Problems with 1999 Dodge Caravan ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. while operating the vehicle, the main drive belt would detach from the engine and the power steering would suddenly stop functioning. the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. in addition, while operating the vehicle, the front bumper would suddenly detach from the vehicle and fall to the ground. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

1999 dodge caravan. consumer states problem with vehicle engine *tgw the consumer stated the engine was replaced in 2003 and again in 2010.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan se. while driving approximately 30 mph, smoke began to emit from the front end of the vehicle. the contact maneuvered to the side of the road and detected smoke and sparks underneath the hood area. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated the failure was related to the engine wiring harness. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Serpentine belt slipped off of pulleys after driving over a wet road. vehicle is a 1999 dodge caravan, 3.0l v6, 4-speed automatic. within the past two weeks, this has happened two times, both in wet weather. the same issue occurred on a 1996 dodge caravan, 3.0l v6, 3-speed automatic, twice in the same two week period. the idler and tensioner pulleys were replaced on both vehicles with oem-equivalent parts after the first problem with each, yet the problem persists. the belt on the 1996 caravan also shredded at highway speed during dry weather during this period. when replaced, the belts on both vehicles ride off-center on the pulley for the power steering pump. *tr

Dodge caravan 1999 serpentine belt dismounting upon driving through water. a dangerous and immediate loss of power steering, overheating, and loss of alternator output ( warning light on ) is noticed. *tr

I have had repeated shredding of the serpentine belt on my 1999 dodge caravan resulting in loss of power steering and systems shutdown (including engine) during driving. this is a serious safety issue and i have read numerous reports of the exact same failure. brazil has recalled the dodge minivan for the same failures and dodge has made a modification kit (2005) for this problem but refuses to date to post a recall in the united states. i have replaced the belts 6 times and the tensioner 3 times in 60,000 miles. i have called dodge and they have refused to pay for the correction of the problem even though i had the last tensioner and belt put on at the dodge dealership although they used an old style tensioner not the new kit even though the new kit had been available since 2005 and i had the tensioner replaced in 2009. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan sport. the contact stated while driving at 30 mph in rainy weather, he drive through a puddle and within moments, several electrical components on the vehicle failed. the window defroster failed, the battery warning light and the temperature warning lights illuminated. the contact exited the vehicle and found that the serpentine belt had fractured from the vehicle. the contact was able to locate several complaints online pertaining to the failure and contacted the dealer to inquire about recalls. there was not a recall for the failure. the contact was concerned about the safety risk involved in the failure. the failure and current mileages were 172,000.

We own a 1999 dodge caravan. three weeks ago we took it in for a check up at a certified mechanics shop. they informed us the tensioner was bent and serpentine driving belt needed replacing. we authorized them to make the repair. we have owned this vehicle since 1994 with no incident. last monday we drove through standing water and the serpentine belt was thrown. we lost power steering not to mention that the driving belt powers everything else for the vehicle. thankfully we were only a short distance out of town and were able to drive back to the mechanics shop. they informed us that indeed this is a problem dodge minivans have. in the last 2 days we have gone online and found many web forums where this has happened to 1,000's of dodge/chrysler owners going back as far as 2002. dodge has never issued a recall for this known problem and potentially deadly flaw in their engine pulley design. we can buy an aftermarket new designed tensioner and belt at our expense manufactured by 2 separate companies, but dodge offers nothing to consumers who bought their vehicles thinking they are safe. we would like to see dodge/chrysler acknowledge this defect and recall these potential death traps off the road to fix this negligence on their part. just because people are not dying in crashes because of this (or are they and we just never find out this was the cause) doesn't mean they should not be responsible. *tr

I had a clock spring replaced in my 1999 dodge caravan. this was a recalled part replacement. after the clock spring was replaced the cooling fan would not shut off and drained the battery. the repair for this was $590.30 to me. parts required to fix the cooling fan:1.battery, 2.relay mini, 3.relay pkg, 4.relay. *tr

