2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN AND DISCOVERED THAT I COULDN'T GET ALL THE CAR SEATS IN. WE CALLED SEVERAL FRIENDS TO SEE WHAT THEY DO, AND THEY SAY THAT THEY GAVE UP AFTER GETTING BLOODY KNUCKLES TRYING TO PUT THE SEATS IN AND NOW DON'T USE ONE. THE CAR MANUFACTURERS CLAIM THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE 7 SEAT-BELTS THAT IT IS A SEVEN PASSENGER VEHICLE. THIS LEADS TO PARENTS GETTING FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIT THE CAR SEATS, SO THEY LET THEIR CHILD GO WITHOUT. THE BACK SEAT HAS 3 SEAT BELTS BUT IT IS IMPRACTICAL TO GET 3 CAR SEATS, OR BOOSTER SEATS IN. THERE IS A GAP IN WHAT THE SAFETY GUIDELINES REQUIRE AND WHAT THE MANUFACTURERS ARE SELLING. THIS LEADS TO PARENTS GIVING UP AND CHILDREN SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES. I AM A FIREMAN AND EXPERIENCE WON'T LET ME GIVE IN TO LETTING MY CHILDREN TRAVEL UNSAFELY. SURELY, THE MANUFACTURERS CAN ADD 4-5 INCHES OF HIP ROOM, ALLOWING 3 CHILD SEATS TO FIT WHERE THERE ARE 3 SEAT BELTS. *TR

GRAND CARAVAN , ~15,500 MILES, FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS ARE WORN, AND NEED REPLACED. OCCURS WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKES CAN HEAR SCREECHING SOUND AND GRINDING. CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE TSB# 05-006-08. *TR

THERE WEREN'T ANY SIGNS LEADING UP TO THE DEVICE FAILURE. DROVE INTO A STORE PARKING LOT AND INTO A PARKING SPOT WHERE I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO PARK WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER KNOB WHEN THE WHOLE KNOB POPPED OF INTO SEVERAL PIECES LEAVING ME STUCK IN DRIVE AND FORCED TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TURNED OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO PARK. VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT THE PART IS UNAVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT. VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE, BUT TRICKY WHEN DEALING WITH THE SHIFTER KNOB. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAVE READ ELSEWHERE OF THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. *TR

02/23/2009- PURCHASED 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN- ON DAY OF PURCHASE I ASKED WHY BRAKES MADE A BARKING SOUND,WAS TOLD BECAUSE IT SAT IN PARKING LOT FOR A WHILE. ODOMETER-19230THE NEXT DAY THE VAN SHUT ITSELF OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I COULD STEER AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT I COULDN'T ACCELERATE AND ALL INSTRUMENT LIGHTING WAS OFF.I CALLED SALE AUTO MALL THE PLACE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAID CALL BACK IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SOMETIME IN MARCH TOOK IT BECAUSE THE STEERING KEEP PULLING ME TOWARDS THE CURB. THE SERVICE MANAGER OF SALE AUTO MALL TEST DROVE IT WITH ME IN IT AND DETECTED NOTHING WRONG. 4/01/2009- TOOK IT IN FOR OIL CHANGE. 04/06/2009 BRAKES FAILED COMING BACK FROM MOOREHEAD. CALLED SALE AUTO MALL, THEY REFERRED ME TO DODGE DEALERSHIP IN GREENVILLE, CALLED THEM AND ASKED FOR TOW, THEY REFUSED, THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT AS FAR AS I COULD. WHEN I GOT THERE THEY SAID IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT IT WOULD BE $370 TO FIX, I REFUSED AND THEY CHARGED ME $35 FOR LOOKING AT IT. 04/08/2009-TOOK IT TO BOYD'S HE REPAIRED BRAKES AND ROTORS FOR $150. 4/20/2009- BRAKES SPONGY AND SINKING CALL BOYD'S REFERRED ME TO DODGE DEALERSHIP IN NEW BERN, SEE THEM, SERVICE MANAGER STARTS THE TEST DRIVE WITH ME GOES TEN FEET AND HITS BRAKES,STOPS CAR SAYS I KNOWWHATS WRONG IT'S THE MASTER CYLINDER,ASKED ME TO GET OUT,SAYS HE WANTS HIS BRAKE MAN TO CHECK IT OUT. THEN THIRTY MINUTES LATER SENDS A MAN TO TELL ME THE PART HAS TO BE ORDER, HE GIVES ME MY KEYS AND TELLS ME THEY'LL CALL ME WHEN THE PART IS IN.4/23/09- DEALERSHIP CALLED ME SAID PART WAS IN, COULD I COME IN TODAY, TOLD HIM I WAS AT WORK, WHEN COULD I COME IN HE ASKED,I TOLD HIM MONDAY, HE SAID FINE. 04/24/2009- COMING HOME FROM WORK GOING 40 ON ARRLINGTON BLVD.SEE A LINE OF CARS IN FRONT OF ME START TO SLOW DOWN, SUDDENLY ALL CARS IN FRONT SLAM ON BRAKES TO A DEAD STOP,I SLAM ON MY BRAKES,BUT THEY GO ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF FLOOR AND THE RATE OF SPEED DOESN'T CHANGE.I HIT THE SUV IN FRONT OF ME AT FULL SPEED. HELP! *TR

