Problems with 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan STEERING

Van lose power steering during heavy rain only. i purchase this van in june/july 2018 recently had power steering check and no issues found. yet this the fifth time this has happened. today i was driving in the rain to pickup my daughter from school and it happened again. the wheel tighten up and i was unable turn. i had to turn on my hazards light and turn car off in the middle of the road. after letting vehicle sit about 15 minutes i was able to drive home. i repeat it only happens in the rain why i believe there is a manufactor defect and needs to be recalled.

Last night - for the 4th time now - after filling the tank at the gas station, my car just died. the first 3 times it was when i stopped at the stop sign leaving the gas station parking lot. last night, it was after i was out on the main road and in heavy traffic. it was stop and go rush hour traffic, so i was thankfully only going approx 15-20 miles an hour. power steering was lost, brakes were practically non existent. barely managed to pull off into a parking lot and was able to set the parking brake to finish stopping. once stopped and in park, was able to start it right back up. every time this has happened it has been right after fueling up. i never thought much about it the other 3 times, but this time was different, and very dangerous. i was almost hit from behind because i instantly lost power, then i almost hit another car to my left because of the unexpected loss of power steering. i could hardly manage to get into the parking lot and almost hit the curb/sign/another car. was scared to drive home the rest of the way. now after reading the other posts here, i'm afraid to ever get gas again!!! this is unacceptable dodge...you obviously know about this problem and do not care about your customers. well, this is one customer you will never have again. i'm in the market for a new car, and guess what will not be sitting in my driveway ever again?

Vehicle stalled twice after filling up with gas. first stall happened approximately 500 feet from filling station, while still in a parking lot. the second stall happened approximately 0.5 miles from the filling station while turning from a roadway into a business. each stall required several cranks of the engine to re-start. when the engine quits, the power steering also goes away. this has been an intermittent occurrence since early 2013, with it becoming a regular occurrence after each gasoline fill up (later in 2013). the tank is always filled until the pump shuts off. it is never partially filled, so i cannot say if it only occurs with a full fill up. this is the first time i decided to research the situation and file a complaint. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the entire door latching system failed and the steering wheel emitted a loud whining noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated the door latches needed to be reprogrammed and the power steering fluid needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 124,000. updated 6/24/15*cn updated 10/12/2017*cn

Took ownership of the vehicle in january 2014. nearly every time the gas tank has been filled up (to full), the vehicle will run ok for a brief period of time, it will then begin to buck and stall. this happens at nearly any engine speed. once the vehicle stalls it is difficult to restart for one attempt. after the gas tank gets just under full the operation is completely normal. this is dangerous as usually you are in traffic. *tr

As i was driving my 2005 dodge grand caravan, the dashboard flickered and then the car shut down. power steering was disabled but i was luckily able to drift it to the side of the road. after researching online, it seems this electrical shut down is ongoing and problematic for this year and make. i had little children in the car and without warning the car dies. this needs to be a recall as it poses serious safety concerns for the driver of the vehicle and cars around it. had i been on the highway, i would not be able to tell you about this incident. when i brought the vehicle in to the dealer, i was told it needed an electrical system software update otherwise it will get progressively worse. the dealer also explained that the other electrical issues that i have been having - tail lights burning out, sliding doors opening/closing, window not going down, power locks locking and unlocking) were also a part of this software update. yet, it is not a recall because it is not considered a safety issue. i am appalled that we have to pay for this software update, that dodge and the nhtsa have been aware of this issue and that is not considered a safety concern. recall this make and model for this issue immediately. the car dying in the road is a major concern. the doors closing without notice could have killed my four year old, instead i threw my body in the middle to protect her. please, please, please recall this to save lives. there are so many of this make and model car on the road with little children inside. *tr

After filling vehicle with fuel, our van has been stalling upon stopping at a light within 5 minutes of leaving gas station. most recently vehicle cut off less than 1/4 mile after refilling when driving on road. when this happens, electric of vehicle shuts off along with losing power steering. the problem of vehicle shutting off has gone on intermittently for about 1-2 years now but is getting worse. until about a week ago, this always happened at a stop but the last incident is concerning considering it happened while the vehicle was in motion. this is a serious safety issue, especially considering my wife uses this as primary transportation for her and our 3 children. what if this cuts off on the highway or in an intersection? i did a lot of research online trying to find possible root causes. there seems to be an overwhelmingly large number of people having this issue with the 3.8 liter v6 on dodge/chrysler minivan models in the 2003-2007 range. i am also told the only way to fix this is to replace the entire gas tank due to a faulty valve/separator. i hope that chrysler is willing to do something about this problem at no cost to the customer considering the high level of danger that we are presented with here. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that vehicle was completing state inspection when he was informed that the rack pinion steering needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacture was notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. *tr

