14 of the 144 complaints about the 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan are about the steering — 10% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 23,000 miles.
14
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
STEERING
AFTER GOING THROUGH WATER PUDDLES, THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE WHEEL TURNED BUT AS IF THE ENGINE WAS OFF. THE CAR ALSO HESITATES AS IF THE ENGINE WILL STALL.
NHTSA complaint #10455959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
2004 DODGE CARAVAN WITH 3.3 ENGINE. RACK AND PINION BINDING IN TURNS. CORRECTIVE ACTION HAD TO REPLACE RACK AND PINION. 83000 MILES ON VAN. STARTED OUT AS A POPPING NOISE AND GOT PROGRESSIVE WORST.
NHTSA complaint #10355292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
UNUSUAL GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKING AND TURNING AT THE SAME TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10265874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON A COLD DAY, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED AND WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V38600 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). THE SECOND REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $400. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY DECLINED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WILL HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,355.
NHTSA complaint #10262112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
EVERY MORNING THE STEERING GROWLS AND MAKES NOISE UNTIL THE VAN WARMS UP. THE DEALER THAT HAS DONE ALL REPAIRS ON THE VAN SAYS THE RACK IS GOING OUT. I HAVE WATCHED THE FLUID, AND SEE NO LEAKS, NOR HAVE I HAD TO ADD ANY TO IT. IT SEEMS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF GRAND CARAVAN OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY VAN, THAT I LOVE, IS A 2004 WITH 110,000 MILES. I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE RESERVOIR TO SEE IF THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM. BUT I THINK DODGE SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS WHEN LOTS OF THEIR VANS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, IT IS CALLED DEFECTIVE MATERIAL.
NHTSA complaint #10250904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT AND RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS LEAKING. BASED ON RESEARCH OF OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT AFFECTS STEERING. THE POWER STEERING DOESN'T FAIL, BUT IT WILL DETERIORATE UNTIL ALL OF THE FLUID LEAKS OUT AND THEN POSSIBLY DAMAGES THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS ULTIMATELY COULD CAUSE THE PUMP TO LOCK UP OR IN SOME CASES, LEAK FLUID ON TO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS ISSUE IS ~$800-900. MY ESTIMATE WAS FOR $820 (EXCLUDING A NEW ALIGNMENT).
NHTSA complaint #10235822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING RESERVOIR FILTER CLOGS CAUSING POWER STEERING FAILURE. IT IS MORE SEVERE IN COLD WEATHER. HAVE HAD VAN IN DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY OBSERVED THE PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AGREE THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY THE "EXACT COMPONENT" CAUSING THE PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT FIX. DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY OR NOT. IF THIS WERE ISOLATED ISSUE, I WOULD IGNORE. BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES POSTED ONLINE WITH SAME ISSUE. RESULT IS LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED STEERING FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #10213332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID
POWER STEERING RESERVOIR FILTER CLOGS CAUSING POWER STEERING FAILURE. IT IS MORE SEVERE IN COLD WEATHER. HAVE HAD VAN IN DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY OBSERVED THE PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AGREE THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY THE "EXACT COMPONENT" CAUSING THE PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT FIX. DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY OR NOT. IF THIS WERE ISOLATED ISSUE, I WOULD IGNORE. BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES POSTED ONLINE WITH SAME ISSUE. RESULT IS LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED STEERING FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #10213332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
TIE RODS ARE WEARING OUT VERY RAPIDLY. AT 25500 MILES, THE DEALER IS REPLACING TIE RODS FOR THE SECOND TIME. THEY ADMIT THERE HAS BEEN A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEIR OWN COURTESY VAN HAD NEW TIE RODS AND BALL JOINTS BEFORE 25000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #10151517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SWAY BAR VIBRATED T CAUSING AN OVERALL ROUGHNESS WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE SWAY BARS. ALSO, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING RACK AND UPPER STRUT BEARING. NO FURTHER PROBLEMS SINCE THIS REPAIR WAS PERFORMED.
NHTSA complaint #10140944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN THAT HAS 11,500 MILES HAS STALLED. THE FIRST TIME THE VAN STALLED WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC. THE VAN WAS STUCK IN THE ROAD WITH CARS COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS, AND LUCKILY WAS NOT HIT. THE SECOND TIME THE VAN DID NOT REALLY STALL, IT JUST DIED BACK ON DEC 31ST 2004 WHILE GOING 50MPH HOUR ON A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY. THE VAN JUST DIED IN THE MIDDLE LANE, NEARLY, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE VAN DID NOTHING WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED, AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OFF THE ROAD, PUT THE VAN IN PARK, AND BACK TO DRIVE, AND EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. THE THIRD TIME BACK ON JANUARY 9, 2005 THE VAN DIED AGAIN WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION. THIS TIME THE CAR STALLED, AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT. THIS CAUSED US TO LOSS CONTROL OF THE VAN, CROSSING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH NO SHOULDER, NEARLY HITTING SOMEONE HEAD ON.*AK I HAD THE VAN IN THE DEALER?S SHOP ON JANUARY 11, 2005 AND WAS TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VAN. HOW CAN A BRAND NEW VAN STALL 3 TIMES FOR NO REASON? THE NEXT TIME THE VAN DIES I MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY, AND PEOPLE MAY BE INJURED.
NHTSA complaint #10106126 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
AFTER APPROX. 15,000 MILES THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING FELT VERY LOOSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE FRONT RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM WAS "WORN OUT" IT WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT CHRYSLER HAD PURCHASED THESE PARTS FROM 2 SOURCES AND ONE OF THE SUPPLIERS PARTS WERE WEARING OUT RAPIDLY. THE STEERING SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. AFTER 3 MONTHS AND 6,000 MILES LATER THE STEERING SYSTEM WAS AGAIN WORN OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THIS IS RIDICULOUS FOR A VEHICLE THAT COST OVER $30,000.
NHTSA complaint #10103067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AS TO WHY CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. VEHICLE WAS VALID AS BEING A PART OF THE RECALL. MANUFACTURER HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT REGISTERED WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE CURRENT RECALL.
NHTSA complaint #10094998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
THE DAY AFTER I BOUGHT MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN/SE IT STARTED MAKING FUNNY NOISES AND THE STEERING FELT FUNNY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM. SINCE THEN THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING FAST. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY DID A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. IT IS STILL PULLING AND I TOOK IT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEY CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND SAID IT WAS OFF. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT AND THEY DID NOTHING. MEANWHILE MY FRONT TIRES CONTINUE TO WEAR FAST. I HAVE A WARRANTY ON THE TIRES BUT GOODYEAR SAYS IT IS A FACTORY/DEALER PROBLEM CAUSING IT. (IGNORE EQUIPMENT SECTION ON THIS COMPLAINT, IT WAS DONE IN ERROR AND I CAN'T GET RID OF IT).
NHTSA complaint #10088654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.