2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 6/30/2012 1ST INCIDENT 8/2012 DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AT NIGHT IN WOODED AREA SO IT WAS PITCH BLACK AND HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF, WIPERS RUNNING AND SPRAYING FLUID, HORN STARTED BLARING, OUTSIDE LIGHTS WENT CRAZY, GAUGES WENT NUTS, AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT. PULLED OVER WHEN WE WERE ABLE (TWO LANE ROAD W/NO SHOULDERS) AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES WENT BACK TO NORMAL AND RAN JUST FINE. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WAS IN 10/2012 BASICALLY SAME THING WAS RETURNING FROM SON'S FOOTBALL GAME ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT AND HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, WIPERS GOING CRAZY, AND HORN BLARING, LIGHTS GOING OFF. DIDN'T DO IT AGAIN FOR AWHILE THEN SINCE 3/2013 ABOUT EVERY 2 TO 3 WEEKS WE HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE, VAN CAN BE SITTING IN DRIVE AND STILL DOES IT. I HAVE HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED AND IT SCARES US ALL TO DEATH. WE HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND ON MORE THAN ONE OF THESE OCCASIONS WHEN POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE MAKING A TURN, (IT SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN TO MANUALLY TURN IT) WHICH I COULD BARELY DO, AND ALMOST RECEIVED A TICKET FOR FAULTY EQUIPMENT DUE TO THE BRAKE AND REVERSE LIGHTS GOING OFF ON THEIR OWN (COP GAVE ME A WARNING THIS TIME) AFTER LOOKING UP THE ISSUE AND TALKING TO A MECHANIC IT IS A FAULTY TIPM (TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE), WHICH BY THE WAY HAS BEEN ON "BACKORDER" FOR MORE THAN 18 MONTHS CAUSE I'VE BEEN CALLING ON IT SINCE 10/2012. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND APPARENTLY THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE, THERE ARE OVER 200 OF THE 420 COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE AND THOUSANDS MORE ONLINE, YET THERE HAS NOT EVEN BEEN AN INVESTIGATION? I GUESS THE NHTSA IS NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY AS THEY CLAIM TO BE! THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL DONE FOR THIS MODEL AND THE YEARS AFFECTED FOR THE FAULTY PART THAT'S GOING TO END UP WITH SOMEONE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DEAD! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DRIVER'S WINDOW WHEN IT BECAME STUCK AND SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ACTIVATED, AND THE TWO FRONT WINDOWS OPENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT WHO WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS HAD BROKEN WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE STORE THIS MORNING, I WAS TAKING A TURN ONTO MY STREET WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO MUSCLE THE STEERING WHEEL TO COMPLETE THE REST OF THE TURN AND AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS TURNING TO GO THE WAY THAT I WAS COMING FROM. THE LADY IN THE OTHER CAR WAS LOOKING AT ME IN FEAR WITH HER ARMS RAISED LIKE "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I TRIED TO TURN THE ENGINE ON SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO LUCK AS I COASTED DOWN MY STREET FORCEFULLY PUMPING THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. ONCE I TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, IT STARTED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS AS WELL. THERE IS EVEN A RECALL ON DODGE GRAND CARAVANS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM 3 AUGUST 2009 TO 17 JUNE 2010 FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE AND MANY OTHERS THAT THIS ISSUE EXISTS OUTSIDE THESE DATES THOUGH AND THAT THE DODGE COMPANY IS NOT DOING ANYTHING. I HAVE NOT CONSULTED WITH MY DEALERSHIP YET BUT I AM HOPEFUL BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE GREAT PEOPLE. WHATEVER THE CASE, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE HAVING MY WIFE DRIVE MY CHILDREN AROUND. I DO NOT FEEL AS IF SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO MUSCLE THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT POWER STEERING DURING A TURN IN THE EVENT THAT THE CAR TURNED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN AS IT DID TO ME. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED TO ENCOMPASS ALL THE YEARS THAT ARE AFFECTED AND NOT JUST THE ONES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND SHUTS OFF RESULING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING MAKING MANUEVERING AND CONTROLLING VEHICLE DIFFICULT. MECHANICS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. HAVE DRIVEN AND EXPERIENCED PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO SOLUTION. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE REAR SLIDING DOOR LOCKS AND WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY FOB OR UNLOCK BUTTON ON BOTH FRONT DOORS. IT ALSO WILL NOT OPEN WITH A PULL ON THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE. YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY UNLOCK IT ON THAT DOOR BEFORE IT WILL OPEN. I THINK THIS WOULD CAUSE A ISSUE IF I EVER NEED TO GET MY KIDS OUT IN A HURRY! ALSO THIS VAN HAS 30000 MILES ON IT AND IT USES APPROXIMATELY 1-1/2 QUART OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. ITS NOT SHOWING ANY SIGHS OF LEAKING ANYWHERE IN THE ENGINE OR UNDER THE VAN AND NOT LEAVING ANY PUDDLES ANYWHERE. I ASKED THE DODGE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL FOR A DODGE VEHICLE.... IN MY EYES THAT SHOULD NOT BE USING THAT MUCH OIL. I AM USING WHAT IS REQUIRED 10W20 SAE ACCORDING TO ME OWNERS MANUAL. I HAVE REPLACED THE PCV VALVE AND STILL CONTINUING TO LOOSE OIL. *TR

