Dodge Caravan 2002 - Equipment - car safety information, failing parts, recalls, bulletins, complaints

Dodge Caravan 2002

Recalls
Technical Service Bulletins
Defect investigations
Consumer Complaints

Recalls

Campaign	Manufacturer	Manufacturing date	Type	# of units affected	Date Owner notified Mfg	Recall Initiated by	Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products	Report Recieved Date	Record Creation Date
EQUIPMENT
10E034000	CURT MFG. INC.		E (Equipment)	6686	08/13/2010	MFR	CHRYSLER GROUP LLC	08/10/2010	08/10/2010
Defect Summary	Curt mfg is recalling certain class 3 receiver hitches, p/n 13347, sold as aftermarket equipment for use on 1997-2007 chrysler town and country vans, 1996-2007 dodge caravans, and 1996-2004 plymouth voyager vans. when the hitch is loaded to the maximum rating, the hitch may fracture or break at the bend location where the main body of the hitch meets the hitch muffler strap.
Consequence Summary	If the area in question fractures or breaks, this could cause an unstable driving condition, possibly resulting in a crash.
Corrective Summary	Curt mfg will notify owners of record and will replace the hitch free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin during august 2010. owners may contact curt mfg at 1-715-831-8713.
Notes	Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
03E045000	INTERCONTINENTAL AUTO PARTS		E (Equipment)	45870		MFR	CHRYSLER GROUP LLC	09/26/2003	10/08/2003
Defect Summary	Aftermarket replacement fuel filters manufactured between september 17, 2002, and january 20, 2003, sold under the brand names listed above. the filter may experience malfunction of the quick connector either blocking fuel flow to the engine or causing a fuel leak. this does not involve any products manufactured by the daimlerchrysler corp. nor any dailmerchrysler dealers.
Consequence Summary	If this condition occurred while the vehicle is in motion, the engine could stall. also, in the presence of an ignition source, the fuel leak could result in a vehicle fire.
Corrective Summary	Aftermarket replacement fuel filters for 1995-2000 short wheelbase chrysler town & country, plymouth voyager and dodge caravan minivans part no. 18232 and date code 0237, 0249, or 0252. replacement fuel filters for 1995-2000 long wheelbase chrysler town & country, plymouth voyager and dodge caravan minivans part no. 18230 and date code 0237, 0249, 0251, or 0304. replacement fuel filters for 2001-2004 chrysler town & country, plymouth voyager and dodge caravan minivans part no. 28871 and date code 0249. these part numbers and date codes appear on the gold-tone filter. distributors and retailers will be notified to isolate and return affected inventory. owners who have had the fuel filter serviced on one of the applicable vehicles after september 17, 2002 should return their vehicle to the service facility to be inspected to see if the fuel filter that was installed is one that is involved in the recall. if so, the owners should have the filter replaced. to receive a full refund plus the cost of postage, owners should cut the connectors from the hoses, rinse the connectors and return them together with proof of the amount paid for the replacement part and labor, to intercontinental at intercontinental auto parts, inc., p.o. box 861, mahwah, nj 07430, attn: fuel filter recall. intercontinental will mail a full refund to the owner.
Notes	This recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement fuel filters and has no relation to any original equipment installed on chrysler town & country, plymouth voyager, and dodge caravan minivansor any other products manufactured by daimlerchrysler corporation.consumers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
04V531000	DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION	from 04/27/2001 to 07/31/2002	V (Vehicle)	238000	01/31/2005	ODI	CHRYSLER GROUP LLC	11/02/2004	11/03/2004
Defect Summary	On certain mini vans, condensation from the instrument panel air conditioning ducts may drop through vent holes in the top of the radio and result in a short circuit that subsequently sends direct current to the rear speakers.
Consequence Summary	This could result in a speaker fire.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will add a special tape to the top of the radio to prevent the potential of water intrusion. the recall began on january 31, 2005. owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Notes	Daimlerchryslerrecall no. d48.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration

Bulletins

Bulletin	Bulletin date	Item no.	Summary	Added
EQUIPMENT
1801201	05/25/2001	620066	Subject regarding generic scan tool (gst), publication no. 81-170-00008 provided with this technical service bulletin to provide reference information when using generic scan tool on obdii vehicles. *tt	07/11/2001
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
0801601	08/03/2001	623312	Information regarding vehicles equipped with radios will have a new locking radio antenna connector. *slc	10/26/2001
EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS
02013	08/20/2002	635708	Subject regarding monroney label tire discrepancy. *tt	10/30/2002

