2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

DRIVING 45 MPH AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF LOSING POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. HAPPENED AGAIN TWICE 2 DAYS LATER. THOUGHT IT WAS BAD GAS. FILLED UP AND ADDED HEAT. SEEMED TO BE OK FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS, BUT STILL WAS RUNNING HARSH. ENGINE SHUT OFF AGAIN 5/20 AND THEN AGAIN ON 5/21. DID SEE BRIEFLY A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON ONE OF THE OCCURRENCES OTHERWISE NO CLUES. HAD ALREADY FILLED UP TWICE SO RULED OUT GAS. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND THE ONLY CODE HE COULD PULL UP WAS THE EGR VALVE AND MAYBE THE SPARK PLUGS, BUT COULDN'T GUARANTEE THAT WAS THE CAUSE. REPLACED PLUGS AND VALVE AND SO FAR THE ENGINE HAS NOT SHUT OFF AND THAT INCLUDES ONE 1000 MILE RT, AND TWO 200 MILE RTS SINCE THEN, BUT I'M STILL NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED. HOWEVER AFTER READING ABOUT ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT ENGINES SHUTTING OFF, I THOUGHT I BETTER LOG THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS AND THE EXPENSE I PAID TO REPLACE THE EGR AND SPARK PLUGS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE SUSTAINED FIRE DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. UPDATED 12/09/14*LJ UPDATED 6/1/2015 *JS

LAST YEAR WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY DURING VACATION. POWER WAS LOST AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER OR BREAK. VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTART AS IGNITION TURNED OVER THEN SHUT OFF AGAIN. VERY FORTUNATE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THIS HAS SINCE RECURRED TWICE, ONCE WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT, AND ANOTHER WHILE EXISTING A PARKING GARAGE. ALSO, VEHICLE CONSTANTLY NEEDS TO BE STARTED TWICE, DOES NOT ALWAYS STAY POWERED UP AFTER INITIAL IGNITION. DID NOT THINK OF FILING A NHTSA COMPLAINT AT THE TIME, BUT WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF IGNITION PROBLEMS FROM CHRYSLER, WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT THIS LOGGED. *JS

VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE IN MOTION; INCLUDING LOCKED STEERING WHEEL WITH FULL SYSTEM SHUT OFF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 09/02/14*LJ

2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN - DALLAS, TX WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO THE MIDDLE MEDIAN TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. THE ENGINE DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY AND THE STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS INCIDENT OCCUR 3 TIMES IN 2014 EACH TIME RESULTING IN THE SAME OUTCOME, ENGINE DIES, STEERING IS LOST DUE TO NO POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAIL. IN EACH INCIDENT I WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT AND RESULTED IN SEVERE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN MUSCLING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS IT COAST WHILE QUICKLY THROWING THE GEARS IN NEUTRAL ALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THESE INCIDENTS ARE NOT ISOLATED TO THE MORE THAN 260 COMPLAINTS OVER THE LAST 11 YEARS ABOUT GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLES THAT SUDDENLY TURNED OFF WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THIS IS CLEARLY THE SAME ISSUE AND WILL RESULT IN MORE DEATHS OR SEVER INJURY IF OUR REGULATORS DO NOT TAKE ACTION. TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AFTER EACH INCIDENT ONLY RESULTED IN THE DEALER FINDING NO TROUBLE CODES AND BEING UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM RELEASING THE VEHICLE BACK INTO MY CARE TO DRIVE IN ITS IMPAIRED CONDITION. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED ON THE 3RD LOSS OF POWER INCIDENT AND CASE# [XXX] WAS OPENED. THIS IS CLEARLY RELATED TO THE GM IGNITION SWITCH RECALLS EVIDENCED BY MORE THAN 100+ COMPLAINTS HERE: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/GRAND_CARAVAN/2010/ENGINE/ENGINE_SHUT_DOWN_WHILE_DRIVING.SHTML HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/CARAVAN/2006/ENGINE/INTERMITTENT_LOSS_OF_POWER_WHILE_DRIVING.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2014/CHRYSLER-INVESTIGATION-IGNITION-SWITCH.SHTML HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2008/DODGE/GRAND_CARAVAN/POWER_TRAIN/PROBLEM.ASPX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE CORRODING AND AS A RESULT, THEY FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN VERIFIED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT ALL FOUR VALVE STEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING A CAR SLOWLY IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE GROCERY STORE, IT STOPPED RUNNING, SHUTTING IT OFF COMPLETELY. HAD TO RESTART IT, BUT IT DIDN'T TURN ON THE TIMELY MANNER. PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR DOWN A FEW TIMES, AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN. HTTP://WWW.JUSTANSWER.COM/DODGE/4JW86-DODGE-CARAVAN-SXT-NEW-2010-DODGE-CARAVAN-SXT-VEHICLE-WILL.HTML : I FOUND THE IDENTICAL CASE FROM THE WEBSITE, IT MUST BE RECALLED TO FIX THIS ISSUE. OTHERWISE, IT IS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE IGNITION ACCIDENTALLY SWITCHED FROM THE "RUN" POSITION TO "ACCESSORY" CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. THIS HAPPENED WHILE IN A PARKING LOT. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES--ONCE AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND ONCE WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC ON A BUSY STREET. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, BUT FORTUNATELY THIS TIME IT DIDN'T--AS THERE WERE NO CARS COMING. VEHICLES BUILT A FEW MONTHS AFTER MINE HAVE HAD A RECALL FOR THIS ERROR. I BELIEVE THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. *TR

REAR BRAKES ARE NOT RELEASING COMPLETELY CAUSING THE BRAKES, ROTOR, BEARING, AND WHEEL TO BECOME SUPER-HEATED. DRIVER'S SIDE IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. THE BRAKES MAKE A SCREECHING SOUND, SMOKE AND SMELL OF BURNT RUBBER COME FROM WHEELS. IF WATER IS POURED ON THE WHEELS, IT VAPORIZES IMMEDIATELY. IT DOES NOT DO THIS WITH EVERY TRIP, BUT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. DRIVER'S REAR CALIPER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND BRAKE LINE ONCE WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. BRAKES ON DRIVER'S SIDE ONLY LAST 11,000 MILES. HAVE CONTACTED LOCAL DEALER, BUT DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY'VE HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE. I SEE MANY EXAMPLES SEARCHING THIS SITE AND OTHER SITES. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. VEHICLE NOW HAS 71,000 MILES. *TR