1. vehicle: 1999 dodge caravan serpentine belt slippage when road is wet. 2. the belt slips off the pulleys, steering power is lost and i get stranded in the middle of busy streets. this is a safety issue! (i wonder if i would have made it out alive if i was driving on i-95!) on the internet there are 100s - if not 1000s - of stories/complaints: wives stranded in the snow with children, elderly people stuck in a street in a rainy night, and caravan /voyager owners changing belt and pulleys 2 or 3 times, without the problem being corrected. it seems that the chrysler corporation has willingly ignored this problem since 1996! i am reading of misaligned pulleys and motor mounds. this issue needs a resolve and a recall! and.... there is a fix!!! please check gates part #38379k and goodyear part #49215k. so, there is a problem which is totally ignored by chrysler in a final note, i am going to buy "the fix" in order to be able to operate my vehicle with no fear of getting stranded somewhere in a rainy day or night. i believe that chrysler corporation should reimburse me for the repair and replacement of parts - not my fault- their screw up! and just to let you know that i called chrysler corporation to find out if they would reimburse me. i called the washington, dc office and my called was routed to a call center in india (!). i asked to be transferred to a supervisor at the corporate office in the us, which i was. i spoke to a supervisor, who told me "i am sorry. your vehicle is out of warranty, and chrysler corporation will not re-imburse you for any repairs pertaining to this problem." i went out today with my husband's ford aerostar, to check the roads after tropical storm fay (won't dare take my caravan) and there were dozens of caravan like mini vans stranded in the streets of our city. suppose we had evacuation orders for flooding or a hurricane emergency..... please do something about this! *tr

Our belts sips off during wet weather"five times we replaced the "s" belt and the tensioners,waterpump,overheating our 2nd yr of owership.now the 3rd yr of transmissions leaking,the abs light came on while driving at 35mph w/children in car ,starting to brake causing to slow way down in traffic and made a chime sound,the horn went off and it got hot fast causing the car to shut down. thank god there was room to get over. all the lights were flickering all over the dashboard. the car just leaks everywhere,water,oil,trans. something needs to be done about these cars. i cant even get mine smog because i have to keep unplugging my battery because now we have a short in the electrical system somewhere. i brought a lemon.....oh yeah! i called the dealer, they cant replace the cruise control unless the abs light stays on. i hope i don't die cause the airbags wont work because i have a electrical shortage. 2 batteries were replaced,alternator too. the clockspring wont work for my car only the cruise control so said the dealer. i would feel bad selling this car to a family ,cause what if they were killed. i couldn't deal with that. the day that happened was on my daughter 16th birthday. i had to stop everywhere all day to put water in the radiator just to keep it cool enough not to ruin her day. i hate hot days,i fear the rainy days, i cant see at night cause my headlights on the left side burned out and the covers has a glass over them. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. the contact stated that when the vehicle makes contact with water, the serpentine belt, which controls the steering, detaches. the manufacturer advised her to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the dealer stated that they will charge a service fee to diagnose the vehicle. updated 6/4/09 *cn updated 06/09/09.*jb

Serpentine belt comes off pulley. occurred four (4) times within the last 12 months. twice during wintry conditions of less than three (3) inches of snow and twice during normal rainfall. most recent occurred june 29, 2008. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. on april 24, 2008, while driving approximately 25 mph, the check engine light on the instrument control panel illuminated, and the temperature of the vehicle increased. the contact pulled over to allow the vehicle to cool. he restarted the vehicle and drove home. the dealer instructed him to bring the vehicle in to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not in driving condition and no longer covered under warranty. the contact repaired the vehicle himself. the failure mileage was 91,000 and current mileage was 91,929. updated 07/07/08.*lj the fan relay switch was replaced twice. the dealer replaced the wiring harness. the headlight had condensation on theinside. updated

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. he has been experiencing a recurring failure in which the serpentine belt disconnects while driving under rainy conditions. whenever he drove over a puddle of water the steering wheel became very stiff. the vehicle would either be cautiously driven or towed to an independent mechanic where the serpentine belt would be reconnected to its pulleys. the failure mileage was 103,422 and the current mileage was unavailable. updated 12/14/2011 *cn updated 03/03/11

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. while driving 60 mph, smoke appeared under the hood of the vehicle. the check engine light did not illuminate. the contact evaluated the engine and noticed that the oil was low; however, the low oil indicator did not illuminate as well. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the failure mileage was 76,000.