WIFE WAS DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH WHEN TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND SHE LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. SHE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION, LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CAR COMING. SHE THEN TURNED THE VAN OFF AND RESTARTED AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. SHE SAID SHE IS NEVER DRIVING IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE. LAST YEAR WE HAD THE TIPM REPLACED AFTER THE SEEMINGLY COMMON PROBLEM OF HORN HONKING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOING AND SOLVENT SPRAYING RANDOMLY SEVERAL TIMES. NOT SURE HOW CHRYSLER CAN GET AWAY WITH HAVING ALL OF THESE LIFE ENDANGERING ISSUES WITHOUT HAVING RECALLS AND FIXING THEM. BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS WE WILL NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER PRODUCT AGAIN. *TR

THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS STEERING ESP BAS BRAKE ABS AND THE ESP SYMBOL WILL ILLUMINATE. A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ESP AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LAMP WAS ILLUMINATED. THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BRAKES ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPLACE STEERING SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 129,700. *TR

ON OCCASION THE VEHICLE WILL SET OF A SIGNAL ALARM AND DISPLAY ESP BAS BRAKE ABS AND THE ESP SYMBOL WILL ILLUMINATE - ALSO THE PANEL LIGHTS WILL FLICKER. I WILL ALSO FEEL A VERY SLIGHT HESITATION ON MY FORWARD MOTION. IT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN - BUT ALWAYS WHILE VEHICLE WAS JUST STARTING TO HEAT UP. *TR

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES ON MY GRAND CARAVAN TWO TIMES SO FAR. I HAD TO REPLACE THEM AFTER APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES AND NEXT AT 44,000 MILES. I DO MOSTLY CITY DRIVING AND ONLY PUT AROUND 10K A YEAR ON THE CAR. CURRENTLY THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND. I WILL NEED TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER. AT LEAST THREE TIMES THE CALIPER STUCK AND YOU COULD SMELL THE BURNING OF THE BRAKE PAD. IN THE MOST RECENT INSTANCE THE HEAT WAS SO HIGH ON THE RIGHT DRIVERS SIDE FRONT BRAKE, THAT IT MELTED THE VALVE STEM PLASTIC CAP. I HAVE PAID NOW APPROXIMATELY 1,800 DOLLARS TO THE REPLACE BRAKES. AFTER THE LAST TIME I PAID FOR THEM TO INSTALL SOME SORT OF ADAPTER TO HELP WITH THE KNOWN BRAKE ISSUE ON THIS MODEL. OBVIOUSLY, IT DID NOT WORK. THE HEAT GENERATED IS VERY HIGH AND COULD BE DANGEROUS. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS WELL KNOWN AGAINST THIS MODEL YEAR AND CAR. ...UPDATED 10/7/2014 *JS

08 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SWITCHED OFF WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 3 & 4 YEAR OLD CHILDREN IN THE CAR - VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO READ BAD KEY ERROR. WAS INFORMED BY DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT VEHICLE HAS BAD WIN MODULE. DODGE NOT WILLING TO REPLACE - THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED ON MULTIPLE CHRYSLER AND JEEP VEHICLES SHOWING THIS TO BE AN INHERENTLY DEFECTIVE PART, AND SHOULD BE RECALLED ON ALL VEHICLES CONTAINING FAULTY WIN MODULES. DODGE WILL BE CHARGING ME APPROXIMATELY $850.00 TO REPLACE. THE WIN MODULE IS A DEVICE THAT SENDS ELECTRONIC SIGNAL TO THE ENGINE TO LET CAR KNOW APPROPRIATE KEY IS BEING USED (SECURITY DEVICE), NOT A WEARABLE PART. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE OR EVEN LIFE THREATENING HAD DEVICE FAILED ON HIGHWAY. DODGE SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE. *JS