2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

MY 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AT 60,000 MILES IS ALREADY NEEDING THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED. I CAN SEE ONLINE THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OTHER OWNER REPORTS COMPARING THE BEARINGS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY ON THE VEHICLE TO THE REPLACEMENT PART AND NOTING THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOTABLY BETTER MADE. THIS ANGERS ME IN THAT IT IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH THIS NEWER VEHICLE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT TYPE OF SAFETY HAZARD THIS CREATES, BUT I CANNOT AFFORD $500 TO REPLACE IT, AFTER HAVING JUST SPENT $500 TO REPLACE THE BRAKES. I FEEL THAT DODGE SHOULD HONOR REPLACING THE WHEEL BEARINGS AS A VEHICLE RECALL! *TR

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON TOOK IT TO DODGE SERVICE DEALER AND THEY SEED IT WAS THE AIRBAG COMPUTER AND THE PRICE WAS $375.00 PLUS $400.00 TO REMOVE THE CENTER CONSOLE AND REPLACE IT. ITS ONLY 2YEARS OLD AND HAS 45,000 MILES SO THEIR WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THEIR WARRANTY IS ONLY 36,000 MILES SO THEY SAID THAT IF I AM IN A ACCIDENT THE AIRBAGS WONT DEPLOYED UNLESS I HAVE THEM CHANGING THE "AIRBAG COMPUTER FOR $775.00 PLUS TAX AND EXTRAS THAT MIGHT COM UP I THINK THATS B.S. GIVING THAT ITS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD...THIS GRAND CARAVAN HASE BIN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS... *TR

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 32K MILES FRONT BRAKES WERE SQUEAKING SO WE TOOK IT TO LOCAL DODGE DEALER. SAID THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR IS NEW AND THE FIRST BRAKE JOB NEEDS ROTORS? WE PAID FOR IT AND LATER DODGE SENT OUT A REIMBURSEMENT LETTER IN THE SUMMER TO PAY HALF OF THE COSTS. I WONDER IF THEY PUT THE SAME JUNK ROTORS BACK ON? NOW, 6K MILES LATER THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE SQUEALS LIKE THE PAD IS LOW BUT THE DEALER SAID IT IS OK AND THAT IS "NORMAL". IT IS NOT NORMAL TO HEAR A GRINDING PAD ON ROTOR SOUND WHEN THE PAD IS GOOD! THE ONLY THING HE SAID THEY COULD DO WOULD BE TO RESURFACE THE ROTOR AND PUT STOP SQUEAL ON THE PAD. IT WOULD COST AROUND 120.00 BUCKS. POOR PARTS ARE OBVIOUSLY ON THIS CAR...I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER DODGE OR SUGGEST ANYONE DO SO. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS NEW CAR SO FAR ARE: 1. WHEN FIRST BOUGHT, TRANS FLUID LEAK, WARRANTY FIXED THAT. 2. ROTORS AND PADS ON FRONT (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE), REIMBURSED FOR HALF 3. NOW AT 38K MILES, THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING IS BAD, HAVE TO REPLACE, 220.00 DOLLARS, I AM TALKING TO CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR OR NOT. TWO DEALERS AND TWO REPAIR SHOPS CANNOT GET THIS PART FOR A WEEK TO A MONTH, THEY ARE ON BACKORDER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER, HEADLIGHTS, DOOR LOCK MECHANISM, AND HORN ALL SIMULTANEOUSLY TURNED ON WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT HAD THE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 62000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE RESIDENCE DRIVEWAY. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS STARTED THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL APPROXIMATELY TWENTY FEET AT APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, CRASHING INTO THE FRONT OF A GARAGE. THERE WERE DAMAGES TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND THE GARAGE. THERE WAS NO PERSONAL INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,740.

MY HEADLIGHTS (BOTH HIGH BEAM AND LOW BEAM) WILL TURN OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT. IT CAN ALSO HAPPEN IN THE DAYTIME, BUT I NOTICE IT AT NIGHT. SOMETIMES THEY WILL JUST GO OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS AND SOMETIMES THEY WILL TURN OFF AND STAY OFF. WHEN THEY TURN OFF AND STAY OFF I HAVE TO PULL OVER (WHICH CAN BE HARD IN THE DARK WITH NO HEADLIGHTS). STOP THE CAR AND TURN OFF THE CAR. THEN WHEN I RESTART THE CAR THE HEADLIGHTS WILL WORK AGAIN AT LEAST FOR AWHILE. SOMETIMES THIS HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A NIGHT AND OTHER TIMES IT WON'T HAPPEN FOR DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS. THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED HAPPENING ABOUT A YEAR AGO WITH APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM. *TR

