2008 Dodge Caravan

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. CONSUMER STATES WHEN HE USES CRUISE CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR ANY SPEED AT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTS TO DOWNGRADE AND DOWNSHIFT THREE SPEED RANGES AND CAUSE EXCESSIVE LOSS OF SPEED AND THEN THE ENGINE'S RPM WOULD RISE TO 5000 RPM. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, HE WAS UNABLE TO SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL OR APPLY THE BRAKES TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO SOFTWARE PROBLEMS. *JB

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN BRAKE WEAR. ON 10/01/09 MY 2008 DODGE CARAVAN WITH 13901 MILES ON THE SPEEDOMETER REQUIRED THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS BE REPLACED AND FRONT AND REAR ROTORS BE TURNED. IN AUGUST OF 2010 CHRYSLER GROUP LLC, THE MANUFACTURER OF DODGE CARAVAN, SENT ME A LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 2008 DODGE CARAVANS FRONT BRAKES.THE LETTER STATES IN PART THAT "SHOULD THE FRONT BRAKE COMPONENTS ON YOUR VEHICLE NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A DEFECT IN MATERIALS, WORKMANSHIP OR FACTORY PREPARATION", "CHRYSLER WILL PAY FOR THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR","LESS A $50 DEDUCTIBLE". ON 08/23/10 MY 2008 DODGE CARAVAN WITH 25494 REQUIRED THAT FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS AND FRONT AND REAR ROTORS BE SERVICED AGAIN. CHRYSLER AUTHORIZED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS BUT WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR BRAKE PADS OR ROTORS. CHRYSLERS CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE REPRESENTATIVE "BRITNEY" STATED THAT CHRYSLER WAS WORKING ON AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE REAR BRAKES. I BELIEVE THAT BY ISSUING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRONT BRAKES CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. CHRYSLER, I BELIEVE, HAS INITIATED A SILENT RECALL, IF YOU WILL, DUE TO A FLAW IN THE ENGINEERING DESIGN OF IT'S BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IN OCT. 2008.AT 22,226 MILES THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS AND MACHINED FRONT ROTORS. AT 29,595 THEY MACHINED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AGAIN. THERE WAS STILL SHIMMING IN THE BRAKES SO AT 29,847 I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, MACHINES REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS. AT 31,854 MY BRAKES WERE CONSTANTLY SQUEAKING. DEALERSHIP INSPECTION BRAKES AND SAID "NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS MODEL/BRAKE. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS DUE TO MATERIAL TYPE AND GLAZING BRAKE LIFE IS APPROXIMATELY 90% LIFE REMAINING FRONT AND REAR." THEN AT 35,665 I BROUGHT BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOR ANOTHER INSPECTION. I REPORTED "EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE." THEIR RESPONSE WAS "BRAKES OK. APPROXIMATELY 65% LIFE REMAINING. NOISE DETECTED WAS CHARACTERISTIC. NO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS DETECTED AT THIS TIME." SO BASICALLY IN JUST 3,800 MILES I WENT THROUGH 30% OF THE BRAKES LIFE. THIS IS AFTER HAVING FRONT AND REAR PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED. I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER STATING CHRYSLER IS EXTENDING WARRANTY OF FRONT BRAKES TO 36,000 MILES. MY PROBLEM IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 36,000 MILES AND WHAT ABOUT THE REAR BRAKES? HOW DO I KNOW I AM DRIVING WITH SAFE BRAKES? THE DEALERS RESPONSE WAS TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTIONS. I CALLED AND SPOKE TO THE "CHRYSLER RECALL TEAM" AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE UPGRADED PARTS FOR THE BRAKES ON MY VEHICLE BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT BECAUSE I'M PAST THE 36,000 MILES THEY WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH THE UPGRADED PARTS. *TR

