2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Fuel System Problems

Your van caught fire under the hood while driving on the highway. You heard a backfire, then noticed an orange glow coming from the engine area. The hood was too hot to open, so you safely pulled over and called emergency services. The fire department responded and your van was towed for inspection to determine the cause.

Your car is producing a strong fuel smell inside the cabin when you're driving at low speeds or idling. This smell is coming from the vehicle itself while the engine is running. You should have this checked to locate the source of the fuel odor.

WE HAVE BEEN SMELLING THE SMELL OF GAS FOR AWHILE, TODAY IT GOT ALOT STRONGER,WE HAD JUST PUT GAS IN THE VAN AND WE THOUGHT MAY SOME HAD GOTTEN SPILLED ON THE OUTSIDE. WHEN WE STOPPED TO WASH IT I LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND SAW A HUGE PUDDLE OF GAS FORMING ON THE GROUND. COME TO FIND OUT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL IN OCTOBER 2002. LOOKED ON MY CARFAX AND IT DOESNT LIST THAT AS BEING REPAIRED. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE MECHANIC DETECTED A LEAK IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FUEL TANK WAS COLLAPSING AND EXPANDING. THE MECHANIC REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL IN EFFECT, BUT THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT PROVIDING A READING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SOMETIMES THE FUEL GAUGE WILL GO TO EMPTY SUDDENLY, AND A LITTLE LATER, IT WILL GO BACK TO THE ACTUAL READING. IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY. *TR

2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SOMETIMES THE FUEL GAUGE WILL GO TO EMPTY SUDDENLY, AND A LITTLE LATER, IT WILL GO BACK TO THE ACTUAL READING. IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT IT COULD BE REPORTED. THANK YOU *TR

ON JULY 4, 2002 MY 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS INVOLVED IN A LOW SPEED ROLLOVER IN WHICH THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. IN THE MINUTES FOLLOWING THE ROLLOVER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED COMPLETELY UP. MY WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN WERE TRAVELING IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND ALL 3 BY THE GRACE OF GOD WERE PULLED TO SAFETY BY PERSONS NEAR THE ACCIDENT. TWO MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE VAN FROM THE DEALER INDICATING THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FUEL SYSTEM TO REPLACE A PART THAT MAY CAUSE A FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A ROLLOVER. *NM

AFTER OVERFILLING THE FUEL TANK GAS FUME WERE COMING INTO THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSES. ALSO, IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN STARTING. *AK

GAS PUMP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING OVERFILL OF GAS TANK. GAS TANK SYSTEM ALLOWS FOR CAPTURE AND EVAPORATION OF OVERFILL. VENTS FOR AIR FLOW IN VEHICLE ALLOW GASOLINE FUMES/VAPORS INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF VEHICLE. THIS CREATES A PROBLEM IF YOU HAVE PASSENGERS OR NEED TO USE THE VEHICLE. ALL OCCUPANTS ARE FORCED TO SIT INSIDE OF AN ENCLOSED VEHICLE WITH GASOLINE VAPORS. BROUGHT CONCERN TO DEALER AND DEALER SAID VEHICLE WAS OPERATING WITHIN DESIGN PARAMETERS AND ADVISED NOT TO OVERFILL TANK. OVERFILL WAS NOT INTENTIONAL AND DEALER ADVISE DOES NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. DEALER STATED THAT THE EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM WAS MANDATED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. DEALER ALSO STATED THAT ALL NEW CARS HAVE SIMILAR SYSTEMS AND IF THEY ARE OVERFILLED FUMES/VAPORS WILL BE PRESENT IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AS WELL. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN/MANUFACTURE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. DEALER WILL NOT WORK WITH ME BUT ONLY STATES THAT THE SYSTEM IS WORKING THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE PUTTING MY FAMILY/CHILDREN INTO THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING IT WHILE IT IS FULL OF GASOLINE FUMES/VAPORS. AS A CAREER FIREFIGHTER I RECOGNIZE THAT GASOLINE IS MOST VOLITILE IN THE VAPOR STATE. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS INFORMATION TO THE MANUFACTURERS/DEALERS ATTENTION AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN/WILL DO.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ENGINE SHUT OFF. DEALER STATED THAT FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED WHICH ENABLED FUEL TO REACH THE ENGINE.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED A GAS LEAK. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT O-RINGS WERE LEAKING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH...*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE'S GAS GAUGE READS INCORRECTLY WHICH CAUSES VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS WHILE DRIVING. DEALER CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK CAME OFF AND WITIN 40 MILES I LOST 10 GALONS OF GAS. *AK

THIS IS MY SECOND 2002 GRAND CARAVAN...THE FIRST WAS PURCHASED ON 10/23/2001 AND ON THE WAY HOME WE SMELLED STRONG FUEL VAPORS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND IT STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE PROBLEM AND WE WERE GIVEN A REPLACEMENT 2002 GRAND CARAVAN ON 10/24/2001....I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THIS REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON THE SAME DAY AND SAME PRODUCTION LINE AS THE PREVIOUS 2002 I HAD...AND ONLY ONE OTHER VEHICLE WAS PRODUCED BETWEEN THEM. THE VEHICLE I HAVE JUST STARTED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE PREVIOUS ONE (STRONG VAPORS, CHECK ENGINE LITE), AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING GAS TANK/PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE PROBLEMS. SINCE THE VEHICLES WERE BUILT ON THE SAME LINE/DAY, AND SINCE IT IS A GAS TANK/VAPOR PROBLEM, AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ALL GRAND CARAVANS BUILT ON THAT LINE ON/AROUND THAT DAY.*AK