Problems with 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan STEERING

In february 2007 noted high pitched noise - particularly at idle. sometimes when turning. felt like it was coming from the steering wheel. took it into the dealer and they replaced the power steering pump. warranty expired in august and noted the same noise in september. took van back into the dealer and they replaced the steering gear. parts and labor nearly $600. i feel the reason the pump failed the first time was overwork due to the gears and it should have been replaced while under warranty. service department recommended i contact chrysler warranty. i am still investigating how to reduce/eliminate the charges. *tr

I have a 2005 dodge grand caravan and when i have reach 35000 miles i notices that my power steering fluid kept get low, but i could not find any leaks to show me that i had a problem. this was doing the winter time in ohio with snow on the ground with made it even more strange that i did not see any oil leak in the snow showing me that i had a problem. then when i reach 50000 mile my brake started squeaking and i knew it could not be my brake pads on the front because they had been replace about 18 month back. i just thought it was just some road grime that might have got on the rotor. when the sound did not stop i recheck the pad to make sure that they was still good and that when i found out that my steering boot was leaking and some of it was getting on to the on to the rotor. so by change i decide to check the internet to see it if anyone else had this problem and i was surprise to find out just how many people did. therefore i discovered your site and again was surprise to find out how many complaint that you have had about this insure yet you still had not did anything about it. as i said the fluid is leaking on to the disc rotor meaning that this is a more serious problem not only this is a serious problem the complete failure of the steering:rack and pinion:rack, either way you look at it either you won?t be able to stop or you loose control of the vehicle which mean it is more serious than you or anyone else could even imaging and i can not believe that you have not did anything about it all because no one has died yet. if everyone knew just how unsafe this vehicle really is they would be getting rid of this vehicle as fast as they could because their family lives are at stake here not the builder, designer, or the president or ceo of chrysler but the people who entrust these very people with a safe product. *tr

I recently had my 2005 dodge grand caravan, 28000 miles, serviced only to find out that my front brakes are 100% gone, my throttle body is plugged up, and i had no power steering fluid. of course, as the dealership tells me, the warranty does not cover any of these repairs that need to be done.

At about 12,000 our 2005 dodge grand caravan developed a thumping/binding in the steering/front axle. we had it in several times during the warranty period for the same problem; both axles were replaced and the steering column was replaced also, yet the thumping/binding never truly went away. shortly outside the comprehensive warranty period, the right front axle broke. fortunately it was in a parking lot, not on the highway. the right axle was replaced, but now the thumping/binding is back just like it was when we first started pursuing getting the problem fixed. the van only has 30,300 miles on it. *tr

2005 grand caravan sxt was purchased on january 12, 2005. this is my second dodge caravan. my first was a 1999. on december 21, 2005, after less than one year, with 17248 miles on the vehicle, the rack and pinion assembly failed and needed to be replaced. i brought it in because i was hearing a whining sound when i turned the steering wheel and there were oil spots on my garage floor, under the front left side of my vehicle. i was told by the dealer that this was a known problem and, since it was sitll under warranty, i wasn't to worried as long as it would be fixed. on may 22, 2007, after less than one and a half years after the first rack and pinion replacement and with 41558 miles on the vehicle, the rack and pinion assembly failed and needed to be replaced, again. i brought it in because this time i was hearing a loud rubbing/whining sound when i turned the steering wheel to the left and there were oil spots on the same spot on my garage floor, under the front left side of my vehicle. i don't understand how i need to put a third rack and pinion assembly in my van after only less than two and a half years of ownership and only 41558 miles on the vehicle! i was told that it would cost me around $800-$900 for the repair, parts and labor! i have to pay that amount of money every year, or year and a half, for a known problem?

