2005 Dodge Grand Caravan failing steering rack.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

Vehicle shuts down without warning;power door locks inoperative at times;premature failure front stabilizer bushings;premature failure outer tie rod end. No repairs made but estimates have been obtained.

- Macedonia, OH, USA

Started hearing grinding noise when turning several months ago. Dodge dealership diagnosed it as faulty strut and spring and replaced. Grinding noise continued. Now, Dodge dealership diagnosed as leaking power steering rack - want $1,100+ to replace.

- Springfield, IL, USA

2005 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8 steering noisy and rack & pinion leaking. Had to replace steering rack and reservoir. $1000 and only had 50000 miles. Had it to dealer 2 times for steering noise under 3-36 warranty.

- Cottonwood, CA, USA

Power steering leak, rack and pinion 2005 Dodge Caravan.

- Belleville, IL, USA

Power steering makes grinding noise. The noise doesn't happen all the time usually when driven alot. Took it to dealer they said they couldn't find any problem. I looked online and read that there are many complaints about this problem.

- Naples, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. When the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for regular maintenance, it was discovered that the steering wheel column rack was leaking power steering fluid. The dealer estimated that it would cost $1,000 to replace the rack. There were no recalls listed for the failure. Due to the fact that the vehicle was one month out of warranty, the manufacturer would not assist with the repairs. The VIN was not accepted by the system. The failure and current mileages were less than 17,274.

- Oakland, CA, USA

We have taken our 2005 Dodge SXT Grand Caravan in numerous times for electrical problems which most of the time they can not duplicate. Then on Monday March 23 after leaving the city and bringing my children home from school I went to make a left hand turn and my steering column locked up and I could not complete the turn. With oncoming traffic and traffic behind I had no choice but to gun the engine and go into the field. I stopped the car with brakes that worked, at least, and turned the vehicle off. I then restarted the vehicle and there was complete free play in the wheel. I turned the wheel all the way to the right and there was a clunk and then I again had regular movement of tires with the wheel. I immediately called my dealership and told them what happened and that I was bringing it in with my dad following behind. Tomkinson Dodge has had it for 2 days and told me that they know there is a problem but since it is under warranty and they can't pinpoint the problem, warranty won't pay until they know what the problem is. It is too expense to let a tech get inside and take things apart to find the actually problem. They told me I need to drive it again and it will be fine, but if it happens again to let them come and tow it and don't touch anything. If it happens again! if it happens again my children and I could be dead. I was just lucky to not be in too busy of a place unlike I had been a half hour before. So there was a failure but nothing is being done to fix it because it may be to expensive for the dealership.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

Normal driving, vehicle has been involved in no accidents. At about 34,000 miles on vehicle, and 3 and a half years old, airbag light on dash started illuminating. Would turn off sometimes, but usually stayed on. Dealer diagnosed failure of "clockspring" in steering column, which had to be replaced at cost of about $250.

- Tigard, OR, USA

Van started to make a loud sound from the engine area. Took the van in to see what was wrong, first garage could not identify the problem in November. Took the van in again 12/21/08 and they identified that the rack and pinion was going out and leaking fluid. That was making the noise. Was informed that this is not a common repair and it is unusual for this type of repair to have to be done on a vehicle that gets regular maintenance and has never been in any kind of accident. The mechanic said he had seen several of the same vehicle with same problem. It appears to be a manufacturer defect in the build of the rack and pinion system.

- Reynoldsburg, OH, USA

Bad noises from steering column and right front suspension.

- Maimi, FL, USA

Rack and pinion on 2005 Dodge Caravan - noticed many others have same complaint. Internal seal on assembly is wearing out around 65000. Must replace entire rack and pinion assembly. How many before recall?

- Brecksville, OH, USA

I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan and when I have reach 35000 miles I notices that my power steering fluid kept get low, but I could not find any leaks to show me that I had a problem. This was doing the winter time in Ohio with snow on the ground with made it even more strange that I did not see any oil leak in the snow showing me that I had a problem. Then when I reach 50000 mile my brake started squeaking and I knew it could not be my brake pads on the front because they had been replace about 18 month back. I just thought it was just some road grime that might have got on the rotor. When the sound did not stop I recheck the pad to make sure that they was still good and that when I found out that my steering boot was leaking and some of it was getting on to the on to the rotor. So by change I decide to check the internet to see it if anyone else had this problem and I was surprise to find out just how many people did. Therefore I discovered your site and again was surprise to find out how many complaint that you have had about this insure yet you still had not did anything about it. As I said the fluid is leaking on to the disc rotor meaning that this is a more serious problem not only this is a serious problem the complete failure of the steering:rack and pinion:rack, either way you look at it either you won?T be able to stop or you loose control of the vehicle which mean it is more serious than you or anyone else could even imaging and I can not believe that you have not did anything about it all because no one has died yet. If everyone knew just how unsafe this vehicle really is they would be getting rid of this vehicle as fast as they could because their family lives are at stake here not the builder, designer, or the president or CEO of Chrysler but the people who entrust these very people with a safe product.

