A few weeks ago, my brother and sister-in-law visited me. Because he only drives Dodge/Chrysler products and because he is a very knowledgeable mechanic, I asked his opinion about the problem with my van.

He suggested replacing the belt tensioner and wanted the dealership to inspect all pulleys to insure they weren't worn down. He also suggested checking the belt surface for glazing and/or slippage.

This past Wednesday, the van went into the local dealership to have those things done. Friday it rained - ever so slightly, but there was moisture.  I work odd hours, so at 3:30 a.m., I went into the office. First, however, I wanted to find a puddle so I went to the nearest shopping center and found one. I drove through it and lost ability to steer the van - not only in turning but going straight. I stopped the van and changed gears until I was able to steer again.

I went to the office and worked for about 2 hours. I decided to do one more test. I again went to the same shopping center, went through a puddle and the same thing happened, only worse. It was as if the van was trying to stall. I stopped the van and tried to change gears. It took several seconds before the van would come back to life. At no time did warning lights come on.

At 7 a.m. I called the service manager on his cell phone. He has yet to call me back. I also tried calling the dealership since they are supposed to be open until noon on Saturdays. No answer. I talked with my brother and gave him the service manager's contact information. I also sent a letter to my Chrysler contract informing her of the problem.

Several weeks ago I talked to the Chrysler representative that has been working with me regarding the problem with my van. Because there is apparently nothing wrong with my van, she wanted to know what I planned to do next, indicating any expenses incurred in the process of trying to find something that will fix the steering problem would be at my expense. I told her that because there is apparently nothing wrong with the van, I would not pay for any repairs. It is my job to do routine maintenance on the van. However, I feel Chrysler is responsible for insuring their products are safe.  That seemed to put a damper on our conversations.

We spoke again yesterday evening. She talked with the service manager of the local dealership that has been looking at my van. It was suggested that I take the van into Dallas (about 30-40 miles away) to see if they can find out what's wrong with the steering. Perhaps they have seen this problem before and know what to do.

I said that Chrysler should have a means of contacting all of the service departments around the country that handle their products to see if anyone has come across this problem. I shouldn't have to do the legwork, and again, I should not be responsible for any parts/labor. She said they do have that ability and did a quick search, finding nothing. I read her some comments I had found on the Internet where owners had been in contact with not only other dealerships, but with Chrysler. Those owners apparently were not helped by either agency.

Because changing out parts would be an unnecessary expense and probably wouldn't solve the problem, she is going to try to talk to other experts to figure out what the next step needs to be.

Until then, I am reaching out to current and previous owners of Dodge Caravans that have had steering problems in the rain. I think that if we all join together, Chrysler will feel compelled to fix not only my van, but all other vans with this problem. The vans are unsafe to drive, and will eventually result in injury or possibly death.

Here's some things I need to know:

1. What is the year of your van?
2. When and how often does loss of steering occur?
3. What have mechanics said? What repairs have been made, and did the repairs fix the problem?
4. Do you still have your van?
5. Have you ever been in an accident due to loss of steering?
6. Please list any other information you feel pertinent.

It would be best if you would respond to this blog. However, if you would like to contact me by email, please do so at drivedodgecaravaninrain@gmail.com. Please be assured that all email correspondence will be used only toward remedying this problem.

In December 2010 I purchased a 2007 Dodge Gand Caravan Special Edition. For the most part, I love the van. However, it has a major flaw. When it rains, I lose power steering. At first, I only noticed it when I turned a corner. Now, I'm noticing it when I drive through a puddle going straight.

If you have had a similar problem, please post your comment here. At the moment I'm working with the Chrysler Corporation to correct this problem and so far they have been very cooperative. However, no one can figure out what the problem is.

By posting your problem here, hopefully we can not only get my van fixed, but all vans that are having this mechanical problem.