99 dodge caravan in repair shop to have 4th or 5th belt tensioner & 7th serpentine belt replaced loss of power steering rendered vehicle dangerous, barely avoided accident dodge customer service denied any knowledge of problem with this part until, after second call & demanding to speak with manager, i directly asked: 'are there any publicly available notices, warnings, recommendations, etc, related to the 99 dodge caravan and serpentine belts or belt tensioner'. finally, this 'manager' told me that there was a technical bulletin (available to repair shops, not car owners) which stated that the vehicle should not be driven in heavy snow (deepest snow it's ever been in was 3-4"). if the co. had no idea, then why is there a factory-made part to correct it? and why is there no recall? why is this information so difficult to get from the company, as their customer? this seems to be a failure both on the part of the company (for hiding, not repairing this serious flaw) and the government (for not forcing a recall, thereby putting the general public at risk of injury or death). *tr

Serpentine belt has fallen off on many occasions. usually when it is wet out. i have had this vehicle to the garage about 12 times in the past two months and spent alot of money trying to fix this. i know there is a tsb on this issue. i feel since it is a safety hazard to be driving and lose all control of your vehicle that there should be a recall issued for this problem. i live in the northeast and it is impossible to avoid wet weather. *tr

Engine developed a massive high pressure oil leak causing near flame conditions, loss of oil and possible engine damage. vehicle was diagnosed at independent repair facility. the difficulty is defective cylinder head/ cylinder head gasket failure spraying a mist of hot oil onto the hot catalytic converter and remaining exhaust system. vaporized oil subjected to these conditions can explode violently. the vehicle has been placed out of service. the cost of repairs (new engine) exceeds the value of the vehicle. research proved chrysler corporation has known of this problem since prior to 1994 and has attempted to patch the problem rather than repair it correctly in thousands of cases to date. my contentions is the chrysler corporation knowing sold me an unsafe defective vehicle to me and many others. *tr

Corrosion of left forward strut tower. during scheduled oil change, saw extensive corrosion on left shock tower in engine compartment. the corrosion appears to have developed from inside the shock tower and only became apparent recently. corrosion is affecting the outboard half of the shock tower and affects two of the three bolts holding the strut to the tower. took the vehicle to the dealers body shop. they said there is a factory kit to fix this problem, but they were not impressed with its structural strength or appearance. suggested replacing strut tower as a better option at the cost of $1300.00. said dodge would not provide any warranty because the vehicle has 116k miles. asked service manager if they had seen this problem before, said they had repaired a few, and this defect seems always to be on the left side of caravans. he also said that he had not seen any strut towers fail, but researching this web site there have been numerous failures and constitutes a safety defect, the manufacturer needs to correct. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. while driving 15 mph through puddles in the road, the serpentine belt detached from the vehicle. the failure has been occurring for six months. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop after the first failure. once the vehicle was repaired, the mechanic stated that this was a common failure in this vehicle model. after the second failure occurred, she conducted research and discovered a tsb. the contact believes that there should be a recall on her vehicle. the current mileage was 107,000 and failure mileage was 105,000.

During a rain the serpentine belt fell off causing loss of power steering, water pump and other equipment. this is a serious safety issue, and dodge has a tsb out. but they are making no effort to correct this flaw. it seems that anytime water gets on this belt it will come off. how many crashes is it going to take before something is done to remedy this situation? *jb

Serpentine belt failure,slips off when wet,steering fails

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. while driving 15 mph, the contact noticed a loss of power in the vehicle and its power steering. the mechanic stated that the serpentine belt detached from the vehicle. the contact stated that the serpentine belt detached on four occasions and the road conditions were snowy or wet each time. the current and failure mileages were 106,000.

