Event though I have the warranty i have to pay the first hundred dollar and I have spent about 1500 dollars on that car for problems...not even routine maintinece! After reading the problems that you had I am surprised that you are even happy with your current GC> I really reccomend not getting a Chrysler,. I really dont think that you have to go buy a honda but try The windstar or the venture.

swampcollie · February 2000

I am sorry that you had so much trouble. I have been driving Chrysler minis for 13 trouble-free years. Wish I had good advice for a person on what determines whether you are going to be happy with your purchase. All I know is that I am on my third one and if it performs like the last 2, I will some day get my 4th.

wrruhrig · February 2000

Transmission shifts ok, but have an up front noise (sharp knock)that sounds like what you would hear if you struck the oil pan with a hammer. Noise usually disappears during cold weather. Noise was only sporadic about 18 months ago; a DC service tech said this is "normal" for the DC, and tried to re-create the noise by rocking the car when it was in park (of course, no noise when he tried). Now, the noise is quite frequent, occurring almost always at the instant of deceleration and in the lower range of speeds.

dcrisler · February 2000

But you need to go to another mechanic... but it does not sound normal... sounds like the "R" word... as in rod knocking.

wrruhrig · February 2000

Guess my description was somewhat lacking about the knocking noise. It is external to the engine. It sounds as if it is coming from the vicinity/juncture of transaxle and transmission(?). From the drivers seat it sounds close to fire wall. Is there a coupling or joint (you can tell I am not a mechanic, can't you..)that could be responsible for the noise, something that with mileage (85K) age would cause wear/play?
Do appreciate your reply, though. It is more than I got from a rather mentally-lame service manager yesterday via the phone.

dcrisler · February 2000

that tend to wear are the CV joints... but htyey tend to show up wihen turning, but I guess could should up when letting off the throttle. They are what allows the wheels to pull the car and turn via the steering wheel and go up and down with the suspension... they are at the wheel end of the axles... and in effect, wheat attaches the wheels to the axles... probably I would take it to a autotransmission mechanic for a checkup...

jrodz · February 2000

My wife and I bought a 97 Caravan in Aug of 1997. The vehicle currently has just over 34,000 miles. All maintenance is done at the dealer using the Dodge maintenance recommendation for short trip usage. So far we've had to replace the brakes (including rotors), the water pump, and the CD player. We've had the mysterious windshield wiper problem, but haven't pursued it. Recently we've run into a problem with the electrical system which causes all kinds of unusual things. The dealer couldn't find the problem, but they did replace the battery. The situation is a bit unusual and sometimes difficult to reproduce, but when it happens any number of symptoms arise including: speedometer/tachometer not working, no power windows, no radio, no gear indicator, no milage indicator... I believe the problem is with the ignition switch, but the dealer claims to have checked this with negative results. What I have found is that when the ignition key is turned on to its fullest, it sometimes gets stuck in that position. When that occurs, the electrical problems begin. Unfortunately, it doesn't "stick" all the time, so I'm wondering if anyone has had similar problems and might be able to quantify the issue a little better than I. We live in New England, so it may have something to do with the climate, however, I had the problem in both fall and winter.

xingze_cai · February 2000

Hello There,

Thank you very much for your points about transmission oil change, I think I may have it done in the car shop. Right now, my Caravan has 15,000 miles on it and the friend here suggested for services every 15,000 miles, should I bring it to dealer or any other shop as their price is quite different. Any comment? Thanks

wrruhrig · February 2000

Glad you wrote back again.

No, not CV joints; that is one area I have had experience with (had an 85 DC that needed replacement of CV joints/boots 3X - thank goodnes for the old 7/70 protection coverage!) The 92 DC has been very good as far as repairs, except for the computer sensor responsible for all the dashboard guages (a mere $550 to fix). That conked out a few years ago. But back to the clunk.

I did, however, just notice "the noise" when I shifted from park to reverse today. Same noise. Then, as usual, it occurred a few more times during the day's drive, almost always at the moment you let up on the accelerator. The 3-speed trans shifts fine. Hmm. Maybe some kind of gear shift linkage/transmission problem?

Any and all thoughts most appreciated.

swampcollie · February 2000

it is CRITICAL that the tranny gets the right fluid. Please use only the fluid listed in your owners manual no matter what anyone tells you.

royallen · February 2000

Noise might be bad motor mounts. You might have someone do shifts while you look under the hood at the mounts. You might want to chock the wheels in addition to using brakes for safety.