This is an abbreviated copy of the second letter i have sent to dodge the first letter was sent in sept, 2006. the power steering goes out intermittently when it rains. unable to control vehicle. feb 20, 2007 dodge customer assist ctr power steering failure due to rain 2005 dodge caravan vin: [xxx] this is the 2nd attempt to get dodge or chrysler to care about the vehicle built that has a power steering flaw. it is apparent from your lack of correspondence or communication that your company does not care about its customer??s safety. upon your advice, i have taken the van to a different service center, autoway in clearwater, fl. the service advisor told me that there was nothing they could do until chrysler comes up with a fix for the problem. as i have stated in previous correspondence, my wife drives the above mentioned vehicle 99% of the time. she loves the convenience, performance and most of the time the handling of the van. however, when it rains, which is often in florida, the power steering ceases to function without warning as she is driving. this is a major safety issue. my wife is unable to control the vehicle without power steering and it is just a matter of time before a major accident occurs. we have brought the vehicle into tarpon dodge four times for the same problem within the last nine months. the last time, jan 2007, i was told each time that there was nothing to do except avoid the rain. not acceptable. i was also told that the service manager was going to get with chrysler to determine a solution. to date no phone calls. i previously called tarpon dodge ser. & spoke to a mr. littlejohn. he told me that he has seen several caravans with the same power steering problem. he told me that they were trying to get some answers from chrysler. my wife on feb 13, 2007 was taking her father to lunch when a major rain storm occurred. the power steering went out 6 different times as she was trying to get home. *nm *js

Over time the front end of the vehicle developed a whine that sounded like a piece of debris stuck in the cooling fan. however, there was no debris. the whine continued to worsen over several weeks. we took the vehicle to a repair shop and found that the power steering pump leaked, leading to damage to the rack and pinion system. the entire rack and pinion had to be replaced. however, to make matters worse we had to wait 3 weeks for parts, and continued to drive the vehicle in winter with the possibility that the power steering would fail at any time. we were told that there was a 3 week wait because parts were not available due to so many rack and pinion failures around the country. if there were that many failures this deserved a recall. this happened at 38,000 miles, and so was out of warranty and the repair cost was approximately $1300.00. *ak

I am concerned with overall quality control on this vehicle. i purchased this vehicle new to provide safety and comfort for my growing family. i was disappointed in the vehicles performance and gas mileage during the first several weeks of ownership. i returned the vehicle to the dealership and they replaced the oxygen sensor units that they said where defective. several months later the heater/air conditioning blower went out. next with less than 20,000 miles on the vehicle i had to replace the brakes. now with less than 28.000 miles on the vehicle i noticed that the passenger side floor was soaked, the vehicle was making unusual sounds when turning and the passenger side door would not close automatically. at the dealership i found out that the rack and pinion steering unit had failed along with the the cable on the passenger side door. on investigation of the water leak the dealership found that the passenger side pillar had not been sealed properly to the roof causing water to run into the van and rot the carpet. while the vehicle is in for repairs the dealership is also replacing the heater/air conditioner blower which is making grinding sounds again. *nm

Whining noise coming from steering unit. minimal power steering fluid loss. first dealer could not diagnose problem, then misdiagnosed. second dealer diagnosed as needing new rack. *tr

Every time i took my van in for an oil change i was told the power steering fluid was low, obviously didn't think much of it at the time. i started hearing a whining sound 5,000 miles after the warranty was up, took the van in and they found the power steering rack leaking fluid, reservoir empty and blocked with p/s gear remains, and p/s pump noisy. they replaced the p/s gear, pump, and reservoir at my expense of $1200.00. i wouldn't think that a 2005 van should have major power steering problems after 2 years. i believe this is a manufacturing problem. *nm

My wife and i purchased our 2005 grand caravan new two years ago. several weeks ago i found a large puddle of fluid under it. it had 28,000 miles on it. we took it to the local dealership and were informed the power steering rack was leaking and would need to be replaced. it was fixed under warranty. just last weekend i came home and found another puddle under our van. we took it in again and were told it needed a new radiator this time. after the work was finished i talked with the service manager about the power steering rack and he stated they had replaced approximately 100 of them this winter. he said he could not believe dodge was not looking into this more thoroughly. needless to say, i did not take this information as very converting knowing my warranty will expire in about 4,000 miles. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that he was unable to turn the steering wheel. the power steering hose came loose then the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure however; they reattached the power steering hose. the failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 40,000. updated 03-04-08 *bf