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A STRIP MALL, MY DRIVERS SIDE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO CONTACT OF ANY KIND WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE OR OBJECT ON THE PAVEMENT. MY RIGHT ARM WAS INJURED WITH LACERATIONS AND CONTUSIONS, ALTHOUGH NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH TO SEE A DOCTOR. THE NEXT DAY, I TOOK IT INTO THE DODGE DEALER FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A WARRANTY REPAIR. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT LOOKED TO HIM LIKE IT HAD A FRONT IMPACT. I COULDN'T SEE ANY DAMAGE OR INDICATION OF AN IMPACT , BUT HE WAS QUITE SURE AND SUGGESTED I CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER SAID THERE HAD BEEN A FRONT IMPACT. I HAVE NOT HAD AN IMPACT OF ANY KIND SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE APPROX. 6 MONTHS AGO. I, OF COURSE, CAN NOT SAY IT WAS NEVER HIT WHILE PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. I CAN SAY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LEFT UNATTENDED IN A PARKING LOT FOR 48 HOURS BEFORE THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. I AM CONCERNED THAT AN AIR BAG CAN DEPLOY, WITHOUT WARNING, SEVERAL HOURS, DAYS, OR WEEKS AFTER THE IMPACT. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE BAG DEPLOYED THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN FATALITIES. BY THE WAY, THE DODGE DEALER CHECKED THE COMPUTER CONTROLLER AND SAYS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON IT. I HAVE ORDERED A NEW AIR BAG AND CONTROLLER. *TR

BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED AT 13,000 MILES. ONLY MADE SOUND FOR ONE DAY GRINDING. NEVER HAD BRAKES ON ANY CAR I HAVE OWNED GO OUT WITH THAT FEW OF MILES. ESPECIALLY A NEW CAR. BATTERY WAS ALSO LEAKING AND INSIDE FUNCTIONS LIKE RADIO AND WIPERS, LOCKS , WINDOWS... SOMETIMES JUST DON'T WORK. IT ALSO FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS DRAGGING. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY , I HAD TO PAY FOR THE BRAKES AND NOTHING WAS FOUND FOR ANY OF THE OTHER STUFF.. *TR