69impala · February 2000

In our '96 GC (which Chrysler traded us out of for a '97), we had similar electrical problems. We never saw anything similar in our '97, except for last fall. While we were on vacation, I stopped for gas. When I restarted the GC, it seemed that all of the electrical circuits on the accessory circuit were not working. I quickly concluded that the battery was going out. I went to Sears, the battery was bad, and the symptoms disappeared after the new battery was installed. I suspect that the problem is rooted in the body computer. Hope this helps. I know it is frustrating.

eickmeier · February 2000

I too have the the knocking sound when I let up on the accelerator in the lower gears. I have the three-speed transmission in a '90 Caravan with the 3.0 L V6 and 105K miles. Mine has been doing this for quite a long time but the transmission seems to be working just fine. I thought it could be CV joints but I had the driver's side drive axle replaced about 5K miles ago due to a bad outboard CV boot and I can't feel any unusual motion in the passenger's side axle and the knock persists. The other tests for CV problems, like noise when turning or vibration at highway speeds are negative.
Royallen, I also have thought about the motor mounts as a possible cause, particularly the front mount. How does one examine a motor mount to determine if it is faulty? Will a faulty mount be obvious upon inspection? My wife hit a deer with this van several years ago. The radiator got mashed back into the engine and I am sure the lower front cross member and motor mount took a hit as well. I don't think the mount was replaced when the body work was done. Since I have forgotten when the knock first appears I can't say there is any correlation.
Xingze cai, the transmission fluid change is pretty easy. Just make sure that the MOPAR 7176+3 fluid is used. I gather you must be especially careful about this if you go to a quick-lube place as they will likely dump in Dextron and screw things up.
I new problem I have had now for about a year is that the headliner is sagging. It really sags in cold weather and appears to tighten in warm weather. I got a load of those headliner repair "buttons" and they have helped. I was wondering if you could use some sort of spray-on material (hair spray?) on the fabric when it is taut to keep it from more sagging when cold. Has anybody had this problem and come up with a clever solution?

royallen · February 2000

Most are hard rubber with a bushing and bolt. They fail when the rubber deteriorates so it looks cracked and maybe part missing and the engine will move excessively and cause noise when shifting from park to reverse or drive.

wrruhrig · March 2000

I checked today with C. shop foreman on the front end noise in my 92DC (3.0 V-6, 3-speed auto). Without seeing/checking it out he is convinced (from my description) that it is either a transmission or motor mount, with greatest liklihood it is the transmission mount (royallen # 154 got it right - thanks! - , and it sounds like #153 eickmeier has same/similar mount problem). The fact that it acts up more in warm weather than in cold is probably a result of its hard rubber make-up (expand/contract). It goes in to shop on Thursday. Part runs about $33 bucks.
Thanks to all who replied. I'll post an update after the "surgeon's" bill is in.

For what it is worth, those who have those 4-speed transmissions might want to cut the recommended 30K service interval in half. Spoke with a former Chrysler service manager. He said that more frequent (15K) servicing had reduced the number of breakdowns they were seeing. He worked for them from the late 80's to mid 90's.

glassair · March 2000

I have a 97 Town & Country LX (32k) which also suffers from a mysterious windshield wiper problem. Out of the blue, or in the clear blue, the wipers make one pass, and shut off. I also haven't pursued yet. The radio also inadvertently cuts out for various lengths of time. Dealer said it was the CD, replaced, but problem still exists. Panel on radio lights up, appears to work fine, other than no sound.

glassair · March 2000

I have a 97 Town & Country LX (32k) which also suffers from a mysterious windshield wiper problem. Out of the blue, or in the clear blue, the wipers make one pass, and shut off. I also haven't pursued yet. The radio also inadvertently cuts out for various lengths of time. Dealer said it was the CD, replaced, but problem still exists. Panel on radio lights up, appears to work fine, other than no sound.

glassair · March 2000

Seems I also have eye problems. Seeing double posts. Must be time for zzzzzz's

royallen · March 2000

Van topic 59 #184 reported a TSB on wiper problem attributed to the "multifunction switch" malfunction.

mellaw · March 2000

we bought a 99 dodge grand caravan - it has been in the shop three times for tranmission leakage and slipping to two different dealerships. the first one couldn't find a problem and hopefully the second one fixed it. this was the first car we ever bought new and i am very disappointed with the performance of the van. we also have a 88 dc and it does circles around this new one with almost 200,000 miles on it. if the transmission leaks again we are going for the lemon law. other than the transmission, i like the size and the gadgets in it. i keep thinking i should sell it and go buy a 2000 or buy foreign van (but they are much smaller). we previosly owned all foreign cars before these vans and never had problems with any of them.

bobw9 · March 2000

We have a 97 Plymouth Voyager, that also had the wiper problem. took it to selling dealer and they couldn't diagnose the problem on 2 attempts. Took it to another dealer, and they immediately replaced the multi-function switch. Problem still occurred went back to the dealer telling them that the switch was already replaced. Tech did a diagnostic of the front wipers and got a circuit reading, which told them to replace the wiper motor. Problem never occurred again. This was done in mid 98 so its been almost 2 years now, without the problem.

royallen · March 2000

I'm glad to see your helpful tip on this frequently sited problem. Thank you.

mfd395 · March 2000

I am the one that wrote the posting of 117. I just found out today that we have a suspension problem that costs 350$!!!!! If I dont get it repaired I will cause futher damage. W eare shocked. We have other problems but are holding backon that because we may sellit and get a 200 Tarus wagon!!!! Anyone got any advice?