IN JULY2010, I HAD THE FRONT BRAKES REPLACE AFTER ONLY 30000 M ILES. ALSO A FRONT CALIPER WAS REPLACED DUE TO IT NOT RELEASING AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES. IN AUG, 2010 ON A RETURN TRIP FROM FLORIDA, THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS FROZE , WOULD NOT RELEASE, CAUSING THE REAR BRAKES TO OVERHEAT, CAUSING REAR BRAKE FAILURE. REPAIR OF THE REAR BRAKES COST APROX.$ 580.00. A COMPLAINT TO CHRYSLER CORP. WAS INITIATED, AND THEY REIMBURSED A TOTAL OF$280.00. I WAS TOLD BY 2 DEALERS THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE CALIPERS ON THE CHRYSLER/DODGE VANS. SINCE WE WERE TRANSPORTING OXYGEN THAT MY WIFE NEEDS FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES A FIRE OR OTHER FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKES, IE FIRE, SEIZING OF THE BRAKES CAUSING A WRECK, OR BEING DISABLED ON THE HIGHWAY, MILES FROM A REPAIR FACILITY COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS RESULTS. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE ONLY REMAINING CALIPER HAS FAILED, FROZE TO THE ROTOR, AND IS IN NEED OF REPAIR WHICH HAS BEEN SCHEDULED AT A NON DEALER SHOP. THE COST HAS BEEN ESTIMATED AT $100.00. CHRYSLER CORP HAS NOT GIVEN ANY ACKNOWLEDGMENT AS TO THE CAUSE OR WHY THIS IS OCCURRING, ONLY THE $280.00 REIMBURSEMENT. THE QUESTION IS: WILL THIS HAPPEN IF I PURCHASE ANOTHER CHRYSLER VAN AND HAS THE BRAKE CALIPER BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AND FIXED? 4280.00 REIMBURSEMENT. *TR

WHEN TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR A REPLACEMENT WHEEL BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY, WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT AN ADDITIONAL WHEEL BEARING WAS ALSO BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING LOW PITCHED NOISE AT ABOUT 40 MPH+ AND SHAKING UPON BRAKING. MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL TO SEE WHEEL BEARINGS GO AT LESS THAN ABOUT 80,000 MILES. CALLED CHRYSLER, SAID EVEN WITH FULL POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, THESE WHEEL BEARINGS WOULD NOT BE COVERED, SHOULD HAVE PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTIES. *TR

CAR WAS MAKING NOISE AND SHAKING WHEN BRAKING, OR ACCELERATION AROUND 40 MPH. I THOUGHT BRAKES WERE THE PROBLEM, WHEN I TOOK CAR IN TO BRAKE AND ALIGNMENT CENTER, THEY DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS NEED TO REPLACE WHEEL BEARING/FRT HUB ASSEMBLY AT 50K MILES. MECHANIC SAID USUALLY THEY DON'T SEE THIS PROBLEM UNTIL 80,000 MILES IF AT ALL. CALLED CHRYSLER, SAID NOT PART OF POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, SHOULD HAVE PURCHASE EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 27,000 MILES ON IT NEEDS TO HAVE ALL FOUR SETS OF BRAKE PADS AND FRONT ROTORS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE FRONT PADS HAVE WERE REPLACED 13,000 MILES AGO AND HAVE ALREADY WORN DOWN SO FAR THAT THEY ARE CUTTING GROOVES INTO THE ROTORS. I AM A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC AND HAVE NEVER SEEN BRAKES WEAR OUT IN 12,000 MILES. DODGE REFUSES TO REPLACE THE BRAKES CITING THAT THEY ARE WEAR ITEMS. THEY SHOULD WEAR OUT IN 50,000 MILES, NOT 12,000. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AS EVEN WHEN NEW, THE BRAKES ARE SERIOUSLY UNDER ENGINEERED. I HAVE TO PRESS THE PEDAL ALMOST TO THE FLOOR FOR NORMAL STOPS AND IN THE EVENT OF PANIC STOPS, I HAVE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH NEAR MISSES WHERE THE VAN JUST DIDN'T STOP IN TIME AND I WOUND UP OFF THE ROAD ON THE SHOULDER. *TR