1) pulley / tensioner / serpentine belt failure in a 1999 dodge caravan replaced 3 times. 2) driving in rainy weather, drove through a small puddle in the road and the belt came off the car leaving me stranded. no power steering, no oil pumping through the car, etc... 3) dodge claims they have no fix for the problem - we just have to keep putting on new belts and replacing tensioners. 4) http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/dodge-grand-caravan/ttrejj5uag0sp62tj - see this link for complaints all around the country on the same issue with this vehicle. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling various speeds in wet conditions, the battery light illuminated and the steering wheel locked up. the vehicle was towed to multiple independent repair shops, who determined the serpentine belt slipped off and the belt was replaced. there had been no inspections into what caused the serpentine belt to slip off.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a clunking noise and the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was pulled over. an independent mechanic appeared on the scene and informed the contact the serpentine belt shredded apart and disconnected. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was repaired. the failure occurred intermittently on several occasions. the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 139,000.

Belt comes off in wet weather. sudden loss of power steering. have replaced tensioner 4 times. sudden loss of power steering in wet weather can lead to loss of control. *tr

I had pulley/arm tension replaced three times , on that third time i then found out there was a bracket made to correct the problem.but during the times of all these repairs (in the past two and half years of buying the van) i have had many breakdowns causing the van to be very difficult to manage(almost hitting a telephone pole once) no power steering or brakes and the battery quickly died out, the last two times my 16 year old was driving, not safe for an inexperienced driver! there were also several broken serpintine belt during this course also. i work in a hospital and have at times be called in any hour of the night and where i live that can be in the middle of a blizzard, actually it truely happened to me during the blizzard of 2005 here in ri (i have repair statements to verify the dates) its sad to know the when cars truely have problems consumers cant just be notified just for safety sake. i was told at the dealership that the information about the bracket was found on a service bulletin (? dodge)and the same weekend the secretary at the service desk told me three other minivan were brought in due to their serpentine belts falling off. my neighbor who has a 1998 caravan has also replaced his tension/arm pulley. i never realized how much trouble one part could cause. but please just one more thing my van also was just worked on again , due to a component in the radiator the works with the transmission, well it ruptured causing my van to breakdown, i needed a new radiator and my transmission flushed.($$) hopefully this has not caused any harm to my transmission. could it be realted to the previous problems?

Dt: the contact states the when it rains and he drives through a rain puddle the serpentine belt falls off. this has happened twice. the vehicle was taken to dealer for repairs. the manufacturer was contacted, and they offered no free remedy.*ak

The oil pan is rusting out and will require replacement. *ak

When driving 60 mph on wet road the serpentine belt came off the engine pulley. this caused power steering assist problem, engine overheating, and stalling. dealer was notified, but was unable to resolve this issue. *ak

The cross over pipe underneath split apart, allowing the exhaust fumes/carbon monoxide to enter compartment. fumes were sometimes overwhelming. vehicle hesitated upon acceleration and stalled. manufacturer was aware of this problem, and the part was back ordered with 10,000 consumers waiting. *ak.....fiv eother families encountered the exact same problem. *ak

Received safety recall for clockspring, took to dealer for repairs. they also removed and repaired engine sensors . *bf *tc

While driving 25 mph serpentine belt fell off. vehicle was towed. dealership repaired this problem 3 times. however.roblem recurred. *ak

Dt: contact stated something was defective with the radiator and transmission. the coolant from the radiator went into the transmission and destroyed the transmission. this happened about two weeks ago. she took the vehicle to a mechanic and he changed the radiator and tried to flush the transmission, but the transmission was to be rebuilt. she called chrysler and they said they could not do anything. the mechanic told her he had changed many with the exact same problem.*ak *jb