2005 grand caravan rack & pinion leak failure- it began as a slight grunt when turning the steering wheel while sitting still, like in a packing lot, then i took the van in for a vehicle safety inspection for plate renewal when i was informed i had a bad right strut and a leak, they replace the strut and re-aligned the front end but informed me i would have to replace the rack & pinion box to fix the fluid leak. i did not believe them so i took it to another shop for a second opinion, and for sure that's what it is and the expected repair cost to be near $1000.00 the van only has 80,100 gentle miles on it, i can't believe this failed already, i treat this van really well. since then i have learned this is a big problem with this van, little did i know when i bought it brand new in 2005. i am the only owner and driver of this van. *tr

Took my 2005 grand caravan to the dealership due to a loud noise when turning. was just informed by dealership that i need a power steering pump, and rack and pinion, bushings and bearings. also need a new radiator. this is ridiculous for a barely 6 year old vehicle with 70,000 miles on it. i have also had the problem with headlight not coming on when you flip the switch. that is a huge safety issue! *tr

Bought a used 2005 grand caravan 4 months ago. took it to the dealership today to have the airbag sensor replaced (recall item). the dealership did a "courtesy inspection" for and found a leak in the power steering rack, play in the left tie rod, and a left front axle seal. the vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it so this should not be failing this soon (as i see it is with many other peoples' vehicles). *tr

Power assisted steering rack on 2005 dodge grand caravan sxt 3.8l seals leaking causing possible loss of steering. *tr

Tl*the contact owns 2005 dodge grand caravan. while the contact was driving approximately 5 mph attempting to park, the steering wheel began to vibrate when making a turn. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they replaced the steering rack and the inner tie rod ends. in addition, on a different occasion the vehicle exhibited an extremely loud rattling noise coming from the front end of the vehicle and an independent mechanic replaced the sway bar end links and bushings to correct the failure. the failure mileage was 42,943. updated 03/16/11 *bf updated 04/27/11

Nearly every time the we fill the tank full of fuel the engine shuts down after leaving the station. typically it will happen mid turn while pulling out of the station or else within a block of leaving. when it happens the steering stops working normally. we have to shift the vehicle to neutral and restart it and then put it back in drive and go. *tr

Vehicle shuts down without warning;power door locks inoperative at times;premature failure front stabilizer bushings;premature failure outer tie rod end. no repairs made but estimates have been obtained. *tr

Started hearing grinding noise when turning several months ago. dodge dealership diagnosed it as faulty strut and spring and replaced. grinding noise continued. now, dodge dealership diagnosed as leaking power steering rack - want $1,100+ to replace. *tr

2005 dodge grand caravan failing steering rack. *tr

I own 2005 dodge grand caravan. recently i noticed a whinning sound from front end when i turn the steering wheel. itook it to amechanic he said i had leaking steering rail. i only had 60000 miles im told this rail is something that should never have to be replaced unless of course its damaged by accident. ive visited forums online and found that lots of other owners of this van have problems with steering system vibrations and loss of power assist, just as i have. i dont thik this is safe. *tr

2005 dodge grand caravan 3.8 steering noisy and rack & pinion leaking. had to replace steering rack and reservoir. $1000 and only had 50000 miles. had it to dealer 2 times for steering noise under 3-36 warranty. *tr

The rack and pinion are severely leaking and also getting really hot and causing the leaking fluid to fume into the cabin of the car...this has caused worry for inability to steer at high speeds and also light headedness in car from collecting fumes into cabin at stops...so many have reported this and i am regrettably now one of them... *tr

After making a right hand turn, my steering wheel locked up and i could not return to center. i was going slowly, so i was able to stop the car before it went into the ditch. if this had happened at highway speeds or where most roads in missouri have limited shoulders, i would have crashed into the ditch. i was able to work it loose and then limp it home very slowly, esp. around curves or corners when it would stick again. upon taking it to a mechanic, he found out that the rack and pinion had to be replaced. it proceeded to go out 2 more times since the first incident. *tr

Power steering leak , rack and pinion 2005 dodge caravan. *tr

We have taken our 2005 dodge sxt grand caravan in numerous times for electrical problems which most of the time they can not duplicate. then on monday march 23 after leaving the city and bringing my children home from school i went to make a left hand turn and my steering column locked up and i could not complete the turn. with oncoming traffic and traffic behind i had no choice but to gun the engine and go into the field. i stopped the car with brakes that worked, at least, and turned the vehicle off. i then restarted the vehicle and there was complete free play in the wheel. i turned the wheel all the way to the right and there was a clunk and then i again had regular movement of tires with the wheel. i immediately called my dealership and told them what happened and that i was bringing it in with my dad following behind. tomkinson dodge has had it for 2 days and told me that they know there is a problem but since it is under warranty and they can't pinpoint the problem, warranty won't pay until they know what the problem is. it is too expense to let a tech get inside and take things apart to find the actually problem. they told me i need to drive it again and it will be fine, but if it happens again to let them come and tow it and don't touch anything. if it happens again! if it happens again my children and i could be dead. i was just lucky to not be in too busy of a place unlike i had been a half hour before. so there was a failure but nothing is being done to fix it because it may be to expensive for the dealership. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. when the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for regular maintenance, it was discovered that the steering wheel column rack was leaking power steering fluid. the dealer estimated that it would cost $1,000 to replace the rack. there were no recalls listed for the failure. due to the fact that the vehicle was one month out of warranty, the manufacturer would not assist with the repairs. the vin was not accepted by the system. the failure and current mileages were less than 17,274.

