2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Fuel System, Gasoline Problems

EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE VAN, AS SOON AS I PULL OUT OF THE GAS STATION IT WILL IDLE ROUGH, HESITATE, OR DIE ALL TOGETHER. I COULD HAVE 1/2 TANK AND ADD MAYBE 5 GAL OF GAS AND IT WILL DO THE SAME THING. I SAW ONLINE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD THIS ISSUE. IT RANGES FOR DIFFERENT YEARS AND COME TO FIND OUR IT HAS TO DO WITH A VALVE ABOVE THE TANK AND CANT BE REPLACED SINGLY BUT THE WHOLE TANK FOR $1600 PLUS LABOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THIS THING HAS HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE TURNING. I CALLED MELLOY DODGE HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE NM AND THEY RIGHT SHOT ME DOWN ABOUT AS QUICK IT TOOK TO DIAL THE PHONE NUMBER. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

NOTICED FUEL SMELL AND VEHICLE STALLING OR HESITATING AFTER FUELING, FOUND FUEL LEAK COMING FROM VERY SMALL CRACKS ON FUEL PUMP HOUSING TOP LOCATED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VAN CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *TR

Mileage: 180,000

THIS INCIDENT OCCURS EVERY TIME I FILL UP WITH FUEL. IT BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES AND CONTINUES UNTIL THIS DAY AT ABOUT 116,000 MILES. INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: I ENTER THE GAS STATION. I FILL UP WITH FUEL UNTIL THE PUMP STOPS, NOT A "TOP-OFF". I START THE IGNITION AND BEGIN TO DRIVE AWAY. THE ENGINE STUTTERS AND SOMETIMES STALLS COMPLETELY. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE, 3 MILES OR SO, IT RUNS NORMALLY. RECENTLY AFTER MY KNEE SURGERY, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, LEFT HAND TURN, AFTER A REFUEL. WE WERE TRYING HIGH-TEST ETHANOL FREE GASOLINE. WELL SHE MADE IT INTO THE CENTER TURNING LANE AND WAITED HER TURN. WHEN AN OPENING ARRIVED SHE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VAN STARTED AND FAILED COMPLETELY, LEAVING US HALF-WAY IN THE LANE FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THANKFULLY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC SLOWED AS THEY BLEW THEIR HORNS AND SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VAN AND BEGIN TO DRIVE. THIS WAS A MOST MISERABLE EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAD ALL THREE OF OUR SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VAN WITH US. SOMETHING REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS ONGOING AND DANGEROUS ISSUE. *TR

THE 3.8L ENGINE STALLS AFTER ALMOST EVERY FUEL FILL-UP AND BEGAN IN EARLY 2010. WITHIN 1-2 MILES AFTER A FUEL UP, THE VEHICLE WILL BUCK AND SPUTTER AND OFTEN TURN OFF COMPLETELY. IT GETS BETTER AFTER 3-5 MILES. IT APPARENTLY IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY DODGE OWNERS, NOT JUST MINIVANS. I HAD TWO 2006 DODGE CHARGERS (R/T AND SRT8) THAT BOTH DID THE SAME THING. I NO LONGER OWN THE CHARGERS BUT STILL HAVE THE 2004 CARAVAN. THIS A DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE ISSUE THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TANK MOUNTED VAPOR SEPARATION VALVE AND THE VAPOR RETURN SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE IS NOT "TOPPED OFF" WHEN FUELING WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CREATE THE ISSUE. THANKS. *TR

Mileage: 100,000

OUR 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WILL STALL OUT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IF YOU FILL THE GAS TANK UNTIL THE GAS PUMP NOZZLES STOPS AUTOMATICALLY. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS IS TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK BECAUSE OF A BAD VALVE IN THE TOP OF THE TANK IN THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM. I FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON LINE. IT HAS DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES AND WE NOW UNDER FILL THE TANK WHICH IS NOT EASY TO DO. *TR

