2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

REPLACED FRONT BRAKES AT 21150 MILES. TOLD BY SMITHTOWN DODGE & CHRYSLER(NEW YORK) THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT NO RECALLS ON THE BRAKES. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF STORIES OF BRAKE REPLACEMENT WITH LOW MILEAGE.THE DEALER EVEN ADMITS THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT THE PADS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE SIZE VEHICLE.THERE IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES,WITH STORIES OF WHEELS LOCKING UP. BEING A RETIRED MECHANIC I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. JUST CONSIDER A VAN FULL OF PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP, OR WORSE HAVE A WHEEL LOCK UP AT 55MPH ON A HIGHWAY. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM. PEOPLE'S LIVES SHOULD COME FIRST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY AND COULD NOT BE CLOSED. IN ADDITION, THE REAR HATCH OPENED INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT CONTROL COMPUTER MODULE FOR THE AIR BAG FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, HE HEARD A SQUEAKING COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BOTH REAR BRAKES WERE SMOKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ON ONE OCCASION, THE BRAKES UNEXPECTEDLY ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WORE PREMATURELY AND WERE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK AND BURNING FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CALIPER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE REAR DRIVER CALIPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,643.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TAKING HER VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,400.

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY 2008 GRAND CARAVAN THREE TIMES SINCE PURCHASING IT IN 2009. IN ADDITION THE REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THE FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED WAS IN OCTOBER 2009 AT 27,933, THEN 12/31/2010 AT 58,000 AND NOW AT 74,500 WE ARE REPLACING THEM AGAIN. THE REARS WERE REPLACED ON 10/29/2009 AT 28,653 AND NOW AT 74,500. UNDERSTAND THAT DODGE KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE I RECEIVED A LETTER IN 2010 SAYING THEY WOULD PAY A PERCENTAGE OF THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR THE FRONT BRAKES DEPENDING ON THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER BESIDES REPAYING FOR SOME OF THE COSTS INCURRED FOR THE FIRST REPLACEMENT NOTHING ELSE WAS DONE BECAUSE THE PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING EVER 30,000 MILES OR LESS. *KB

2008 GRAND CARAVAN SXT (EQUIPPED WITH A TPMS AIR SENSORS) - WITH THE CHANGE OF WEATHER, THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT WENT ON. WHILE CHECKING THE AIR PRESSURE OF THE TIRES, TWO (OF FOUR) OF THE VALVE STEM CAPS WOULD NOT LOOSEN. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE ONE OF THE STUCK VALVE STEM CAPS, THE VALVE STEM SNAPPED OFF - INSTANTLY RELEASING ALL THE AIR IN THE AFFECTED TIRE. THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, PARTS ORDERED, AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THESE ALUMINUM VALVE STEMS/SENSORS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME FOR A VALVE STEM TO BREAK ON THIS VEHICLE. (THE LAST ONE OCCURRED AT 43,097 MILES ON 11/7/10.) THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN WITH THESE FAILED COMPONENTS. WE HAVE NOTICED ON THE INTERNET FORUMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY DODGE/CHRYSLER AS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD RESULT. *KB

THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE WEARING OUT RAPIDLY. THE FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS HAD TO BE CHANGED AT 13,000 MILES. WHEN THE SERVICE WAS DONE IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FRONT LEFT ROTOR WAS GROOVED AND WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE BRAKE PADS. THE RIGHT FRONT ROTOR WAS NOT CHANGED. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THE FRONT END ALLIGNMENT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER ROTATED THE TIRES AND NOTED TIRE WEAR WAS THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD 17144 MILES AND THE ALLIGNMENT WAS STILL PULLING. THE DEALER CHECKED AND STATED THE FRONT END WAS SET AT MANUFACTURERS SPECS. THE VEHICLE HAD 23,922 MILES AND THE FRONT BRAKES WERE SQEAKING AND GRINDING AGAIN. THE DEALER CHANGED THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. THE VEHICLE HAD 28,343 MILES AND THE FRONT END WAS SQEAKING AND SHUDDERING WHEN BRAKING AT ANY SPEEDS. THE DEALER CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND RESET THE TOE. BY THIS TIME THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE COMPLETELY WORN BELOW 3/32 TREAD DEPTH. THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. THE DEALER CHANGED THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES DUE TO THEM BEING GROOVED AND WARPED. THE DEALER WAS TOLD THE NOISE SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE PADS WERE SEVERELY WORN AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT EVEN INSPECTED AT ANY TIME WHEN THE FRONT BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY GROUND DOWN TO METAL. THE DEALER COULD ONLY TELL ME THE REAR BRAKES WERE NO LONGER UNDER THE WARRANTY. PLEASE HELP!!! *TT