2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Air Bags & Restraints Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING PIN WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 367,000.

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT TURNS ON EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO ONE IN THAT SEAT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RELEASES WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE SEAT! ADULTS AND OLDER CHILDREN HAVE PUT THE SEAT BELT IN PLACE BUT THE WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON. WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL, THE SEAT BELT WILL RELEASE AT RANDOM, CAUSING THE PASSENGER TO HAVE TO CLICK IT INTO PLACE AGAIN. WHEN THE PASSENGER CLICKS THE SEAT BELT IN PLACE AND PULLS ON IT, IT EITHER STAYS IN POSITION OR RELEASES. IF IT STAYS IN POSITION, THEN WHILE DRIVING AND OR PARKED, THE SEAT BELT WILL SUDDENLY RELEASE. WHEN THE DRIVER HAD TO STEP HARDER ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID A DRIVER WHO STOPPED SUDDENLY, THE SEAT BELT RELEASED YET AT OTHER TIMES, THE SEAT BELT REMAINS IN PLACE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER OR NOT THE VAN IS IN GEAR OR PARKED, OR IF WE'RE STOPPED, MOVING, HIGHWAY DRIVING OR CITY DRIVING, THE SEAT BELT WILL RELEASE AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS HAD HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE TRIP. OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL. THE DATE GIVEN IS THE MOST RECENT TIME THAT IT RELEASED ON ITS OWN. I HAD BEEN PARKED AND THEN WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHEN MY DAUGHTER'S SEAT BELT (PASSENGER SIDE) RELEASED ON ITS OWN. I STOPPED AND PUT THE VAN IN PARK THEN HAD HER CLICK IN PLACE AGAIN. WE BOTH PULLED ON IT AND SINCE IT DIDN'T RELEASE, WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP, PRAYING THAT IT WOULDN'T DISCONNECT AGAIN WHILE WE WERE DRIVING.

I PURCHASED MY DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT 2003 BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT IN NOV. 2002. I KEPT IT IN MINT CONDITION WITH ALL MAINTENANCE LOGS FILLED OUT. AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT THERE WERE ONLY 95,000 MILES ON THE VAN. IT HAD NEVER BEEN IN A WRECK BEFORE. ON JAN 18 2015 WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS I HIT BLACK ICE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT FLIPPED FRONT TO BACK, DID A 180 MID AIR, LANDED ON WHEELS THEN ROLLED AT LEAST ONCE TO THE LEFT, LANDING ON THE WHEELS AGAIN. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY PASSENGER AND I BOTH HAD OUR SEATBELTS ON HOWEVER I STILL LIFTED UP AND HIT MY HEAD ON THE ROOF AND THE WINDSHIELD. WE ARE STILL ASSESSING OUR INJURIES. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED AS TO HOW I LIFTED OUT OF MY SEAT, BASICALLY THE SEATBELT DID NOT TIGHTEN TO ME. ALSO WHY DIDN'T THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY? HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL CONCERNING THE AIRBAGS OR SEAT BELTS OR OTHER THAT I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE DAMAGES WERE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 71,000.

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT TONGUE COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO LATCH. THE LATCH COULD NOT BE OPENED, NO MATTER HOW MANIPULATED. THIS IS SAFETY HAZARD AS THE DRIVER CANNOT LATCH SEAT BELT. *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON STARTUP, REMAINS ON, THEN TURNS OFF. WILL COME BACK ON AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THEN CYCLE ON-OFF DURING NORMAL DRIVING. LIGHT REMAINS ON MORE THAN OFF DURING DRIVING. THIS LOOKS LIKE CLOCKSPRING RECALL THAT EFFECTED 98-99 CARAVANS, BUT NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE?? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, THE AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 210,000.

