2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

DURING THE WINTER LAST JANUARY 2009, I DROVE FROM KENOSHA WI TO MINNEAPOLIS MN. IT WAS THE NEW YEAR WEEKEND AND ON THE TRIP BACK, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAME CAKED WITH FROST ON THE BOTTOM. MOSTLY OUTSIDE. THE DEFROSTERS DID NOT CLEAR THE BOTTOM 6 - 8 INCHES OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CAUSES TWO PROBLEMS, ONE THE FROST STARTS TO BUILD ON THE INSIDE AND BEGINS TO DRIP AND THERE IS WATER ON YOUR DASH, SECOND BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE IS CAKED YOUR WIPERS BEGIN TO FREEZE UP. EVEN IF YOU CLEAN IT RECURS QUICKLY. THE WIPERS BEING CAKED CAUSES THEM NOT TO WORK WELL CLEARING THEY JUST PRODUCE WATER STREAKS ACROSS YOUR WINDSHIELD, YOUR VISION BECOMES MORE AND MORE OBSTRUCTED BECAUSE THEY CAN;T WORK. I CALLED MY CHRYSLER DEALER AND HE SAID THEY WOULD ADDRESS THE NEXT TIME I COME IN. I CAM IN THIS FALL BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM IT HAPPENING. THEY NOW STATE THAT ALL THE DODGE VANS ARE LIKE THAT AND THEY CANNOT ADDRESS IT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR

BRAKES NEEDING REPLACEMENT UNDER 20,000 MILES ON A NEW VEHICLE LESS THAN 2 YRS OLD. THIS IS A COMMON & COSTLY PROBLEM TO HAVE ON THIS VEHICLE DESIGNED TO TRANSPORT FAMILIES. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES THAT DODGE/CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ADDRESS ASAP AND ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN THAT HAS HAD REPEATED BRAKE ISSUES. THE BRAKES WEAR OUT CONSTANTLY, WARPING THE ROTORS. TODAY, ON THE FREEWAY, THE BRAKES BINDED AND IT SMELLED LIKE WE WERE HAVING AN ELECTRICAL FIRE UNTIL WE REALIZED IT WAS OUR BRAKES SMOKING. THE VEHICLE HAS 26K MILES ON IT AND THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. WE REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS OURSELVES AT ABOUT 12K MILES AFTER HEARING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND THE VAN SHUDDERING ENOUGH TO SHAKE YOUR HAND BACK AND FORTH ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN STOPPING AT LOW SPEEDS. IT SEEMED TO WORK FOR A WEEK OR TWO BUT THE PROBLEMS QUICKLY RETURNED. WE THEN DECIDED TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED TO SEE IF THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM AGAIN FOR A VERY SHORT WHILE. WE THEN PURCHASED AND INSTALLED BRAND NEW ROTORS WHICH AGAIN FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT WHILE. SEEING AS WE HAD FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM FIX OUR BRAKES. THEY OF COURSE SAID THAT THE BRAKES WERE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY BUT AS A GOODWILL GESTURE THEY WOULD REPAIR THE BRAKES FOR $50. THEY TURNED OUR FRONT ROTORS AGAIN, STATING THAT THE SHUDDERING WAS BECAUSE THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, AGAIN. AS I DROVE AWAY THAT DAY THE VAN DID THE SAME SHUDDERING. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THE BACK ROTORS WERE ALSO WARPED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY DID THAT AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FAIRLY OKAY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THEN THE GRINDING NOISE SLOWLY CAME BACK AND THE SHUDDERING HAS RETURNED. IT HAS ONLY BEEN 3 MONTHS SINCE THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD BEEN REPAIRED! I HEAR A TSB HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED ON THE BRAKE PROBLEMS ON THIS MODEL WITH NUMEROUS CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. I WILL BE TAKING THE VAN TO THE DEALER TOMORROW TO SEE WHAT THEY SAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE OF THE REAR BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY WORN AND THAT THE OUTSIDE BRAKES LOOK BRAND NEW. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE BRAKES TO WEAR ON THE INSIDE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT NEEDED TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED OF THIS USUAL SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,200.

DETAILS: UNEVEN BRAKE WEAR. REAR BRAKE CALIPERS,DO NOT RETRACT EVENLY. CALIPER PISTON HANGS UP ON ONE SIDE. ONE SIDE WILL BE WORN DOWN ALL THE WAY TO METAL AND THE PADS ON THE OPPOSITE WHEEL WILL BE BARELY TOUCHED. DEALER SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG. PARTS DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY ARE REPLACING MANY CALIPERS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. STABILITY CONTROL MASKS THE PROBLEM SO IT GOES UNDETECTED UNTIL THE SOUND OF METAL TO METAL CONTACT IS HEARD. VEHICLE IS INSPECTED EVERY 3 MONTHS AND PADS REPLACED WHEN NECESSARY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAYS AFTER 12,000 MILES THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. *TR

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN BRAKE PROBLEMS THAT ARE COSTING A FORTUNE TO REPAIR. CONSTANTLY HAVING TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS, ROTORS AND NOW CALIPERS ON A VAN WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT. EVERYTIME I TAKE MY VAN IN FOR SERVICE, I AM TOLD THAT THE BRAKES HAVE TO BE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AND SAFETY IS MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN, BUT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO KEEP PUTTING MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. THE FIRST BRAKE REPAIR WORK THAT HAD TO BE DONE WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 21,233 MILES ON IT. SINCE THEN, WE ARE PUTTING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS INTO BRAKES EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. *TR

PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR. REAR BRAKE CALIPERS, ROTOR, AND PADS, WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT NO COST AT 19,000 MILES DUE TO ROTORS OVERHEATING. AT 19,400 MILES, FRONT BRAKES BEGAN TO SHUDDER WHEN APPLIED. DEALER SAID THE FRONT ROTOR AND PADS NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $390. THE DEALER SAYS AFTER 12,000 MILES THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. *TR

7 YEAR OLD CHILD TANGLED UP IN REAR SEATBELT, CAUSING US TO HAVE TO CUT SEATBELT, AS EACH ATTEMPT TO FREE HIM FROM SEATBELT CAUSED THE BELT TO TIGHTEN. *TR

I OWN A 2008 GRAND CARAVAN SXT. I REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES AND LEFT ROTOR ON MY VAN AT 21,000 MILES. WELL, IT IS 44,000 MILES AND I NEED FRONT BRAKES AND A LEFT ROTOR REPLACED AGAIN. I AM LEARNING THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER THAT IT WAS MY DRIVING WEARING OUT THE BRAKES. *TR

I OWN A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 30K MILES. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS TWICE AND THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS NEED REPLACING. I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS IN THE INTERNET FROM CUSTOMERS WITH 2008 CHRYSLER MINIVANS THAT REPORT THEIR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WEARING OUT AT VERY LOW MILEAGES AND WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT MAY HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS. *TR