Mileage: 112,000

2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN STALLS AFTER FILLING UP WITH FUEL, HARD TO START BACK UP, DEALER DID NOT HAVE ANSWER, ALREADY CHANGED GAS CAP AND CAR STILL STALLS ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME AFTER FILLING UP.. *TR

Mileage: 115,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EACH TIME SHE ADDED FUEL TO HER VEHICLE IT STALLED. ALL OF THE GEARS ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CALLED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FUEL TANK VAPOR FLOAT VENT FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS 59,000 MILES. AFTER FUELING VEHICLE IT WILL STALL INTERMITTENTLY AT STOP SIGNS AND ON OPEN HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING, BECAUSE FUEL IS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE AND FLOODING ENGINE OUT VIA THE TANK VENTING VAPOR SYSTEM. WHEN FUELING, A FLOAT IN THE ORVR (ONBOARD REFUELING VAPOR RECOVERY) VALVE IS DESIGNED TO RISES AND SEALS THE TANK VENT CAUSING PRESSURE BUILD, BACKING FUEL UP INTO THE FILL NECK AND SHUTTING IT OFF. THE ORVR IS APPARENTLY NOT SEALING COMPLETELY OR AT ALL, ALLOWING LIQUID FUEL TO PASS INTO THE VENT LINE TO THE VAPOR CANISTER AND THEN ENGINE. THE VALVE IS PLASTIC WELDED TO THE TANK, WHICH REQUIRES THE TANK TO BE REPLACED. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM STOPS WHEN ENGINE STOPS AND VEHICLE IS NOT ABLE TO BE STEERED WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING AID. VAPOR SYSTEM FAILURE FULLY DESCRIBED AT: HTTP://WWW.JUSTANSWER.COM/QUESTIONS/1OB81-2005-DODGE-CARAVAN-STALLS PRESENTLY ONLY KEEPING TANK FUEL AT A MAXIMUM OF 3/4 FULL TO AVOID FLOODING THE VAPOR VENT SYSTEM. *TR

Mileage: 59,000

FOR THE LAST 40,000+ MILES THE VEHICLE ALWAYS STUMBLES OR STALLS AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK FULL. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OVERFILLING, JUST FILLING IT UNTIL THE AUTO SHUT-OFF SHUTS OFF THE FLOW. IT WILL BUCK AND STUMBLE WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND OFTEN DIES WHEN YOU ARE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. IT HAS STALLED ON MY WIFE WHILE SHE WAS WAITING TO TURN LEFT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. ONCE RE-STARTED IT RUNS FINE UNTIL THE NEXT FILL-UP. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT IS THE PURGE SOLENOID AND IT WOULD COST $190 TO FIX. THE VEHICLE HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS WELL BELOW THE FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY AND IT ALSO HAS THE EXTENDED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET, BUT JUST AVOID TOPPING OFF THE TANK. THE DATE LISTED BELOW IS ONLY THE MOST RECENT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LITERALLY DOZENS OF FAILURES OF THIS SORT -- EVERY SINGLE TIME THE GAS TANK IS FILLED TO THE AUTO-STOP WITHOUT FAIL. THE SERVICE GUY AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

SHORTLY AFTER FILLING UP WITH GAS, I OFTEN EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY WITH THE VEHICLE. IT SOMETIMES STALLS. IT ACTS UP WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO BY TRYING TO STALL. I TRY TO GIVE IT AS MUCH GAS AS I CAN AND IT EVENTUALLY STOPS ACTING UP IF IT DOESN'T STALL FIRST. THE DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER, BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE WHOLE GAS TANK SETUP. IT IS NOT REPLACEABLE LIKE MOST FUEL FILTERS ARE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS THE FUEL FILTER NEEDING TO BE CLEANED. I DO BELIEVE IT IS RUINING MY FUEL PUMP SLOWLY. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN IT STALLS THAT SOMEONE MAY RUN INTO THE BACK OF ME. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL TANK CAUSES IT TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE AND CAUSE LEAKING WHICH CAN LEAD TO A FIRE HAZARD. *JB