I WAS ABOUT TO ADD AIR TO THE FRONT TIRE AND WAS REMOVING THE CAP WHEN THE VALVE BLEW APART ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE STEM. THE TIRE WENT FLAT IMMEDIATELY. WE HAD THE DEALER REPLACE THE TPM VALVE STEM BUT THEY HAD TO ORDER IT AND IT TOOK A WEEK TO GET THE PART. I ASKED THEM TO CHANGE THE OTHER 3, BUT THEY SAID THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE ONE VALVE AT A TIME AS THEY FAIL. MY WIFE WAS 9 MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME AND THIS IS OUR ONLY CAR, SO I WAS CONCERNED THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN, POSSIBLY WHILE DRIVING SINCE IT HAD BROKEN SO EASILY. SURE ENOUGH, TWO WEEKS LATER A SECOND VALVE STEM FAILED AND THE TIRE WENT FLAT VERY FAST. LUCKILY I WAS JUST ON MY WAY BACK TO THE HOSPITAL TO BRING HER A FEW THINGS AND DRIVING SLOWLY ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET. AGAIN, I'M TOLD THEY WILL JUST ORDER ONE VALVE AND REPLACE THEM AS THEY FAIL. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THEY KNOW ABOUT BUT DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH. HOPEFULLY NO ONE IS INJURED OR KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT FROM ONE OF THESE FAILING. *TR

INCIDENT WE TOOK OUR 2008 DODGE CARAVAN IT IN A MONTH AGO ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE WERE HAVING WAS THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SLIDING DOOR WASN'T CLOSING PROPERLY SO WE HAD THEM ADJUST IT. WE TOOK IT IN A MONTH LATER TO FIX OTHER PROBLEMS AND THE DOOR THEY ADJUSTED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE JUST FELL OFF IN MY DRIVEWAY AND I AM AGAIN WITHOUT AN AUTOMOBILE. THE VAN DOOR WORKS IN TWO WAYS. ONE, YOU CAN PUSH A BUTTON AND CLOSE THE DOOR, OR TWO, YOU CAN CLICK THE INSIDE HANDLE AND SLIDE THE DOOR OVER UNTIL THE MOTOR GRABS IT AND CLOSES IT. THE WAY THE DOOR IS MOUNTED IN THE REAR TRACK IS VERY INADEQUATE. THERE ARE TWO SMALL HORIZONTAL LOAD RUNNERS AND ONE VERTICAL LOAD RUNNER. THE TRACK IS MADE FROM STEEL BUT WHEN ADJUSTED IMPROPERLY CAN BE STRETCHED OUT OF SHAPE. WHEN THE FRONT DOOR LOCK IS ENGAGED AND THE REAR LOCK IS ENGAGED THE REAR TRACK CAN GET PULL OUT OF SHAPE AND THE WHEELS ON THE SLIDE CAN FALL OUT. I AM AN ENGINEER WHO WORKS CONSTANTLY WITH THE EQUIPMENT THAT BUILDS THESE VEHICLES IN THE AUTO PLANTS. I DESIGN MACHINES THAT COULD CYCLE A MILLION TIMES. THIS IS AN INADEQUATE DESIGN. *TR

BRAKE SYSTEM ISSUES AND POSSIBLE FRONT-END ISSUES IN GENERAL, ELECTRICAL ISSUES. HAD TO REPLACE FRONT TIRES AT 18729 MILES. BRAKES PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED REPLACED AT 24130 MILES. DEALER ONLY AGREED TO COVER ROTORS AFTER MUCH DISAGREEMENT. STATED EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEEN COMING ON SINCE LATE 2009, KEEP TAKING IT IN- STATED PROBLEMS WITH O2 SENSORS. PROBLEM STILL NOT FIXED. DEALER STATES WE MUST NEED NEW COMPUTER, AND THAT WILL BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING SCREECHING/RATTLING NOISES AGAIN, AND MILEAGE IS NOW AT 29000 MILES. DEALER STATES NOTHING WRONG WITH BRAKES, THAT IT MUST BE BRAKE DUST. DEALER JUST DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OR PAY TO COVER- THERE IS ABSOLUTELY AN ISSUE THAT THEY WILL NOT ADMIT. INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS FAILED 4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING, INCLUDING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS VAN. *TR

I HAVE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY VAN. ALL WARNING-LIGHT-INDICATORS IN MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD TURN "ON" WHILE I'M DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OR STREET. ALSO, I HAVE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH MY HEADLIGHTS THAT FLICKER "ON" AND "OFF" BY ITSELF WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE, SPECIALLY AT NIGHT. MY DEALERSHIP HAVE FAILED TO HELP DIAGNOSE THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. HE NOTICED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WORN. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR VALID WARRANTIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,000.