2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Engine Problems

Your catalytic converter has become clogged, which is reducing your engine's power, especially when driving at highway speeds. This happens when the converter can no longer filter exhaust gases properly. The fix will likely involve replacing the catalytic converter or having it professionally cleaned and inspected.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, FOLLOWED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A PUDDLE OF WATER DURING RAINY WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT DETACHED FROM THE ALTERNATOR AND THE COOLING SYSTEM FAN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

OUR 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH A 3.8 AWD BEGAN CUTTING OUT ON ACCELERATION AND AT INTERSECTIONS RECENTLY. CURRENTLY IT WILL DIE 3 OR 4 TIMES IN A HALF A MILE WHEN IT IS COLD. THIS CONDITION HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AS THE CAR WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH OUT WARNING. NO CEL IS PRESENT ALL MAINTENANCE IS UP TO SCHEDULE. FUEL FILTER,SPARK PLUGS, WIRES,AIR FILTER,CLEANED THROTTLE BODY. DEALER HAS NO IDEA WHAT IT CAN BE. THIS IS NOT A SAFE CAR AND SHOULD BE RECALLED DUE TO THIS DANGEROUS FLAW. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2007 MY 2 YEAR OLD SON, DYLAN FISHER DEPETRO LOST HIS LIFE, ALONG WITH 9 MONTH OLD AMELIA DEMEUSE, TO A MINIVAN FIRE THAT ALSO SERIOUSLY INJURED TWO OTHERS IN THE TOWN OF LUXEMBURG, WI. OUR SON'S SITTER RAN SOME ERRANDS FOR ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL'S 1ST BIRTHDAY. WHILE SHE WAS IN A HARDWARE STORE, PURCHASING DECORATIONS, THE MINIVAN, HOLDING FIVE CHILDREN (ALONG WITH MY SON) CAUGHT FIRE. THE CAUSE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. I HOLD NO ANGER TOWARDS SUE LALUZERNE, THE SITTER. SHE LOVED MY SON AND MY SON LOVED HER. HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT MY SON'S DEATH WAS NOT IN VAIN. HE WAS CALLED HOME TO JESUS FOR A REASON AND I FEEL IT'S MY CALLING TO ENSURE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. THE MINIVAN WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. MY SON WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE FROM SMOKE INHALATION AND SOOT. HE PROBABLY ONLY TOOK TWO BREATHS BEFORE BECOMING UNCONSCIOUS. ALTHOUGH THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR A VEHICLE BECOMING CONSUMED IN FLAMES IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. MY SON WAS IN A CAR SEAT THAT WAS BUILT INTO THE MINIVAN; A SEAT THAT CONTAINED HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, TOXIC MATERIALS. WE ARE WORKING WITH GIL ROSS, A LAWYER OUT OF CHICAGO, TO HELP US DURING THIS TIME. THERE IS NO AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COULD EVER EASE THE PAIN OF LOSING MY CHILD. WHAT I REALLY WANT TO HAPPEN OUT OF ALL OF THIS IS FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY TO STOP USING FLAMMABLE MATERIALS IN THEIR SEATS, ESPECIALLY IF CAR SEATS ARE BUILT IN. I WANT PEOPLE TO BE TRAINED IN THE USE OF CAR SEATS IN CPR CLASSES ACROSS THE NATION AND A MECHANISM FOR QUICK RELEASE OF A CAR SEAT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE. I ASK FOR YOUR HELP IN MAKING THE WORLD AWARE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND HELPING US TO CHANGE THE SAFETY STANDARDS. MY SON DESERVES THIS. THANK YOU. *TR

I OWN A 2002 DODGE INTREPID, FIRST OFF I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT UP ON MAINTENANCE. I FINANCED THE CAR ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. ALL OF A SUDDEN ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT ON, ME THINKING I MAY BE LOW ON OIL I SIMPLY TOOK IT TO GET SERVICED JUST BECAUSE OF THE OIL LIGHT. THAT DIDN'T HELP THE CAR OIL LIGHT REMAINED. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THAT I HEARD A STRANGE KNOCKING NOISE AND THEN BOOM IN THE MIDDLE OF A INTERSECTION AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN LEFT IT DIED ! TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER IN MY AREA TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I ENDED UP PAYING OVER $1500 AND HAD THE CAR STALL ON ME VARIOUS TIMES AFTER IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED! FINALLY TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC FOR A THIRD OPINION, BY THEN THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS BAD. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE BEEN HONEST AND TOLD ME THE CAR WAS NOT OPERABLE. PLEASE HELP .....*JB

2002 DODGE DURANGO. ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST OIL PRESSURE, AND THEN THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON. I DISCOVERED IT WAS THE OIL PUMP, AND A FRIEND THAT WORKED FOR A DODGE DEALERSHIP, SAID THEY GET THIS COMPLAINT ALL THE TIME. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE I PURCHASED THE $2000.00 EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WILL NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE I DID NOT MAINTAIN THE OIL CHANGES, AND THE ENGINE HAD SLUDGE. I TOLD THE CAR REPAIR PEOPLE THEY WERE INSANE TO THINK THAT I WOULD PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND A $28,000 CAR AND NOT SPEND $30-$40 BUCKS ON AN OIL CHANGES. HOW OUTRAGEOUS AND INSULTING!! THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL I COME UP WITH THE COST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, $5400. PAYING A $500 CAR PAYMENT EACH MONTH FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS NO USE TO ME UNTIL I COME UP WITH $5400 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I AM BESIDE MYSELF AND THEY ARE RUINING ME.*AK