Immediately after making a right turn, the steering wheel locked. the lower speed and adequate shoulder on the road are the only things that kept me from going into the ditch. it ended up being a steering gear that was replaced to fix the problem. it has went bad 3 more times since. *tr

Van started to make a loud sound from the engine area. took the van in to see what was wrong, first garage could not identify the problem in november. took the van in again 12/21/08 and they identified that the rack and pinion was going out and leaking fluid. that was making the noise. was informed that this is not a common repair and it is unusual for this type of repair to have to be done on a vehicle that gets regular maintenance and has never been in any kind of accident. the mechanic said he had seen several of the same vehicle with same problem. it appears to be a manufacturer defect in the build of the rack and pinion system. *tr

Power steering makes grinding noise. the noise doesn't happen all the time usually when driven alot. took it to dealer they said they couldn't find any problem. i looked online and read that there are many complaints about this problem. *tr

Normal driving, vehicle has been involved in no accidents. at about 34,000 miles on vehicle, and 3 and a half years old, airbag light on dash started illuminating. would turn off sometimes, but usually stayed on. dealer diagnosed failure of "clockspring" in steering column, which had to be replaced at cost of about $250.00. *tr

Rack and pinion on 2005 dodge caravan - noticed many others have same complaint. internal seal on assembly is wearing out around 65000. must replace entire rack and pinion assembly. how many before recall? *tr

Purchase of used dodge grand caravan & then found out 1 week later that the rack and pinion area leaks & the entire rack needs to be replaced. *tr

Power steering rack defect. *tr

Told that power steering rack has failed and needs replacement, along with ps pump. 50,800 miles on vehicle. $1500 estimate, not covered under powertrain warranty, and can't be done anyway due to 10,000 piece backlog on the parts needed! this appears to be a very common problem, based on the number of complaints i see on this site for this particular vehicle and it's siblings (chrysler t&c, and neighboring model years), and the afore mentioned backlog. why is this problem not being investigated and why is it not subject to recall? it is clearly defective design, many reports on this site for failures at relatively low mileage. this vehicle purchased as a cpo in jan 2006 with 19k mi. *tr

Bad noises from steering column and right front suspension. *tr

I bought a 2005 grand caravan in may 2005. the rack and pinion rack completely failed in december 2005 at 9870 miles. it was replaced under warranty. my van begin making the same noises and losing power steering fluid. when i had it checked at the dealership today, i was informed that my van was leaking power steering fluid and that the rack and pinion assembly needed to be replaced. the mileage on the van is 42,726. even the service advisor remarked that the rack and pinion should not have to be replaced at 42,726 and that it was unheard of to replace it twice in less than 2 and a half years and under 43,000 miles. from researching online i see that i am not alone. this is happening frequently. i believe this is a safety defect that needs immediate investigation, before the defect results in a fatality. the dealership said it is not covered under the powertrain warranty and since i am beyond 36,000 miles the replacement will cost about $850. *tr

Purchase of used dodge grand caravan & then found out 3 weeks later that the power steering boot fails & entire rack needs to be replaced. *tr

Sporadic noise coming from car engine, and some difficulty turning at times. after a thorough inspection, a mechanic found that it is a faulty rack and pinion. subsequent, have found numerous complaints, including at following site: http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chrysler-town-and-country/t4icmksnnrm7ajfie/ this has potential serious safety issues with regard to steering. please investigate a recall for this problem. thanks. *tr

I have had my 2005 dodge grand caravan for almost 2 years it has only 64, 000 mile on it. about two weeks ago we started hearing a sound when starting the van and when you turn the steering wheel, usually lasts until you drive for a awhile then it comes and goes. we took it to the dodge dealership and they said it was the racket pinion gear and would cost a little over $900 to repair. i called around to a few other car repair shops and they all said are you sure that is the problem, they have never heard of a vehicle needing that replaced that early. so i got online and did some research and found that there are many people with the same problem, all occurring with miles ranging for 15,000 to 75,000. i came across your web site and see that this has been investigated before. this i a problem that needs to be fixed, it is not just some random malfunction. i request that you reopen this investigation. *tr