PROBLEM BEGAN WITH AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURNING LEFT AND STEERING COLUMN NOISE OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME. CURRENTLY AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED, WITH PERIODIC STEERING COLUMN NOISE. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME SYMPTOMS THAT RESULTED IN A CLOCKSPRING RECALL ON MINIVANS AGED 1998-2000. CALLED DEALER AND WAS QUOTED $250-300 TO REPAIR. SEEMS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE STILL AND SHOULD BE COVERED AT NO CHARGE. HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED COMPLAINT TO DAIMLER/CHRYSLER AS WELL. *TR

2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, 90K MIS. AIRBAG LIGHT ON, INTERMITTENT CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION. PROBABLE CLOCK SPRING FAILURE. *LN

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. DOES NOT COME ON ALL THE TIME BUT WHEN IT DOES, IT STAYS ON FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND REMAINS ON. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. I AM SURE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MY 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS THE SAME CLOCKSPRING PROBLEM THAT MY 99 CARAVAN DID,THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM WAS REDESIGNED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN AND VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $300. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, AIRBAG INDICATOR STAYED ON FOR COUPLE OF MINUTES AND GOES OFF. AFTER FEW MINUTES IT COMES BACK ON. THE CYCLE KEEPS REPEATING AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. BECAUSE THE AIR BAG IS REQUIRED FOR SAFETY, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS OPEN CLOCK SPRING AND REPLACED THE CLOCKSPRING. BASED ON RECALL HISTORY OF DODGE GRAND CARAVANS RELATED TO AIRBAG INDICATOR, I FELT THAT THE PROBEM STILL EXISTS WITH AIRBAG INDICATOR IN 2003 DODGE GRANDCARAVAN SPORT VEHICLE. *AK

I PURCHASED MY 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND TOOK IT INTO HALL DODGE DEALERSHIP IN VIRGINIA BEACH VA FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND INFORMED THEM THAT MY PASSENGER SEAT BELT CONTINUOUSLY UNLOCKS ITSELF AND HAS TO BE CHECKED REGULARLY FOR SECURITY WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN ONCE AGAIN FOR A SECOND TIME AND REITERATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS DOING THE SAME THING. THEY TOLD ME THE VEHICLE WAS JUST OVER THE WARRANTY AND WOULD COST ALMOST $300 TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT. I TOLD THEM IT WAS A SAFETY ITEM AND TO CHECK FOR RECALLS. THE SERVICE GUY TOLD ME THAT THE BOTTOM LOCKING DEVISE ON THE SEAT BELT WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AS THE SEAT BELT IS VERY UNSAFE. *JB

DAIMLERCHRYSLER GEN3 SEATBELT BUCKLE - PRONE TO FAILURE. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30-40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STRUCK A COW. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS PRIOR BRAKING AND THE IMPACT WAS ON THE GRILL. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP.

DT: 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN - THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK DURING AN ACCIDENT. THIS WAS A REAR IMPACT CRASH. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STOPPED AT A LIGHT, AND TRAFFIC HAS JUST STARTED TO MOVE, AND VEHICLE IN FRONT STARTED A CHAIN REACTION OF STOPPING. THE VEHICLE IN THE REAR DID NOT STOP, HITTING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AT 45 MPH. UPON IMPACT, CONSUMER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THE OTHER CAR WENT UNDER THE REAR OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S WIFE HIT HER FACE ON THE DASHBOARD, AND CONSUMER HIT THE SIDE OF HIS FACE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. SINCE THE ACCIDENT NO ONE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHY THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK DURING THE IMPACT. CONSUMER HAD THE VAN FOR FIVE WEEKS. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN, AND THERE TWO PERSONS WERE INJURED. *AK

DT: THERE IS AN INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT MADE INTO THE VEHICLE. IF THE SEAT IS NOT CLICKED IN PROPERLY IT WILL ALLOW THE ENTIRE SEAT TO TILT FORWARD. CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS INJURED WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING AT 15 KM. HOSPITAL REPORTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF RESTRAINT TO KEEP THE SEAT FROM MOVING FORWARD OR IF THERE COULD BE SOME TYPE OF WARNING SYSTEM ON THE DASH FOR EXAMPLE A CHECK CHILD SEAT LIGHT. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THEY WERE INDUSTRY STANDARDS. THE CONSUMER WAS LOCATED IN ONTARIO, CANDA. THE CHILD SEAT IS A DODGE.

WHILE DRIVING SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE DRIVER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE MORNING FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *SC