2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. CONSUMER STATES RAPID DECELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DOWN SHIFTED TO WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS THIRD GEAR. THE BRAKING EFFECT OF THE LOWER GEAR CAUSED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE ENGINE SPEED TO AROUND THE RED LINE AREA. THE RAPID ACCELERATION LASTED ABOUT FIVE SECONDS AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS DISENGAGED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED THREE WEEKS PRIOR. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, IT WAS A NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE CALLED INTERACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND IT WAS MORE NOTICEABLE DUE TO THE VEHICLE HAVING A 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION AND THE VEHICLE WOULD UP AND DOWN SHIFT MORE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE AT ITS SET SPEED. *JB

THE TIRE VALVE STEM TIPS (THE END METAL PART), WHICH ARE INTEGRAL WITH THE TPMS, BREAK OFF LEADING TO A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE TIRE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE ON TWO DIFFERENT TIRES ON OUR 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. ONCE AT ABOUT 25K AND THE SECOND TIME AT 33K. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE BUT WILL NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN BRAKING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE SINCE RECURRED TWICE. AFTER EACH FAILURE, THE BRAKES WOULD EITHER BE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 02/09/11*LJ UPDATED 05/09/11

THE TIRE VALVE STEM MADE OF A SINGLE PIECE OF ALUMINUM CORRODES AT THE BASE OF THE THREADS AT THE END OF THE PLASTIC CAP. THIS LEADS TO THE SUDDEN RELEASE OF AIR AND CAN HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ORWHEN HANDLING THE TIRE VALVE, E.G. WHEN ADDING AIR TO THE TIRE. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TO ME TWICE, ONCE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND ONCE SOON AFTER ADDING AIR TO THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED IN THE FIRST INCIDENT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SECOND TIME I FOUND THE VALVE PIECE HANGING INSIDE THE CAP A WEEK AFTER I HAD ADDED AIR TO THE TIRES. UPON CONTINUED INSPECTION OF THESE VALVE STEMS I HAVE FOUND ANOTHER ONE THAT IS CRACKED. I AM AN ENGINEER AND UP TILL RECENTLY WAS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. THE DESIGN OF THE VALVE AND MATERIAL SELECTION OR MANUFACTURING IS FLAWED. THIS VEHICLE IS USED BY MY WIFE TO CARRY MY KIDS AND THEIR FRIENDS. I WILL NOT REPLACE THIS FLAWED DESIGN WITH ANOTHER EQUALLY FLAWED REPLACEMENT AND HAVE GONE TO USING NON-TPMS VALVES THAT UTILIZE A FLEXIBLE RUBBER STEM AND THREADED BRASS END. I AM WILLING TO GO BACK TO A TPMS VALVE IF THE DESIGN IS CORRECTED. THE BEST THING WOULD BE TO HAVE CHRYSLER RECALL AND REPAIR THE VEHICLE BUT IT SEEMS THEY ARE EITHER WAITING FOR A SOLUTION TO FALL FORM THE SKY OR FOR NHTSA TO FORCE THIS ON THEM. I HAVE AN OLD PART THAT IS AVAILABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER USING THE KEY FOB TO OPEN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, THE DOOR BEGAN TO INDEPENDENTLY CLOSE. THE CONTACT USED THE FOB AGAIN TO OPEN IT. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO CLOSE SO THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY FORCE IT OPEN. WHILE FORCING IT OPEN, THE CONTACT FRACTURED THE SLIDING DOOR ABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SLIDING DOOR WAS NOT LATCHED PROPERLY AND NEEDED A NEW MOTOR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000.

APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES FRONT BRAKE RECALL LETTER RECEIVED, TOOK TO LOCAL DEALER AND REPAIRS MADE. AT 23,000 MILE REAR LEFT LOCKED, TOTAL REPLACEMENT AT THE COST OF $299.29 TO REPAIR ONE BRAKE, ROTOR AND CALIPER. VERY DISAPPOINTED, WAS INFORMED BY DEALER REPAIRMAN THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE REARS SOON. TOLD TO KEEP RECEIPT FOR REIMBURSEMENT. *TR

LAST SUNDAY, 11/7/10, WE WERE RETURNING FROM VACATION (200 MILES FROM HOME) AND NOTICED THE AIR PRESSURE WAS LOW IN OUR L FRONT TIRE OF OUR 2008 GRAND CARAVAN SXT (VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH TPMS AIR SENSORS). WE STOPPED AT A NJ GAS STATION TO FILL THE TIRE WHEN THE VALVE STEM SNAPPED OFF - INSTANTLY RELEASING ALL THE AIR FROM THE TIRE. WE HAD TO PUT ON THE SPARE AND PROCEEDED TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO REPLACE THE BROKEN VALVE STEM. WE DID FIND ONE SERVICE STATION OPEN ON THE NJ TURNPIKE, BUT THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT PUT IN A STANDARD VALVE STEM AS IT WOULD REQUIRE A CHRYSLER PART. (AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT WAS SUNDAY AM.) TO OUR DISMAY, WE HAD TO "LIMP" HOME ON THE "DONUT" WHICH ENTAILED TRAVELING ON SEVERAL MAJOR INTERSTATE. OUR CONCERN IS THE SAFETY FACTOR. WE HAVE NOW NOTICED ON THE INTERNET FORUMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE ALUMINUM VALVE STEMS AS THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS OCCURRING AT APPROXIMATELY 25K-40K MILES. (OUR VEHICLE HAS 43K.) AFTER RETURNING HOME, I CONTACTED A LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND THEY ARE ALSO AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAD TO ORDER THE PART. THURSDAY, 11/11/10, I HAD THE BROKEN VALVE STEM/SENSOR REPLACED ($92.34) AND ASKED FOR THE BROKEN VALVE STEM/SENSOR WHICH WAS GIVEN TO US. WHEN ASKED, THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED TO KEEP THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN - EXCEPT FOR A PLASTIC CAP (WHICH, BY THE WAY, THE FIRST ONE HAD). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON AUGUST 18, 2009 WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH SOMEONE ADVISED HIM THAT HIS WHEEL WAS SMOKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT BOTH REAR CALIPERS WERE LOCKED THE DEALER REPLACED CALIPERS, ROTORS, AND REAR BRAKE PADS AT 14,768 MILES. ON OCTOBER 25, 2010 WHILE DRIVING HE SMELLED SMOKE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE RIGHT REAR CALIPER WAS FROZEN, THE LEFT REAR CALIPER WAS STICKING AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE OVERHEATED AND CRACKED. THE REAR CALIPERS, AND BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AT 29,979 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED A RENTAL VEHICLE WHEN THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,768. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,979. UPDATED 01/18/11 *BF UPDATED 1/19/2010 *CN UPDATED 03/31/11 ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE REAR CALIPERS WERE NOT RELEASING PROPERLY AND THE REAR ROTORS WERE DISCOLORED. UPDATED 06/01/11

2008 DODGE CARAVAN TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURE, VALVE STEM BROKE OFF DURING ADDING AIR TO TIRE. TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR VALVE STEMS ON DODGE CARAVANS. IN MY ENTIRE HISTORY OF OWNING VEHICLES I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM. TO ME LOOKS LIKE EITHER A DESIGN OR MATERIAL PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE VALVE STEM TO CRACK. *TR

MY 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS THE 'CHECK AIRBAG' LIGHT ON AFTER ONLY 60,000 MILES. FROM SEARCHING ONLINE, DODGE HAS RECALLED THIS EXACT PROBLEM (SPRING IN STEERING COLUMN) PREVIOUSLY. I FEEL THAT THERE IS STILL A DEFECT IN THEIR MANUFACTURING AND THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER RECALL. I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYONE SAYING THAT HAD AIRBAG PROBLEMS WITH A VEHICLE EXCEPT DODGE!!!! THIS IS THE 3RD MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS NEW VEHICLE AND I'M AFRAID TO KEEP PUTTING MONEY INTO WHAT COULD TURN OUT TO BE A LEMON! *TR