Investigations

NHTSA ID	Manufacturer	Date open	Date close	Subject	Recall campaign
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
PE04049	CHRYSLER GROUP LLC	07/07/2004	11/05/2004	SPEAKER FIRE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE	04V531000
	On july 7, 2004, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation based on consumer complaints alleging an interior vehicle fire starting in the area of the driver side rear speaker.daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) informed odi that condensation from the instrument panel air conditioning ducts may drip onto the radio and into vent holes on top of the radio.this can result in a short circuit sending direct current to the rear speakers and cause a speaker fire.the condition is present only on subject vehicles equipped with the base radio.subject vehicles with other option radios contain circuit protection that prevents sending direct current to the speakers and are not affected.all nine complaints pertain to vehicles with the base radio.by letter dated november 1, 2004, dcc notified nhtsa that it will conduct a safety recall (nhtsa# 04v531) covering model year 2001-2002 dodge caravan, grand caravan, chrysler voyager, and town & country models with base radio only (est. 238,000 vehicles).dcc dealers will install a protective tape to the top of the radio assembly to prevent water intrusion.the action taken by dcc is sufficient to resolve the issue raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed.

Consumer Complaints

Fail date	miles	occurences	Purchase date
EQUIPMENT
05/07/2011
	The radio just went out while i was driving, it made a little pop sound and never came back on.
06/05/2007		1	07/15/2006
	After starting the vehicle and putting it into drive, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to a speed of 45-50 mph without my having pressed the accelerator. the rmp gauge was fluctuating wildly and the engine emitted a loud revving sound. i immediately applied the brakes which reduced the speed of the vehicle to only approx. 25-35 mph. in order to bring the car to a complete stop, i had to stand on the brakes (pressing extremely hard). at this point the engine stalled. when my mechanic test drove the vehicle to determine the problem, he, too, indicated what difficulty he had controlling the car and was almost in an accident. the car was ultimately taken to d'ambrosio dodge in downingtown, pa for repair. the mechanic told me he was familiar with this type of problem, indicating to me i am not the first person to have this happen. this is an extremely dangerous problem that occurred with my vehicle. dodge should issue a recall for the 2002 caravan sport to ensure that no one else is put in danger. *tr
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL
10/15/2003	0
	The first failure was the airbag light staying on continuely. i had it repaired a few months after buying the vehicle new. less than six months later, the light stayed on again. we had moved to ashland and it was repaired there. within a week of having it repaired, i tried to use my horn and it did not work. they couldn't fix it at my convience, so i had to wait a few weeks to get it repairs. now, my windows sometimes go up and down and sometimes they do not. my van is less than 2 years old and already, i have had to borrow someones car because mine was in the shop. this should not happen with a new van with less than 25,000 miles on it. debbie waggoner redwag@alltel.net
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER
09/21/2006	66799	1	12/29/2001
	Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle emitted a foghorn-like sound from the air conditioning system. this only occurred while the air conditioning system was running on low fan speed. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, however the dealer was unable to determine the problem.
10/10/2005	129233	1
	Dt: the contact had recall repair work done on air conditioner drain hose. after the dealer finished the work, the dealer charged the contact $91.00 for the service. he has been in contact with the dealer several times in the past week, and they stated they would be calling him back, but they never did. also, the dealership told him that the service manager was not their to speak with, and that when the manager was available he will call him back.*ak
06/10/2003	69000	3	10/11/2002
	Dt: 2002 chrysler dodge minivans are prone to leaking water into the passenger side foot well area when the air conditioner is operating. this problem has happened for the past three years, and has been fixed three times by the dealership. the consumer had to pay after the warranty ran out. the air conditioner compressor failed prematurely. the consumer has had the compressor replaced, the warranty paid for that. the compressor failed in june of 2005. the vehicle has 69,000 miles. the leaking depended on how much the air conditioner was used. ak sc *jb
12/01/2004		16	09/01/2002
	The consumer heard a shuttering noise coming from the front right tire when turning the steering wheel to the right. the rack and pinion was replaced but the problem still existed. tc the consumer was told the power steering was the problem and had already been replaced. also when the a/c was turned on, it made a loud noise. sc *jb
04/28/2004	49426	1
	The a/c unit leaked down the firewall on the inside passenger side of my caravan and ruined the carpet. it was repaired in feb. 2003 under warranty. in march 2004 we noticed mold on the floor . the same thing had happened again. chrystler knows that they have a problem with this because they put out a tbs 24-008-02 to fix it. problem is it doesn't always work (according to service reps.) we are sueing them to fix it again. *ak
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
02/24/2005	20000		02/18/2002
	Safety recall-radio vent slots, d48 on dodge caravan is an unsatisfactory fix. placing tape over the radio vents will cause the radio to overheat in florida! a fire is possible. *nm
	40000	1
	Rear driver's side speaker caught on fire while driving. dealership indicated that this was caused by a power surge in the system. the speakers were original equipment.*ak
EQUIPMENT - MECHANICAL - JACKS
04/14/2003		1	01/08/2003
	When the consumer jacked up vehicle, the jack bent which caused the vehicle to collapse to the ground. jb when the consumer jacked up vehicle, the jack bent which caused the vehicle to collapse to the ground. mr