2019 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. I WAS SITTING ON THE DRIVER SIDE MIDDLE SEAT, NOT SITTING BACK, AS THE SEAT WAS RECLINED TOO FAR FOR ME TO SIT WITH MY BACK AGAINST THE BACK OF THE SEAT. WHEN I WAS TRYING TO BRING THE SEAT BACK FORWARD FROM THE LEANED BACK POSITION, THE HEAD REST CAME DOWN AND SLAMMED INTO MY NECK IT'S AS IF THE MECHANISM THOUGHT THE SEAT WERE GOING TO BE STOWED INTO THE FLOOR. I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM A MASSIVE HEADACHE SINCE THIS HAPPENED. I WILL BE GOING TO MY DOCTOR WHEN I RETURN HOME, TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY SERIOUS INJURY. THERE WAS NOTHING CONCLUSIVE IN THE DIAGNOSIS. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AS IT COULD CAUSE SEVERE INJURY.

WHILE TRAVELING AROUND 30MPH, BRAKES WERE APPLIED IN A "PANIC STOP" FASHION - FAST HARD DEPRESSION. THE ROAD WAS STRAIGHT, CLEAN AND DRY. VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT AND THE VIEW WAS CLEAR FOR ABOUT A HALF MILE. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT FELT AS THOUGH THE ABS SYSTEM INTERFERED WITH BRAKING, CAUSING NO ACTUAL FORCE TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. NO DECELERATION WAS FELT BY THE DRIVER, OR ANY OF THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS. ALTHOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FULLY DEPRESSED, THE VAN CONTINUED AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 35MPH FOR AN ADDITIONAL 70-80 FEET WITHOUT SLOWING, AND WAS STOPPED ONLY BY THE VEHICLE IT EVENTUALLY STRUCK. DISTINCTIVE INJURIES ON THE DRIVER'S LEG CREATED BY THE DEBRIS OF THE DASH PANEL ALSO REFLECT THAT THE LEG AND FOOT WERE ALIGNED WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOT "ELSEWHERE". ALTHOUGH THIS MODEL HAS A SAFETY RECALL REGARDING "SURFACE COATING" AFFECTING THE BRAKING ABILITY, THIS VIN WAS NOT IMPLICATED. ALSO, THIS INCIDENT DID NOT APPEAR TO INVOLVE "REDUCED" BRAKING ABILITY. THERE WAS NO BRAKING. OTHER CAUSES ARE POSSIBLE, BUT THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM BEHAVED WOULD BE TO DESCRIBE IT AS THOUGH THE ABS HAD DISENGAGED ALL BRAKING ABILITIES SO THAT THE PEDAL HAD SOME FEEDBACK TO THE DRIVER, BUT NO DISCERNIBLE EFFECT ON SLOWING THE VEHICLE. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE ABS SOMEHOW TURNED THE BRAKES OFF. CONSUMER STATED THIS WAS A RENTAL VEHICLE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY SPECIFIC WARRANTY SERVICE *AND* THAT THE WARRANTY SERVICE WAS NOT INDICATED FOR THIS PARTICULAR VIN FOR THE ONLY 'BRAKING ISSUE' THAT SEEMS TO AFFECT THIS MAKE/MODEL.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2019 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT WAS SEATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST THE SEAT, THE HEADREST STRUCK THE BACK OF THE CONTACT'S NECK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING HEADACHES DUE TO THE INJURY. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE CONTACT INFORMED AVIS CAR RENTAL SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (780 N MCDONNELL RD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94128, (650) 877-6780) OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11.

STEERING WHEEL HAS A SUPPORT BRACKET AT THE BOTTOM WHERE IS YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL YOU CAN GET YOUR FINGER STUCK IN THE WHEEL AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET IT OUT EASILY. I DID THIS BY ACCIDENT AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING MY FINGER FREE WHILE TRYING TO STEER THE VAN. ALSO THE SPACE AROUND THE HORN BUTTON IS SUCH IF YOU HAVE BUTTONS ON A SPORT'S JACKET THOSE BUTTONS CAN GET CAUGHT UNDER THE HORN BUTTON AND MAKES CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEEL ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. SO WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL IF ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS HAPPEN YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THE CONTROL OF THE STEERING THAT ONE WOULD NEED. I JUST LOOKED AT THE DODGE SITE AND THEY STILL ARE USING THE SAME DESIGN ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IT HAS HAPPENED TO BE VERY MUCH BUT WHEN I AM MORE AWARE OF THIS AND I DO NOT WEAR THAT JACKET WHILE DRIVING THIS VAN.

THE BRAKE PEDAL MORE THAN 2 INCHES CLOSER TO THE DRIVER MAKING IT VERY LIKELY TO GET YOUR FOOT STUCK UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN MOVING YOUR FOOT FROM ACCELLERATOR PEDAL TO BRAKE PEDAL. NOW YOU HAVE TO PULL YOUR LEG BACK AND UP HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE PROCESS. ATTACHED PICTURE IS WITH ACCELLERATOR IN IDLE POSITION.

THE ABOVE VEHICLE WAS A RENTAL VEHICLE BEING DEMONSTRATED TO ME TO SHOW THE AMOUNT OF REAR LUGGAGE SPACE AVAILABLE. WHEN THE RENTAL REPRESENTATIVE WAS DEMONSTRATING THE REAR SEAT STOWAGE SYSTEM HE INADVERTENTLY RELEASED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN UNNECESSARILY STRONG REAR ROW SEAT BACK RELEASE SPRING WHICH KICKED THE SEAT BACK DOWN HARD AND FAST ENOUGH TO HIT ME IN THE HEAD, SCRAPE AND BRUISE MY FACE AND HEAD, DAMAGE MY GLASSES, KNOCK ME TO THE FLOOR OF THE VAN AND AND CAUSE A CONCUSSION, WHICH I WAS TREATED FOR IN THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF MINE IS THAT THE DOCTOR AND A NURSE IN THE HOSPITAL SAID THAT THE APPARENT FORCE WITH WHICH THE SEAT HIT MY HEAD WOULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED A POSSIBLY KILLED A SMALL CHILD. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT AS A RETIRED ENGINEER WITH 40+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, THERE IS NO REASON TO DESIGN A SEAT BACK THAT WILL CLOSE WITH THAT LEVEL OF FORCE WITH NO ADDED IMPETUS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW OF WHICH OWNERS AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE MADE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE. I DO HAVE MEDICAL RECORDS, PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY HEAD AND A NOTE FROM THE RENTAL COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTING THAT I WAS INJURED. PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY HEAD AND MEDICAL RECORDS CAN BE SUPPLIED IF NEEDED, BUT ARE NOT PRESENTLY ON MY COMPUTER. *DT*JB

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2019 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR WAS IN PARK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING, THE CONTACT STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS STRUCK BY THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR AND DRAGGED BY THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED LEG, BACK, ARM, AND SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT WAS MISSING THE LOCK BETWEEN THE PARK AND REVERSE GATE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DODGE DEALER. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.*DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE LOCK BETWEEN THE PARKING AND REVERSE GATE WAS MISSING. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE RENTAL COMPANY.