2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Engine Problems

Your engine stalled without warning while you were accelerating from a stop, and the vehicle wouldn't restart afterward. You were able to safely coast to the side of the road before powering off the engine. The vehicle was towed home but has not been diagnosed or repaired by a mechanic.

Your van experiences severe engine chugging and jerking after you fill up the gas tank when it's nearly empty, particularly when accelerating from a stop. The engine loses power and feels like it might stall, which creates a safety hazard. Slowing down and easing off the gas eventually resolves the issue, though it doesn't happen every time. This problem may require fuel system inspection and cleaning or fuel pump diagnostics.

Your vehicle stalls unexpectedly while driving at low speeds without any warning. The engine control computer module was already replaced to try to fix the problem, but the stalling continues to happen. This issue started around 7,000 miles and persists even at higher mileage. The fix may require diagnosing the fuel system, ignition system, or engine sensors to find the root cause of the stalling.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. *TR

TUBES CARRYING COOLANT TO THE REAR HEATER RUSTED THROUGH, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK OUT OF THE SYSTEM. REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY. HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER CARAVAN OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE. SOME WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HAVE READ ON NUMEROUS FORUMS 1) ABOUT THIS SAME FAILURE ON MULTIPLE MODEL YEARS (1999 - 2005) 2) HOW THE BRACKET MATERIAL IS DIFFERENT THAN THE TUBE, THEREBY CAUSING GALVANIC CORROSION 3) HOW CHRYSLER HAS SINCE CHANGED THE MATERIAL OF THE TUBES TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF GALVANIC CORROSION. THE REPAIR (TUBE REPLACEMENT) IS RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE, BUT POTENTIALLY MORE SO IF THERE IS COMPLETE DRAINAGE OF COOLANT, CAUSING ENGINE/TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL THE CONTACT ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE VEHICLE SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED AND WAS DRIVEN HOME WHERE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE SPEED CIRCUIT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

WIFE WENT TO START CAR IN MORNING. LOUD EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY SMOKE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHE LEFT VEHICLE. SHE SMELLED BURNT PLASTIC SMELL. I CHECKED LATER AND SAW EXPLODED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND HOSE ON TOP OF ENGINE. OBVIOUS EXPLOSION IN ENGINE INTAKE AREA WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO BLOW MANIFOLD INTO PIECES. CAR IS AT DEALER. THEY ARE WAITING FOR NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD TO REPAIR VEHICLE. UNCONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL HARM TO DRIVER/PASSENGERS OF VEHICLE. THIS HAS POTENTIAL FOR FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND VEHICLE AND COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. DURING ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE JUMPS. THE FAILURE SUBSIDES AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. DURING THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF DURING ACCELERATION. DURING THE THIRD FAILURE, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO PARK AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE JUMPING STILL OCCURRED UNTIL THE VEHICLE WARMED UP. THE FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,863.

POWER CABLE FOR RADIATOR FAN WAS RUBBING AGAINST AC TUBING. CABLE WORE THROUGH CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT, FAILURE OF RADIATOR COOLING FAN RESULTING IN OVERHEATING OF ENGINE. WIRE CABLE BUNDLE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND REROUTED TO PREVENT FUTURE VIBRATION EROSION OF CABLE BUNDLE.*JB

OWN A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT . CAR WAS TOWED TO DODGE DEALER ON FRIDAY JULY 20,2006 , DUE TO ROUGH ENGINE IDLING. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A PCM , WOULD TAKE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY TO HAVE TO PART SHIPPED IN ( I LIVE IN THE CHICAGO AREA ). ON THURSDAY DODGE CALLED TO SAY THAT THE ROCKER ARM IN THE # 5 PISTON NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THIS WOULD TAKE ADDITIONAL TIME. THE ROCKER ARM WAS REPLACED AND AGAIN DODGE CALLED TO ADVISE ME THAT NOW THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS AND THEY WOULD NEED TO TRACE TO LOCATE THE SHORT. CAR WAS FINALLY RETURNED TO ME ON AUGUST 9,2006 . MY WIFE USED IT TO GO TO THE STORE , SHE CALLED ME AND SAID THE CAR HAD DIED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT .THIS WAS JUST 4 HOURS AFTER PICKING THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALER. CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED TO DODGE DEALER. TOTAL TIME DODGE HAS HAD MY CAR IS NOW 21 DAYS AND COUNTING . I'VE HAD TO RENT 3 DIFFERENT CARS DURING THIS TIME ALL ON MY OWN EXPENSE . *JB

VEHICLE STALLED, SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE IN GEAR AT STOP LIGHT. IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY START UP, BUT WOULD STALL AT THE NEXT LIGHT. ALSO, STALLED ONCE WHILE IN "PARK". DEALERSHIP RETRIEVED VEHICLE AND CLAIMED IT WAS THE CRANK SENSOR AND REPLACED IT. THE SAME EVENING, AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE OVER A HUNDRED MILES OUT OF TOWN, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN, BUT IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN, SEVERAL TIMES, AND RESTARTED. HOWEVER, IT DID FINALLY STALL AND WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CLOSEST DEALERSHIP.*AK

CONSUMER STATES SERPENTINE BELT MAKES ONGOING NOISE. DEALER HAD REPLACED A COUPLE OF TIMES THE SERPENTINE BELT; BUT, PROBLEM STILL RECURRING.*AK