The first time the power steering rack was replaced in jan 06 with 26,424 miles on the vehicle. i noticed power steering fluid was leaking which the dealer determined was a bad power steering rack. the same problem occurred again in jan 07 with 35, 649 miles on the vehicle. this time there was a distinct humming sound that caused me to bring the vehicle in for repair. i asked the dealer if this was a recurring problem and he stated it was not but reading other complaints, it certainly is not an isolated incident. *jb

1) leaking transmission fluid; noisy steering 2) no failure, promptly took to mechanic 3) replaced steering rack, front- end aligned. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph and turning right, there was a clicking noise coming from the steering column. the steering became very tight to the point of almost locking up. excessive force was required to turn the steering wheel, accompanied by a noise as if there was plastic fracturing inside the steering column. the horn, the radio controls, the air bag, the traction control switch, and the switch that controlled the pedal distance all disengaged at once. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who determined that the clockspring had detached. the first 3 times this had occurred, the clockspring was replaced. the fourth time, the steering wheel and the clockspring were replaced. this was the fifth occurrence. in this instance, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the problems persisted in spite of all the repairs. the manufacturer was also notified.

This letter is in regards to a 2005 dodge grand caravan, which was recently serviced because of a failed power steering rack. the power steering rack was diagnosed as leaking due to bad seals and the unit was replaced. the power steering reservoir was also replaced because of a restriction of flow. according to dialogue with the dealership, it was determined that the screen in the reservoir was plugged, which caused the squeaking sound i was hearing. i believe the screen was plugged with debris generated by the failing seals in the power steering rack, since this is a recirculation hydraulic system. the mileage at the time of failure was 38,256 miles, and i believe this type of failure was premature. i also believe that the failure could have had serious consequences had i indeed lost all the fluid from the system prior to my discovery of the problem. i had the power steering rack replaced on my 2001 dodge caravan this year, but the mileage was considerably higher, around 80,000 miles. neither the previous owner nor i influenced the premature failure of the power steering rack, nor the plugged screen in the reservoir; even though the mechanics attempted to place the blame on me stating that the reservoir failure was due to improper maintenance. since i have had this same problem on a 2001 caravan, i feel that this problem is a design flaw, and should warrant a design change to avert future hardships by caravan owners. furthermore, there is no maintenance interval specified for this system at this mileage. power steering system failures are prevalent across their entire model lineup. i believe this steering problem should be investigated by the nhtsa. *jb

My 2005 dodge caravan (id4gp24rx5b305163) had the rack and pinion replaced at 30,709 miles. at 47,208 miles the rack and pinion and pump had to replaced again. the vehicle was seen by dealer before several times before they confirmed the problem with the rack and pinion. *nm

2005 dodge caravan that when it rains the power steering goes out making the vehicle almost impossible to control. i have taken it to two different dealers, tarpon dodge and clearwater autoway dodge to have them figure out a repair. both dealership said they could not do anything until chyrsler came up with a fix. the service manager from tarpon dodge told me not to drive in the rain and avoid puddles if i did drive in the rain and to slow down. i then sent letters to chyrsler customer care requesting a fix or replacement vehicle without penalty from the lease company. customer care said that there was nothing they could do. drive slower and avoid puddles. i live in florida, when it rains, it rains. all of our street turn into giant puddles and if i were to drive much slower, i would be going backwards. the power steering going out is frightening and dangerous. it comes back then you are over reacting to compensate for no steering. at one point i could not negotiate a turn after already moving into it and then the steering came back on and i nearly went through a fence and field. i have an illness that reduces my strength and makes handling this van without power steering even for 30 seconds almost impossible. this has been going on now for over a year. four times in the shop after a rain storm and the power steering has gone out.