wrruhrig · March 2000

Noise gone - transmission mount was the problem. Cost including labor/and diagnostic time (Firestone)was $102. Now shifts from park like new van; no noise going into reverse; no more clunk at any time.
Funny, by signing on to post this note I read a few others re: the mysterious and occassional windshield wiper swipe problem, and it happens on our 97 DC SE, too! Was beginning to think we were imagining it. Thanks to all for the opinions and useful info, including this: when (and if)we get the PT Crusier w/4 speed auto., I will be sure to change the trans fluid every 15K and use Mopar fluid.

xingze_cai · March 2000

Hi Greg and Bill,

Thank you very much for your points on transmission fluid. Is this CRITICAL only on Caravan or any other cars as well?I have another car, 97 Camry, and right now ready for 30,000 miles service, dealer's price is $349 + tax and the local shop I found offered $229 + tax, but they said they will use after market parts. Should I forget about it and bring my car to dealer directly? Many thanks!

swampcollie · March 2000

sorry, I am not able to answer your queston on the Camry. But, I would certainly read the manual and do what they say. A much under read document.

eickmeier · March 2000

Wrruhrig, thanks for the transmission mount update. After the earlier discussion on the "klunk" problem, I carefully examined the front motor mount on my Caravan and it looked fine. The passenger-side motor mount also looks good. I haven't looked at the transmission mount yet because it is somewhat tucked out of the way and not easily visible from either the top or the bottom of the engine compartment. I will check this weekend.
I imagine this is a straightforward repair as long as you jack the transmission when the mount is removed.
While obviously annoying, is there any real damage that can be done associated with transmission movement?
Thanks again for the update information.

eickmeier · March 2000

Xingze Cai, what services are they going to do for this amount of money? A simple transmission filter and fluid change shouldn't cost nearly this much. Five quarts of recommended transmission fluid should cost a maximum of $15. A filter with gaskets should run no more than $20. You could do the job yourself for $35 max and probably do it better! This is NOT a difficult thing to do yourself.
As swampcollie suggests, get the transmission fluid recommended by the manufacturer. I don't know what Toyota recommends.

royallen · March 2000

I would recommend that if you plan to do this service yourself, you need a repair manual for your make and model car. I have a '92 Camry and it has a separate differential that also should be drained and filled when the transmission is serviced. For '92, Dexron is the recommended fluid. Your owners manual should tell the recommended fluid and I expect the owners manual will show if it requires separate service for the differential. The service manual is important to do the job properly including reassembly so that there are no leaks.
The cost for these items for my '92 Camry is less than $100 and no filter is needed. This 2.2L and automatic transmission has a reusable "strainer" instead. My transmission also has a drain plug so every other service, I just change the fluid at home without cleaning the strainer.

mfd395 · March 2000

I would definitly take your camry to the dealer.

mfd395 · March 2000

I had the same problem with the wipers and they replaced the turnsignal/wiper stalk./ It works fine now.

swampcollie · March 2000

The only objection I have to my 99 GC is the high beam lights. I saw in here where someone planned on replacing theirs with PIAA super whites. My owners maual calls for #9007. In a search i only see 9004 through 9006 in the PIAA super whites. Anyone done this?

xingze_cai · March 2000

Bill Eickmeier: That price is for 30,000 miles factory service, not only for transmission service.

MATT DIFRANCESCO: Why did you definitely choose Dealer, not other local shop?

Roy Jared: I found from the manual that the diffencial is required for transmission service. Can I ask you what does "Differencial" mean? Another tank?

To all of you: How do you guys do those 15,000 miles service or 30,000 miles service to your Caravan and other cars, do it yourself and follow the recommandations from the owner's manual or bring it to the Dealer? I found those job lists from the Dealer or local shop for these service are mostly checking here and there, and those "real jobs" are changing oil and filter, transmission service, cooling service and tire rotation.

swampcollie · March 2000

I take mine to the dealer for 2 reasons...tranny service and tune up. I do not want any mistake made on the tranny fluid and I just feel the dealer is better equipped to periodically bring everything back into spec.

royallen · March 2000

xingze: The differential transmits the power from the output of the transmission to the axles which turn the wheels. On rear wheel drive cars they are always separate from the transmission. On some front wheel drive they share the fluid reservoir, others are separate.
Having primarily owned cars over 5 years old, I have done most of the work the cars have needed and used a local shop for the rest. Sometimes this has had adverse results because I overlooked something like the need to replace a filter in a carburetor inlet which led to a problem with poor idle. When I reviewed the instructions with a kit to rebuild the carburetor, I discovered the need to change the filter. On the other hand, my maintenance and repair cost are less. Also the more I've learned the less likely I am to follow incorrect advice including incorrect advice I was given the last time I visited a dealer service department. I would add that I have a local independent mechanic who is both trustworthy and knowledgeable. One of my strong reasons for dissatisfaction with dealer service is you do not get to talk to the mechanic.
Most people prefer to put their time and energy on other things than car work and some like to work on cars. I would add I have not done transmission work when removing the pan is necessary. At the same time I've done a somewhat harder (but less messy) job of changing a timing belt. Finally, if you have a car under warranty you must keep detailed records that service meets the manufacturers recommendations to keep the warranty in force.

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