23rd Feb 2003, 17:24

98 Dodge Caravan.

Today my caravan traveled in 2-3" of water @ 10-15 mph., and experienced loss of power steering.

2nd Mar 2003, 12:21

1998 Town & Country - 65K - belt just popped off during a slow drive in the rain. Looks like we've got a common problem here! Dan.

7th Mar 2003, 12:16

At 100,000 miles our tensioner for the serpentine belt gave out causing the van to overheat and ruin the radiator and mix radiator fluid in the transmission cooler. 1200 dollars later it again runs fine. This was the first repair we have had to make in 100,000 miles! Over all a reliable van with a smooth ride and a rock solid motor unlike a Toyota Sienna Sludge motor that dies before the warranty is up. If the belt tensioner is my only problem in 100,000 miles then thank God for a reliable American Van. I will buy another soon.

30th May 2003, 19:41

I have 140,000 on my 1997 Grand Caravan, been a good car, but I can't fix this belt problem, it will run for months fine, then throw belts twice in a week, quality belts, new tensioner (replaced 2 times), definitely have a water problem, or snow. I've been a mechanic for 30 years and my wife (who drives the van) thinks I'm an idiot because I can't keep a belt on it anymore. Glad to see you folks out there with the same problem, anybody got a fix yet?

30th Jul 2003, 20:37

Our 1998 Grand Caravan's Drive Belt came off in a rain storm. Our first clue was lose of power steering. I noticed in other comments that this is a repeating problem with other Grand Caravans. Chrysler should recall this and fix the problem at their expense.

13th Aug 2003, 15:34

1997 Grand Caravan, multiple serpentine belt problems. Dealer now says that getting less than 30,000 miles out of this part is not unusual.

Given the fact that this one belt controls everything, including safety features (steering), this is definitely something Chrysler should fix. The dealer says it's a spring-loaded tensioner and that the springs just get metal fatigue. How about a beefed-up spring, Chrysler?

Jerry P., Washington, DC area.

19th Aug 2003, 12:32

I have a 1997 Chrysler Rally (Dodge Caravan) that has 55654 miles on it. The problem I had on Sunday 08/17/03 is: the serpentine tension bolt broke off (inside the assembly), which caused the belt to wrap and tangle in main crank shaft. I believe this should merit a recall.

A Nguyen Chantilly VA.

24th Aug 2003, 17:08

Unbelievable. I'm shocked to see this many representations of the same problem. I just purchased my 99 Grand Caravan used with 93k miles. It looks, runs and handles fantastic. But it has had this squeaky belt recently. So I popped the hood and plain as day the 'automatic tensioner' (that's a laugh) is completely and obviously out of alignment by a good half inch to the left. Replacing the belt is really about a 10 minute job... not too bad. But there is certainly no good way to access the tensioner itself if it indeed needs to be replaced. I will be researching recall protocol and if anything positive comes to pass I will repost here. Anyone else please do the same. So far it is otherwise a great vehicle... but it can't ride forever on its bells and whistles. I desperately want to purchase American products in all facets. Our manufacturing base is going to have to completely redefine itself and genuinely strive to grow a more impressive reputation if we are going to survive global trade.

Scot M.

NC.

23rd Sep 2003, 08:21

I have a 1999 dodge grand caravan sport, with 41000 miles. Today the belt fell off again for the third time this year. Of course Chrysler tells me its not covered under my extended warranty that I was told was bumper to bumper, however they did advise me that there is a service bulletin that states there is a problem, and they designed a replacement part that will correct the alignment flaw, at my expense. I will never buy another Chrysler.

30th Nov 2003, 09:15

Sounds like material fatigue is the root of all these Chrysler ills. The Motor mount fatigue causes misalignment that the belt system cannot deal with. Also it sounds like the tension spring in the idler (tensioner) pulley gives up over time due to fatigue and adds to the problem, with or without engine misalignment. The water just supplies the lubricant to slide the belt off the pulleys.

If Chrysler is going to use sub-standard materials, they should at least help out the struggling families who are attracted to their price-leader vans with some goodwill coverage. It takes more than electric sliding doors and a million cup holders to make a good family vehicle.

CHRYSLER EXECS TAKE NOTE BEFORE YOU GET BOUGHT BY HONDA!

21st Dec 2003, 12:21

We have a 1997 Plymouth Voyager, bought used at 20K miles. There have been 2 major problems since we owned it (it now has 60K miles):

1- Automatic transmission (trans-axle) failure at 30K, just after the 3-year warranty expired. A Chrysler re-manufactured AT, including labor, set us back $2200. I really believe any AT of any make should last more than 30 K miles.

2- The serpentine belt slipped out numerous times, always when the road was wet, or when the mini-van went over a puddle of water. The engine was not damaged yet; it could become overheated due to water pump failure, since we always stopped, or pulled over, right after the power steering quit, or when warning lights turned on. It is very hard to turn when this happens. I think it is a serious safety issue, which deserves a recall by Chrysler.

Does anyone know of any recalls relating to this problem?

You can find information on how to fix this problem on alldata.com website. The defective part is the engine mount bracket (Part # 04612412), which causes the idler pulley to be misaligned. You may need a special tool (SST) for the tensioner to remove or install the belt. I made my own tool by welding a 15mm wrench to a 3/4 inch ratchet, which works better for me than the tool I bought online, and is always kept inside the van. This van was probably designed to be driven on dry roads only. We use another car when it rains. Without those two problems, the Voyager would have been a good family vehicle.

4th Jan 2004, 16:04

We have a 1999 Dodge Caravan and the serpentine belt has slipped off at least six or seven times. I am now afraid to drive the car in rain. Yesterday, I came out of a car-wash and it happened while turning onto a busy intersection. Lost control of my steering. Scary and especially so because I had my three kids with me. We could have been killed by this. I wonder if anyone has been killed by this problem. Why hasn't this been recalled? The dealer told me that they are putting a splash shield under the car to keep the belt dry! What's with that? (!) That's the part to fix the problem? I don't know why there's been no recall.