- Columbus, OH, USA

At about 12,000 our 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan developed a thumping/binding in the steering/front axle. We had it in several times during the warranty period for the same problem; both axles were replaced and the steering column was replaced also, yet the thumping/binding never truly went away. Shortly outside the comprehensive warranty period, the right front axle broke. Fortunately it was in a parking lot, not on the highway. The right axle was replaced, but now the thumping/binding is back just like it was when we first started pursuing getting the problem fixed. The van only has 30,300 miles on it.

- Port St Lucie, FL, USA

From the day I drove this brand new vehicle off of the dealers lot I began complaining about a noise when I turned right. I brought it in several times to have it checked out and was told that they could not duplicate the noise so all was fine. Eventually it got so bad that the front end was bouncing. They finally determined after 22 months that it was a bad sway bar bushing that needed to be replaced.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

Steering rack rapidly degraded and "was about to fall out of car". seems like Dodge mini-vans have lot sof problems with this. I had this happening my old van twice but it was a slower progressive problem. My new van started to make some noises on occasion. Shops checked it out but couldn't find any problems.... I continued to drive it... over course of one week noise increased a bit and brought back in... shop's words " steering rack was about to fall out".. many people are not as attune to noises and sensations as I am. I could easily see someone else driving without detecting this problem having a serious steering failure.

- Stormville, NY, USA

Every time I took my van in for an oil change I was told the power steering fluid was low, obviously didn't think much of it at the time. I started hearing a whining sound 5,000 miles after the warranty was up, took the van in and they found the power steering rack leaking fluid, reservoir empty and blocked with P/S gear remains, and P/S pump noisy. They replaced the P/S gear, pump, and reservoir at my expense of $1200. I wouldn't think that a 2005 van should have major power steering problems after 2 years. I believe this is a manufacturing problem.

- Cicero, IN, USA

I purchased a cpo 05 grd Caravan from a local dealer. Within months the electric door locks would go up and down while unlocking the doors by the key, would go up and down while traveling down the road & while opening the electric windows while inside the van..* * the steering wheel would lock up while pulling out onto the road. My wife and kids could have been killed by the approaching fully loaded log truck. The van was taken to the lithia in roseburg & was informed of the issued. It was inspected and the reply was that "they could not find any problems & they said they could not get the door locks to go up and down. The van was taken in a 2nd time on 07/28/2006 with the same issues, again they kept the rig and told us they could not get the door locks to do anything. On 04/07/2006 the van was taken in to lithia after kendall said that they could not work on the van because of us buying it from lithia. So the van was returned to lithia with the same problems along with the rt rear brake light staying..you know the sad thing is I still own 15K on this van. The steering on the van locked up again while traveling down the road and almost caused an accident with my wife and kids in the van. I just pray that when we take it in for the "4th time" and we leave it at the dealership to fix, that they will get it done right and that if we either keep the van or trade it off that nobody gets killed from this major safety issue. I feel that I have been shafted due to having a cpo and Dodge dealers are not able to do their job due to skills or ?. I sure hope that if you are in an accident and your unable to get out of the van due to the door locks you don't burn up or if you can not open the door that hopefully somebody can get the door open from the outside of the van. Oh I forgot, when I go over a speed bump it sounds like the engine is going to drop out.

- Winston, OR, USA

Since purchasing in 2004. I have had to take back the van numerous times to complain to the dealership about noises while driving in the steering brakes and front right wheel base area. Brakes popping and scrubbing, wheel base makes a scrubbing/cracking noises, and there was a whining noise while slowing at stops and in parking lots. They have replaced a map light. My sliding doors have stopped working once but the problem has not occurred again to take to the dealer. At a red light when it turned green I went to go and the engine cut off would not restart immediately. Luckily no one was behind me and no oncoming traffic. I was on a hill and able to roll to the side and put the van back in park to restart. 08/11/05 took to dealer ship and they performed a computer flash update and listed a label aut and label gen part. Here are the service dates when I took in it each time to complain about steering and driving noises. 08/04/05 took to dealer ordered parts serviced on 08/11/05 replaced power steering reservoir. 11/17/05 replaced rack and pinion. 08/16/06 took in brakes starting making noises told we had 20% left at 16,812 miles they told us to replace the brakes. 08/16/06 also had them look at the same noise as before and they lubed/greased strut dust covers. 11/08/06 took back for same noises and they replaced the sway bar links found my steering fluid low, replaced fluid and stated they could not find any cracks/leaks. I am still hearing noises come from the right front wheelbase. The power steering fluid has fixed the whining noises as of today. The brakes are not popping. They said the sway bar links fixed the popping.

- Carrollton, GA, USA