03/1205 DRIVING ON PALMDALE ROAD MY CAR STOPPED I WAS UNABLE TO GET IT STARTED - HAD IT TOWED TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP ON 03/14/05. THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. I GOT MY CAR BACK IN MAY. ON MAY 09 I RETURNED MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. THEY CHECK THE VEHICLE AND SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM. ON MAY 13 2005 I DROVE MY CAR DOWN TO LA AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPT AT DODGE THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK IN. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE ON MAY 15, 2005. THEY THEN INSTALLED REMANVALVE BODY AS PER PPC CLEAR CODES. ON JULY 21, 2005 I WAS LEAVING THE OFFICE WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND MY CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. I WENT INTO AUTO ZONE AND THEY CHECKED THE CODE THAT CAME UP WHICH WAS P0700 - TRANSMISSION CODE. WE CHECKED THE FLUID IT WAS FINE. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME - APPROXIMATELY 8 - 10 MILES MY CAR OVER HEATED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR OVER TURNED OFF THE CAR AND PLACED THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON. I CONTACTED MY SON. HE CAME OUT AND BROUGHT WITH HIM SOME ANTIFREEZE AND WATER. HE CHECKED THE VEHICLE OUT AND PLACED IN THE ANTIFREEZE AND WATER - THE VEHICLE STARTED - THERE WERE NO NOISES. WE DROVE IT THE 2 MILES HOME. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME IT WAS OVER HEATING AGAIN. HE OPENED THE ENGINE AND HE COULD HEAR A NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE - HE TOLD ME THAT MY HEAD GASKETS WERE MOST LIKELY BLOWN. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY BLAMES THE WARRANTY COMPANY SAYING THAT IT WAS ''THEIR ENGINE AND THEY WOULD NOT PERMIT THEM TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION AS THEY REQUESTED''. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY THIS MORNING AND ADVISED THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I ADVISED LAZERO AT THE WARRANTY COMPANY I HAD DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I HAD FOUND OUT LAST NIGHT THAT CHRYSLER HAS HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH MY ENGINE.

AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE THEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. ONCE I ARRIVED AT THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A TRAIL OF OIL LEADING TO THE VEHICLE. I LOOKED UNDER TO FIND THO PUSH ROD HANGING THROUGH THE OIL PAN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP WITH THE MOTOR REPLACED. WHEN THE TEST DRIVE WAS TAKING PLACE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE COMPUTOR CHIP CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO DROP DOWN TO LOW GEAR IN WHICH RAN THE RPM'S INTO THE DANGER ZONE WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE COMING APART. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 59,000 MILES ON IT. I MADE ATTEMPT AFTER ATTEMPT TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER AND COULD NOT EVEN GET A RETURN CALL FROM ANYONE OTHER THAN A DEALER. I JUST RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT A MOISTER LEAK FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER WHICH MAY LEAD INTO A SHORT THAT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. I CALLED THE NUMBER GIVEN ON THE RECALL AND ASKED IF I COULD SPEAK TO SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY PHONE #'S. THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO CONTACT THIS DEPARTMENT. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE IS CERTAINLY A RISK AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED, AS WELL AS EXPENSES REIMBURESED BY CHRYSLER.

JUST DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND CHECK GAUGES COME ON AND I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 4 MONTHS.*AK

I OWN A 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING. IF IT STARTS AGAIN, IT STALLS WITHIN 1/4 MILE. YOU CAN DO THIS ONLY FOR 3 TIMES BEFORE IT FINALLY CAN NOT BE STARTED. BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE. FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER PROGRAM MODULE. THE CAR WORKED FOR 100 MILES, THEN DIED AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP STARTED THE CAR AND RAN A DIAGNOSTIC BUT FAILED TO LOCATE ANY FAULTY CODES. I ASKED THEM TO TAKE IT FOR A TEST RIDE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THEY DID, AND IT DIED ON THEM. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND SAID THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR FAILED. THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. AGAIN, LESS THAN 100 MILES LATER, THE CAR DIED. THE DODGE DEALER SEEMS TO BE AT A LOSS AS TO WHY IT IS FAILING AND NOT STARTING. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 3 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE THEM STYMIED. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT INDICATIONS PRIOR TO FAILURE. YOU LOSE ALL POWER TO THE CAR. *JB

AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING HAS BEEN REPLACED 6 TIMES. *MR THERE WAS A LEAK INSIDE THE VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, A BROKEN CHAIN ON THE DRIVER'S SLIDER DOOR, A HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION AND A STALLING PROBLEM (POSSIBLE FUEL FILTER PROBLEM), AND A GRINDING NOISE DUE TO THE IDLER PULLEY BEING FAULTY. THE CONSUMER REQUEST COMPENSATION. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 5-10 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN COMPLETELY LOCKED UP COMING OFF OF A RAMP. UPON STARTING AGAIN IT STARTED TO JERK. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

RECALL REPLACEMENT OF GAS TANK THAT MIGHT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY ENGINE LIGHT TURNING ON NOW I FOUND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM IS COMING THROUGH THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM PURGE (GROSS) LEAK ENGINE CODE P0455 GIVEN TO ME BY THE CAR ITSELF, MY CAR WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER ON THIS CONDITION MONDAY JUNE 16,2003 AND I THINK THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE REPAIR OF THE RECALL. MY MAIN COMPLAINT IS THAT I'VE BIN AT THIS DEALER THREE TIMES WITH REPAIR DONE OR CHECK DONE ON PROBLEMS TO MY VEHICLE AND THREE TIMES I GET NO PROOF THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICE THERE EVEN WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE ALL I HAVE IS THE TAG # WHICH IS ONLY FOR THERE PURPOSE. I DO ASK FOR IT EVEN THOUGH I THINK I SHOULDN'T AND THEY STATE THAT JOB IS DONE AND I DON'T NEED ANYTHING CAUSE IT WAS DONE. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *SLC