Excess exhaust smoking when engine is idling. have been told by mechanic that lifters and valve seals need to be replaced. mechanic has repaired several dodge/chrysler/plymouth vans with same problem. *la

While pulling out of a driveway the vehicle began to hesitate and then engine failed. the consumer also noticed that transmission fluid was leaking onto the engine. please provide additional information. *jb *tc

Ltr fm thomas reiner (va) re the defective 1999 dodge caravan he owned, his defective repossessed vehicle was sold out without informing the purchaser of the service bulletin on the defect.*mr the consumer indicated that the manufacturer did not make him aware of the service bulletin until he contacted nhtsa and found the service bulletin regarding the idler pulley. the vehicle idler pulley came off three times which caused the vehicle to lose all power. this failure has caused the consumer to crash twice. *nm

Ltr fm thomas reiner (va) owner of a 1999 dodge caravan reporting defective idler pulley causing loss of steering. *mr *nm

While driving in rainy weather the serpentine belt fell off the engine. dealership was notified and suggested that they needed to inspect. *ak there was a tsb for this issue but the consumer was informed that this did not pertain to this vehicle. *sc jb

When raining the serpentine belt completely disengages. the vehicle will lose power. when the belt comes off the vehicle will jerk to the left. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and she was told that there was no solution for this problem, and put the belt back on. there is a manufacturing problem with the dodge caravan. the most common factor is when water touches this belt it will come off. *ak

While driving through a light rain/slush mixture the car lost power steering, etc. consumer identfied that the serpentine belt had came off. this seems to be a common problem with late 90's dodge caravan's. i have a relative who had the same problem 2 weeks earlier. dodge does have a service bulletin related to this, but it does seem to be some type of design flaw that needs to be addressed since it relates to the power steering, and nearly every other vital system.*ak

I recently took my 1999 dodge caravan to my mechanic because of an anti-freeze leak. the mechanic found that the water pump needed replacement and suggested that the timing belt be done at the same time, since it was due to be replaced. i agreed to have the timing belt done. in the process of replacing the timing belt the mechanic found that the belt tensioner was faulty. he tried ordering a replacement part and discovered that the existing belt tensioner was no longer available and that it was replaced by an upgraded belt tensioner kit. my complaint is if dodge found the need to change the design of this part why was it not made a recall? this problem ended up costing me an additional $245.00 in parts and labor to have this new belt tensioner kit install, not to mention a week without the car because of the part availability. *ak

Idle pulley and belt came off while driving in the rain causing loss of power steering and overheating. previous repair for same condition one week prior. while waiting, another vehicle of same make, model and year was towed in for same recurring problem. *la

Engine head gasket failed at 44,000 miles. *la

While driving a noise was heard coming from the engine. dealer found that timing belt broke. *ak the idler pulley made noises and the consumer found that the system needed to be updated. the update parts were the timing belt, tensioner, idler pulley, timing covers, water pump, two drive belts, thermostat and the oil pan gasket leaked. *scc *jb

My 1999 dodge caravan (2.4 engine) is experiencing oil loss. i just had it tuned up about 5 months ago and it is still losing a considerable amount of engine oil(1 qt/500 miles; normal-according to several dealers).mechanic found problems with pcv system and replaced yellow restrictor. charged $98. recently had oil change. ten days later, oil is black and broken down. oil level on dipstick is down to half. *ak

Serpentine belt and tension idle arms needed replaced in august 2003 at 63,000 miles. vehicle was purchased used so we are unable to verify if this has happened before. it is now april 2004, 6000 miles later and the belt needed replaced again. *nm

I had the van in for a state inspection and the mechanic stated that the serpentine belt and the tensioner arm needed to be replaced. he stated that he could tell just by the sounds that the van was making. i have since heard the same sounds from several vans that i come accross. if this is such a known problem with the tensioner arm freezing up and destroying the serpentine belt, shouldn't dodge redesign the tensioner arm and effect a recall to replace it.*ak