Rack and pinion steering assembly is leaking clock spring for airbag light is broken. *nm

First noticed popping/rubbing noise in front end. took in and they replaced the front stabilizer bushings and etc.. that was in oct 2005. i have taken back to wilson dodge in jackson, ms 3/4 times since. the problem still exist. the service man said he hear noise when turning 1/4 to right. but when i went to pick up vehicle they had not done anything to it. i have a friend that's a mechanic. he said the rack and pinion system is going out and is bad. i have stated this to wilson dodge. they wanted me to sign the last paper work but i would not sign because they had not fixed problem. i am taking to other dodge dealer ship this week to see if they can find problem. also i had to replace the brakes already at 26,000 miles. and they said i needed new rotors. this is ridiculous. i had a 1998 dodge caravan and only had to replace brakes once on it and it had 98,000 miles on it. *jb

(1)during a routine home maintenance, i noticed there is a build up of soot on top of the intake assembly. upon closer inspection, power steering reservoir was cracked and the fluid is near the low level. (2) power steering fluid at low level (3) part replaced at dealer, no i do not have the old part. i paid out of pocket as chrysler warranty does not cover parts deemed damaged by outside force. *jb

I purchased a cpo 05 grd caravan from a local dealer. within months the electric door locks would go up and down while unlocking the doors by the key, would go up and down while traveling down the road & while opening the electric windows while inside the van..* * the steering wheel would lock up while pulling out onto the road. my wife and kids could have been killed by the approaching fully loaded log truck. the van was taken to the lithia in roseburg & was informed of the issued. it was inspected and the reply was that "they could not find any problems & they said they could not get the door locks to go up and down. the van was taken in a 2nd time on 07/28/2006 with the same issues, again they kept the rig and told us they could not get the door locks to do anything. on 04/07/2006 the van was taken in to lithia after kendall said that they could not work on the van because of us buying it from lithia. so the van was returned to lithia with the same problems along with the rt rear brake light staying ..you know the sad thing is i still own 15k on this van. the steering on the van locked up again while traveling down the road and almost caused an accident with my wife and kids in the van. i just pray that when we take it in for the "4th time" and we leave it at the dealership to fix, that they will get it done right and that if we either keep the van or trade it off that nobody gets killed from this major safety issue. i feel that i have been shafted due to having a cpo and dodge dealers are not able to do their job due to skills or ?. i sure hope that if you are in an accident and your unable to get out of the van due to the door locks you don't burn up or if you can not open the door that hopefully somebody can get the door open from the outside of the van. oh i forgot, when i go over a speed bump it sounds like the engine is going to ...

Since purchasing in 2004. i have had to take back the van numerous times to complain to the dealership about noises while driving in the steering brakes and front right wheel base area. brakes popping and scrubbing, wheel base makes a scrubbing/cracking noises, and there was a whining noise while slowing at stops and in parking lots. they have replaced a map light. my sliding doors have stopped working once but the problem has not occurred again to take to the dealer. at a red light when it turned green i went to go and the engine cut off would not restart immediately. luckily no one was behind me and no oncoming traffic. i was on a hill and able to roll to the side and put the van back in park to restart. 08/11/05 took to dealer ship and they performed a computer flash update and listed a label aut and label gen part. here are the service dates when i took in it each time to complain about steering and driving noises. 08/04/05 took to dealer ordered parts serviced on 08/11/05 replaced power steering reservoir. 11/17/05 replaced rack and pinion. 08/16/06 took in brakes starting making noises told we had 20% left at 16,812 miles they told us to replace the brakes. 08/16/06 also had them look at the same noise as before and they lubed/greased strut dust covers. 11/08/06 took back for same noises and they replaced the sway bar links found my steering fluid low, replaced fluid and stated they could not find any cracks/leaks. i am still hearing noises come from the right front wheelbase. the power steering fluid has fixed the whining noises as of today. the brakes are not popping. they said the sway bar links fixed the popping. *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the power steering assist failed, and the steering wheel became hard to turn when the contact drove over a puddle of water. the failure was recurring over a period of nine years. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who replaced the serpentine belt and idler pulley however, the failure persisted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 22,000.

From the day i drove this brand new vehicle off of the dealers lot i began complaining about a noise when i turned right. i brought it in several times to have it checked out and was told that they could not duplicate the noise so all was fine. eventually it got so bad that the front end was bouncing. they finally determined after 22 months that it was a bad sway bar bushing that needed to be replaced. *tr