2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

1- PRIOR TO FAILURE WAS JUST DRIVING @ 65MPH ON INTERSTATE 89. CLEAR/CLEAN ROADS. CLEAR SUNNY DAY. THIS TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE LOST SOME AIR 2 WEEKS AFTER INSTALL BUT HAD MAINTAINED REGULAR PRESSURE SINCE THEN. PRIOR TO TRAVEL ON DATE OF FAILURE, ALL TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND PSI WAS CHECKED. 2- FAILURE WAS A REAR TIRE BLOW OUT. THIS TIRE WAS ONE OF A FULL SET RECENTLY INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AND 445 MILES EARLIER. BLOWOUT WAS NOT THE RESULT OF RUNNING OVER ANY ROAD HAZARD, BUMP OR OBJECT. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF TIRES THIS INCIDENT DISTURBS ME AND THE SAFETY OF THE TIRE IS SUSPECT. SINCE THE TIRE WAS DESTROYED, EVIDENCE OF SIDEWALL FAILURE WAS ABSENT, BUT THE TREADS WERE NOT PUNCTURED OR CUT AND WERE FREE OF ANY FOREIGN OBJECTS. THE BLOWOUT INFLICTED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL LINING BY CAUSING A CRACK AND A HOLE MEASURING APPROX 1' X 2". 3- THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE OF THE SAME MODEL. COOPER TIRES REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, POINTING OUT THAT THE SIDEWALLS WERE DESTROYED THEREFORE SO WAS ANY EVIDENCE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT COOPER HAS HAD SOME HISTORY OF VERY SIMILAR FAILURES IN THE PAST AND THAT MAY EXPLAIN THE UNWILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS PREMATURE FAILURE OR TO OFFER ANY KIND OF FINANCIAL ADJUSTMENT OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. BESIDES THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE TIRE AND THE LACK OF CONCERN FROM THE MANUFACTURER, I WORRY THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. I AM THANKFUL THAT THERE WAS NO INJURY IN THIS INCIDENT. I AM HOPING THAT THIS COMPLAINT AND MY ADDITIONAL EFFORTS WILL RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGER AND PROMPT CONSUMERS TO CAREFULLY MONITOR ANY COOPER CS4 TIRES. I URGE ANY CONSUMER WHO MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED AN UNUSUAL OR PREMATURE FAILURE OF ANY COOPER CS4 TIRE TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO ASSIST IN DISCOVERING ANY TRENDS AND PERHAPS AVOID A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE TIRE INVOLVED IN THIS FAILURE WAS DISPOSED OF. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY STOP ILLUMINATING AT NIGHT AND WOULD NOT BEGIN FUNCTIONING AGAIN FOR A FEW HOURS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE CONSUMER STATED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON WHEN SHE USED THE SWITCH TO TURN THEM ON. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, SHE NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON, BUT WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THEY CAME BACK ON. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON AT ALL AFTER TOGGLING THE SWITCH. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA11-010) UPDATED 03/29/12

I NOTICED A STRANGE SOUND UPON STARTING THE ENGINE AND THEN WHEN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IT WAS A LOW WHINE. I ALSO NOTICED UPON LEAVING THE VAN AFTER DRIVING A STRONG ODOR OF SOMETHING LIKE OIL ON A HOT ENGINE. I WAITED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND FINALLY TOOK IT TO BE CHECKED OUT BECAUSE NONE OF THE GAUGES WERE SHOWING A PROBLEM AND NOTHING ELSE SEEMED WRONG. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A RACK AND PINION PROBLEM AND SEEMED TO BE COMMON WITH THIS MODEL. INSTEAD OF SPENDING THE $1,200 I WAS TOLD THE REPAIR WOULD BE, I HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY CHECKING THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL AND MAKING SURE IT IS FULL. WHY, IF THIS IS A "COMMON PROBLEM" (WHICH SEEMS TO BE TRUE ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET) HAS THIS NOT BEEN A RECALL? OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM, I LOVE THE GRAND CARAVAN. IT JUST DOES NOT SEEM THAT AT 41,000+ MILES THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

VAN STALLS A FEW MINUTES AFTER RE-FUELING TANK TO FULL LEVEL. TANK IS NOT TOPPED OFF BEYOND WHAT AUTO SHUT-OFF NOZZLE AT STATION ALLOWS. STALLING QUITE OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING BACK ONTO MAIN STREETS FROM GAS STATION. ALL POWER BRAKING AND STEERING IS LOST WHEN THIS HAPPENS WHICH PRESENTS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. VAN MUST BE COMPLETELY STOPPED AND RESTARTED. ONCE RESTARTED, VEHICLE DOES NOT EXHIBIT PROBLEM UNTIL NEXT FILL UP. *TR

MY 2006 GRAND CARAVAN HAS HAD PROBLEMS ALMOST SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2007 (IT HAD 18,000 MILES WHEN I BOUGHT IT). IT NOW ONLY HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT. MY DRIVERS SIDE ELECTRIC DOOR DOES NOT OPERATE WHEN IT IS WARM OUTSIDE (29,000 MILES). THE PASSENGER SIDE AXLE BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED (65,000 MILES). WHEN IT RAINS MY POWER STEERING GOES OUT PERIODICALLY (65,000 MILES) . MY ENGINE LIGHT IS ON (HAVEN'T TAKEN IT IN TO CHECK IT YET) (66,000 MILES) AND NOW MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON (68,000 MILES). ALSO I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND STILL HAVE PROBLEMS STARTING IT. IT CLICKS CLICKS CLICKS LIKE A HUNDRED TIMES THEN EVENTUALLY IT STARTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE ALSO JERKED AND THE BRAKES LOCKED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH BUT THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 44,000.

WHEN I GOT TO WORK AND WENT TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF. THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF BUT IT KEPT DINGING LIKE THEY WERE STILL ON. I TURNED THE SWITCH ON THEN OFF AGAIN AND IT STILL KEPT DINGING AND THE SMALLER HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND DIDN'T SHUT OFF AFTER I HAD SHUT OFF LIGHTS. I HAD TO GO BACK AND DO THE SAME THING WITH THE LIGHT SWITCH AND THEN THEY FINALLY SHUT OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS. *TR

THE SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS NO LONGER LOCK AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHILE DRIVING. THEY HAVE TO BE LOCKED MANUALLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WITH CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT, THEY CAN NOW OPEN THE DOORS WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING IF AN ADULT FORGETS TO LOCK THEM. THE LIFT GATE IN THE BACK NO LONGER CHIMES WHEN OPENING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. SOMEONE CAN GET WHACKED WITH THE DOOR, NOT KNOWING THAT IT IS ABOUT TO OPEN. THE PARKING LIGHTS STAY ON OR COME ON SPONTANEOUSLY AFTER THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF. THIS IS A PROBLEM. VERY EASY FOR THE OWNER TO COME OUT IN THE MORNING TO A DEAD BATTERY AND A CAR THAT WON'T START. SOME OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE HEADLIGHTS CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING, A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STUDS ON THE WHEELS WERE FRACTURING. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE STUDS WERE FRACTURED BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO SOFT AND WEAKENED OVER TIME. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE STUDS AND THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

PRESS DOWN ON TURN SIGNAL STALK AND THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL COMES ON. PRESS UP ON TURN SIGNAL STALK AND LEFT BLINKER COMES ON. SOMETIMES NEITHER TURN SIGNAL WILL WORK AT ALL WHEN TURN SIGNAL STALK IS PUSHED UP OR DOWN. *KB