2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE IN WISCONSIN DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH, THE LEFT REAR BRAKE ON MY DAUGHTER'S VAN SUDDENLY SEIZED. WHEN I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE, THE ENTIRE WHEEL WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH AND THERE WAS A STRONG BURNING SMELL. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A CHRYSLER DEALER RIGHT THERE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE LEFT REAR CALIPER 'HUNG UP' ON THE BRAKE. THEY SAID THAT THE CALIPER ADAPTER WAS NEW TO THIS MODEL (2008), THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE AND THAT CHRYSLER HAS A NEWER DESIGN BUT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PADS, CALIPERS AND ROTORS ON BOTH REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY CLEANED AND LUBRICATED THE BRAKES AND I CONTINUED TO CHICAGO TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE THERE. LATER MY DAUGHTER TOLD ME THAT IN APRIL 2011, THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED BUT ON THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE. AGAIN THIS WAS ON THE INTERSTATE. SHE HEARD A VERY LOUD SQUEALING. AFTER TAPPING THE BRAKES A FEW TIMES THE SOUND WENT AWAY AND SHE CONTINUED. THIS IS WHY THE DEALER SAID THAT THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE PADS, CALIPERS AND ROTOR ALSO NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WORSE, MY DAUGHTER'S BROTHER-IN-LAW BOUGHT THE SAME MODEL CARAVAN IN 2008. ON A TRIP TO VIRGINIA, ALSO ON THE INTERSTATE, THEIR BRAKES SEIZED IN THE SAME MANNER. WHEN WE GOT TO CHICAGO, I TOOK THE VAN INTO ROESCH CHRYSLER IN ELMHURST ILLINOIS. THEY REPLACED THE CALIPERS UNDER WARRANTY BUT CHARGED ME TO REPLACE THE PADS AND ROTORS. THE FACT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE ON MY DAUGHTER'S VAN, THAT IT ALSO HAPPENED ON HER BROTHER-IN-LAW'S SAME MODEL/YEAR VAN, THAT THE CALIPER DESIGN WAS NEW IN 2008, THAT SINCE THEN A NEW CALIPER DESIGN HAS BEEN RELEASED ' LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL CALIPER/BRAKE DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MOREOVER, CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THESE VEHICLES AS A SAFETY ISSUE GIVEN AN OVER HEATED WHEEL COULD HAVE CAUSED A HIGH SPEED BLOWOUT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL MODULE AND A NEW KEY WAS PROVIDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED TO REIMBURSE THE CONTACT FOR HER EXPENSES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,400.

WHEN KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION AND TURNED, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT START. THE STARTER MAKES A CLICK SOUND BUT DOES NOT TURN OVER. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TURNING THE KEY ARE NEEDED TO START THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES AFTER TRYING 5-10 TRIES WITH NO START, PULLING THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTING OR OPENING THE DRIVER DOOR WITH THE KEY REMOVED WILL START THE VEHICLE. EVENTUALLY, THE CAR WILL START NORMALLY. FIRST IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN ON AFTER THE ENGINE WAS HOT OR HOT OUTSIDE 85 OR HOTTER, BUT IT GOT WORSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, I TOLD THEM I CHECKED THE STARTER SOLENOID AND IT WASN'T READING 12 VOLTS WHEN VAN WOULDN'T START ONLY READING UNDER 5 VOLTS, WHEN THE VAN WOULD START IT WOULD READ ABOUT 10 VOLTS. THE FIRST TRIP TO THE DEALER THEY REPLACED A STARTER MOTOR, WITH IN TWO DAYS IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY REPLACED THE STARTER MOTOR AGAIN WITH MOPER BRAND STARTER MOTOR. THIS STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I SWITCH THE BATTERY WITH MY OTHER CAR TO CONFIRM NOT BATTERY. STILL VAN HAS STARTING PROBLEMS. I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE VAN WITH DEALER FOR A WEEK, THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, BUT WHEN I GOT IN THE VAN ALL THE ELECTRONICS WERE TURNED OFF, RADIO, AC.. THAT WAS NOT AN ACCURATE TEST. THE VAN STILL HAS INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEMS. WHEN WINTER CAME THE STARTING PROBLEMS STOPPED. BUT THIS SPRING AND SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE THE STARTING PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. WE DON'T IF THE VAN WILL START OR LEAVE US STRANDED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THEIR MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE DISCHARGE HOSE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER IN REGARDS TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V611000 (EQUIPMENT: ELECTRICAL: AIR CONDITIONER) AND WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,548.

THE HEADLIGHTS WILL RANDOMLY GO OUT. ONCE IN A WHILE SWITCHING TO HIGH BEAM WILL HELP FOR A VERY SHORT TIME, BUT USUALLY I AM COMPLETELY WITHOUT LIGHTS WHEN IT HAPPENS. THERE IS NO WARNING. THE RUNNING LIGHTS DO NOT EVEN WORK ANYMORE WHEN THAT HAPPENS. I HAVE BEEN IN A NUMBER OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS BECAUSE OF THIS. I END UP HAVING TO HOPE I CAN FIND A PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, WITHOUT BEING HIT FIRST, AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN UNTIL THE LIGHTS FINALLY WORK. NOTHING ELSE STOPS WORKING, JUST THE LIGHTS. THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HASN'T BEEN RECALLED YET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE TIRES CHANGED, THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000. UPDATED 05/25/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE SENSORS FAILED DUE TO VALVE STEM CORROSION

I HAVE REPLACED MY BRAKES 3 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT UTTER AND MOTORS 1 TIME THEY GET VERY HOT AND SMELL LIKE THEIR BURNING ALSO A POSSIBLE HUB BEARING IS GOING OUT ON PASSENGER SIDE LAST BUT NOT LEASE MY LIGHT ON RADIO IS NOT WORKING AS WELL. I'VE OBSERVED ON THE WEB SITE SEVERAL DODGE GRANDCARAVANS HAVE BEEN HAVING. *TR

MY 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS GOING OUT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY DODGE HAS NO RECALL ON THIS. THE SHOP WERE IT IS BEING REPAIRED STATED THAT DODGE HAD A RECALL ON ANOTHER VAN FOR THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND THEY ARE THE SAME BEARINGS AND SAME PART NUMBER FOR MY VAN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT WITH A 4.0 ENGINE THE ENGINE JUST STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER, BRAKES AND STEERING! THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS. THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MATTER. THE DEALER SAID THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS BEFORE AND I SHOULD CHECK THE BATTERY. NO CODES COME ON AND THE BATTERY IS FINE, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS. *TR

THE BRAKES ON OUR 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT COMPLETELY RUSTED AT 26,500 MILES. AS OF 5/26/2011. PRIOR TO THAT (05/27/2010) THE BRAKES RUSTED AND LOCKED AT 19,844. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED ON A PLATFORM TRUCK BECAUSE TIRES, WHEELS ASSEMBLIES WERE COMPLETELY LOCKED AT THAT TIME. BRAKES HAVE BEEN PULSATING AND STARTED TO MAKE HARMONIC SOUNDS IN THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. BRAKES WERE SPONGY WITH THE PULSATING CREATING VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL. HAVE FORMALLY FILED A COMPLAINT TO CHRYSLER. CLERK AT CHRYSLER INDICATED UNUSUAL NUMBER OF CALLS BUT NO DETAIL, JUST THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES INVOLVING DODGE CARAVAN AND TOWN AND COUNTRY. VAN IS AT DEALER BEING REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. *TR