I AM WRITING TO CHRYSLER CANADA BECAUSE WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH OUR 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, ONE THAT I WOULD CLASSIFY AS A RUNAWAY VEHICLE CREATING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. CURRENT ODOMETER READING 25347 THIS VEHICLE WENT FOR ITS FIRST SERVICE FEBRUARY 9, 2009 TO A VEHICLE CHECK-UP PEACE OF MIND INSPECTION. PRIMARILY WITH AN INQUIRY TO CHECK THE BRAKE SYSTEM SINCE THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOMEWHAT SPONGY WHEN APPLIED. THE INSPECTION INDICATED THE BRAKES PULSATED BECAUSE OF A WARPED DISK. THE WARPED DISK IS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY HIGH HEAT GENERATED FROM PROLONGED BRAKING. THIS APPEARS TO BE IN CONTRADICTION WITH THE INSTRUCTION IN THE 2008 DODGE OWNER'S MANUAL PAGE 334 UNDER NOTE: TO SELECT THE PROPER GEAR POSITION FOR MAXIMUM DECELERATION (ENGINE BREAKING), SIMPLY PRESS AND HOLD THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER TO THE LEFT (-). THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT TO THE RANGE FROM WHICH THE VEHICLE CAN BEST BE SLOWED DOWN. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT PROVIDING THE DESIRED RESULT. TO ASSIST THE VEHICLE IN MAINTAINING CONTROL DOWNHILL, SHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO 3RD GEAR (AT 60 KPH.) SHOULD ENABLE THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WITHOUT HAVING TO 'RIDE THE BRAKES'. THIS IS NOT THE CASE; THE ELECTRONICS CONTROLLING THE SHIFTING SYSTEM IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DROPS OUT OF LOW GEAR (3RD) INTO HIGH GEAR (D) UNDER THE SLIGHTEST DOWNHILL MOMENTUM, THUS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. PAGE 337 IN THE 208 DODGE OWNER'S MANUAL SPECIFICALLY WARNS THAT RIDING THE BRAKES CAN LEAD TO BRAKE FAILURE AND POSSIBLY AN ACCIDENT. AS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED TO OUR HORROR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DRIVING ON THE WEST COAST (VANCOUVER ISLAND), WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN VEHICLE CONTROL ON A DOWNHILL STRETCH OF PAVED ROAD, THIS 4 SPEED ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEM IS INCAPABLE OF PROVIDING ANY ENGINE BRAKING ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO RIDE THE BRAKES TO MAINTAIN VEHICLE CONTROL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECOND ROW BENCH SEAT HAS A LOCK IN THE BACK OF THE SEAT, BUT IT IS NOT LOCKING PROPERLY. THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL THAT STATE HOW THE SEAT SHOULD LOCK IN THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY WERE DOING IT INCORRECTLY AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE CORRECT WAY TO LOCK THE SEAT IN PLACE. HE CALLED DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS AND THEY STATED THAT THE SEATS SHOULD BE LOCKED IN A DOWNWARD POSITION. THE PICTURE IN THE MANUAL DOES NOT EFFECTIVELY ILLUSTRATE HOW TO LOCK THE SEATS. SIX DIFFERENT MECHANICS COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PICTURES IN THE MANUAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,963.

I HAVE A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 3.3 V6 ENGINE. I HAVE A HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION ON MY MINIVAN. MY HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CITY STREETS AND SOMETIMES WHILE WAITING FOR A STOP SIGN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT WHEN YOU NEED YOUR HEADLIGHT FOR VISIBILITY. HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE BUT THE HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. MY VEHICLE HAS 35,600 MILES AND THE FIRST TIME THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WAS AT 33,100 MILES. *TR

WHILE AT A STOPLIGHT IN SMALL CITY TRAFFIC IN CONNELLSVILLE, PA, ON 31DEC2008, I DECIDED TO SEE HOW MY ENTERPRISE RENTAL VEHICLE, A 2008 DODGE GRANDCARAVAN, WOULD ACCELERATE. PULLING AWAY FROM THE LIGHT, I FLOORED THE PEDAL AND GOT UP TO ABOUT 45 MPH, THEN LET UP. NO REDUCTION IN ACCELERATION OCCURRED. I TOOK MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. I WAS STILL GATHERING SPEED, SO I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH LOTS OF GUSTO. THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES THEN WORKED AGAINST THE ENGINE FOR PERHAPS A QUARTER MILE. THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS REDUCED TO ABOUT 20 MPH, BUT WHEN I DID A TEST LIFT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN STARTED TO ACCELERATE. BACK ON THE BRAKE, I SWERVED INTO A LARGE, EMPTY PARKING LOT. I TRIED NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE THEN TOOK OFF WILDLY, SO I SWITCHED OFF THE IGNITION. PAUSING A FEW SECONDS, I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND EVERYTHING BACK TO NORMAL, EXCEPT THAT THE ESP WARNING LIGHT THAT HAD COME ON WITH MY INTENSE BRAKING WAS STILL ON. I DROVE A FEW MINUTES AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF. I THEN RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE ENTERPRISE AGENCY, WHERE I SHARED MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE MANAGER. *TR