Took my 2005 dodge grand caravan to the dealer for an oil and filter replacement and was told that i had a leak rack and pinion steering assembly. never had a problem with the steering, and no leaks on my garage floor, but the dealer rep insisted that this was a problem that could get worse. part is back-ordered, which makes me wonder if this is a common problem that needs to be recalled. *tr

Premature steering rack seal wear and leaks resulting in fluid loss and potential loss of control in emergency situations. vehicle has less than 50,000 miles, 70% of which was freeway use. dealer called the problem a well known problem, also va state safety inspector also mentioned know problems with this critical vehicle system. dealer quoted $1000 to repair. *tr

I have had to replace the power steering rack in 2005 grand caravan twice now. the first time was under warranty at 32,000 miles. the latest failure is now at 75,000 miles. the 5 star dealer replaced the rack both times. all maintenance has been done by the dealer and on schedule. i think that it is ridiculous that i am on my 3rd power steering rack in less than 80,000 miles. this has to be a design or manufacturing flaw and should be part of a recall. *tr

Power steering rack / gearbox defect. 2nd. time needing to be replaced. on manufacturers back order. dealership said 10,000 on national back order. i cannot drive this vehicle until it is repaired. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that there is a leak in the steering wheel column. the dealer informed her that the parts were on back order and they did not know when they would be available. the repair will cost $550. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin and engine size were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 44,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the power steering rack failed. when the steering wheel was turned, she heard a loud noise. the noise has grown progressively worse. the dealer stated that several vehicles were experiencing the same failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 56,500.

I am in the process of replacing the rack in the steering component of my van for the second time. the first was 6 months after purchase, now a year and a half later and out of warranty. i researched this problem and found several databases of numerous complaints of the same thing. i purchased this vehicle thinking it was safe for my son and am now afraid of driving it. *tr

In 2005 we purchased a new dodge grand caravan and had it modified for my husband to drive from his wheelchair, spending $50,000 total for this vehicle/modifications. in the span of two years, we've had electrical issues ' door locks not working part of the time, battery drain that can't be located, bad door sensors, etc. we also replaced the rack and pinion unit (under warranty). just 18 months later the rack and pinion unit was bad again. since it was out of warranty, we spent $1,129 to fix it. it's ridiculous that this part went bad again so soon. do we have to spend $1000 every year to replace this obviously defective part? the dodge dealer my husband worked with informed him that the rack and pinion unit now comes with a cooler to help with this issue, so obviously dodge is aware that this part is defective and has a short lifespan. if this is the case, why wasn't a recall sent out to add the cooler to this unit. i'm very dissatisfied with our dodge van and will probably never purchase from dodge/chrysler/jeep again! shouldn't a recently installed part last longer than 18 months? isn't that reasonable? we've gone through two rack and pinion units in the last two years for a 2005 vehicle ' that's ridiculous! shame on dodge for not assisting customers with this known defective part! on top of your average dodge grand caravan customer, there are a lot of disabled customers out there who have spent above and beyond what it should cost to drive and to have that vehicle break down continuously sucks!! my husband can't just hitch a ride with a neighbor or even rent a car for that matter. he had to miss work while dodge spent an entire day replacing a part they just replaced a few months ago. i'm just wondering what will break next! *tr

Steering fluid leak at rack and pinion (steering);dealer says that unit needs replaced. fluid loss could result in lack of steering control. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge caravan. the contact took her vehicle to have an oil change and a leak was discovered in the power steering rack. the dealer stated that the steering gear needed to be replaced. prior to going to the dealer, the contact heard a loud noise when turning in either direction. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 65,432. updated 01-15-08. *kb updated 01/15/08 *tr

2005 dodge grand caravan was serviced at 42,000 miles because of a moan/fog horn like sound while turning. dealer stated this was due to failed power steering system, which was leaking internal, as vehicle has no visible signs of power steering fluid leaks. vehicle has been serviced routinely at a 5 star dealership and was just in for an oil change 3 weeks ago. power steering failures on this vehicle appear to be widespread and should be recalled & covered under warranty as several technical service bulletins have been released proving system design flaws, defects & problems. this problem should be investigated further by the nhtsa as this contains serious safety defects in their design. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. while driving 45 mph and decelerating, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. she took her vehicle to an authorized local dealer and they stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 67,000 and current mileage was 68,000.

Steering rack rapidly degraded and "was about to fall out of car". seems like dodge mini-vans have lot sof problems with this. i had this happening my old van twice but it was a slower progressive problem . my new van started to make some noises on occasion. shops checked it out but couldn't find any problems.... i continued to drive it... over course of one week noise increased a bit and brought back in... shop's words " steering rack was about to fall out".. many people are not as attune to noises and sensations as i am. i could easily see someone else driving without detecting this problem having a serious steering failure. *tr