1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOTICED THAT IT DROPPED TO THE FLOOR BOARD; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THE BRAKE LINE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

1999 AWD ABS GRAND CARAVAN, PERSONAL USE ONLY , NO TOWING, MILD NJ WINTER CONDITIONS. CAR PARKED FOR THREE DAYS AFTER EXTENDED TRIP (2,880 MILES OVER 3WEEKS)AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH NO PROBLEMS.ON SECOND LEG OF K-TURN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REPOSITION CAR IN DRIVEWAY (SPEED LESS THAN 5MILES/ HR) BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY DEPRRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. INSPECTING BELOW THE VAN SHOWED BRAKE FLUID LEAK FROM A RUPTURED REAR BRAKE LINE CLOSE TO BRAIDED FLEX LINE CLOSE TO ABS MODULE. ALL STEEL LINES FOUND TO BE EXTENSIVELY CORRODED /RUSTED UP TO AND INVOLVING FIXTURES AT ATTACHMENT TO INNER BRAKE HOSES AT THE REAR, UP TO THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE FRONT WHEEL LINES AT THE ATTACHMENT TO FRONT HOSES. DODGE DEALERSHIP (AUTOLAND) TOTALLY HANDS-OFF IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS GLARING SAFETY ISSUE - "NO RECALLS, NO MECHANISMS TO REPORT THIS ISSUE TO CHRYSLER", MORE INFURIATING IS THAT NO REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS, THEY HAVE ALL BEEN DISCONTINUED....RIGHT AT THE TIME THAT MOST OF THESE CARS WILL BE NEEDING THE BRAKING PLUMBING CHANGED!!! MEANWHILE THERE ALL THESE TICKING TIME BOMBS OF CARAVANS OUT THERE WITH TENUOUS BRAKING ABILITY ONCE THESE DEFECTIVE LINES RUPTURE. PLEASE RECALL THESE BEFORE SOMEONE DIES, BEFORE SOMEBODY'S FAMILY CRIES!!! I SHUDDER TO THINK THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING MY LONG ROAD TRIP. *TR

AS MY FRIEND WHO BORROWED MY VEHICLE APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED, CAUSING HER TO COLLIDE INTO A VEHICLE WHICH CONSEQUENTLY HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE POLICE REPORT CORRECTLY INDICATES NO OPERATOR FAULT, BUT RATHER A FAULTY BRAKE LINE WHICH BURST, LEAVING A POOL OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. MOST VEHICLES HAVE A BRAKING SYSTEM THAT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES TO FAIL SIMULTANEOUSLY. UNFORTUNATELY THE 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN DOES NOT HAVE SUCH A SYSTEM. ALL BRAKES WERE LOST, MY VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE (WHICH WAS TOTALED AND RESULTED IN AN INJURED DRIVER) WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. THE BRAKES THEMSELVES WERE INSPECTED WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BUT THE BRAKE LINE RUSTED AND CREATED THE INCIDENT.

TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. REAR BRAKE LINE RUPTURED WERE SOLID LINE MEETS BRAIDED LINE UNDER DRIVER SIDE OF CAR AND NEAR ANTI LOCK BRAKE MODULE. LOSS OF BRAKING FORCED ME TO DRIVE VEHICLE ONTO SOMEONE'S LAWN TO AVOID A REAR END IMPACT OF A CAR MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A SINGLE LANE ROAD. EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. FAILURE WAS ABRUPT WITH NO PRIOR VISUAL EVIDENCE OF LEAKING ON MY DRIVEWAY OR IN THE PARKING SPOT OF MY WORKPLACE. RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER IT WAS TOO LATE. REAR BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED WITH SOLID LINES AT A COST OF $290.00. REPAIR WAS COMPLETED ON 06/21/10. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN OCTOBER OF 2006 AND THE SECOND TIME WAS ON JUNE 27, 2007. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD BOTH TIMES AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 101,000.

THE REAR BRAKE LINES FAILED ON OUR 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THIS VEHICLE HAS ABS. FROM THE ABS UNIT TO THE REAR BRAKE DISTRIBUTION BLOCK, THE TWIN BRAKE LINES ARE A COMBINATION OF STEEL AND STEEL BRAIDED LINES. THE ENTIRE LINES ARE APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET LONG. OF THE 8 FEET LENGTH, THERE IS A SECTION OF FLEXIBLE STEEL BRAIDED LINE APPROXIMATELY 7 INCHES LONG. AT THE JUNCTION OF THE STEEL LINE AND THE BRAIDED STEEL LINE, THE LINE FAILED. THERE IS NOT EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE OR ABUSE. THE JUNCTION JUST FAILED. LUCKILY WE WERE JUST PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR. BRAKE POWER WAS COMPLETELY LOST. *NM

1) TRAVEL TO LOCAL OIL CHANGE GARAGE. 2) IN PARKING LOT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE WITH DRASTIC LOSS OF BRAKING. 3) VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED HOME (COST $85.00). I REPLACED BOTH RUSTED (ONE RUPTURED) BRAKE LINES (WHICH RAN FROM THE ABS CONTROLLER TO THE REAR BRAKES) WITH AUTO PARTS STORE HARDWARE ($41.00 LINES & FITTINGS, & $5.00 FLUID) AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT RUSTING LINES ARE NOT THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT MANUFACTURER REPLACEMENT LINES ARE NOT STOCKED AFTER 2 OR 3 YEARS. (THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AS I WOULD EXPECT THAT BRAKE LINE FAILURES WOULD NOT OCCUR IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF SERVICE.) I HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE LINES RUNNING TO THE MASTER CYLINDER SHOW SIMILAR DETERIORATION WHICH WILL SOON REQUIRE THEIR REPLACEMENT AS WELL. THE LINES ARE CORRODING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE STAINLESS STEEL BRAIDED HOSE SECTIONS WHICH APPEAR TO BE OF METAL DIFFERING FROM WHAT THE BRAKE LINE ITSELF IS MADE FROM. GIVEN THAT THE FAILURE IS OCCURRING IN AN AREA WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE DISSIMILAR METALS (AN OBVIOUS FAILURE POINT IN AREAS USING SALT ON THE ROADS DURING WINTER - SEE ARTICLES COVERING "GALVANIC CORROSION") THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE MADE EFFORT TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AND SHOULD OFFER SOME SORT OF REPAIR / RECALL ARRANGEMENT. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT, NOT AT SEVENTY MILES PER HOUR ON AN INTERSTATE OR IN RUSH OUR TRAFFIC, BUT I'M SURE THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE RIDING AROUND WITH THIS TICKING TIME BOMB ON BOARD. COULD YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? *JB

DT: THE CONTACT'S WIFE DROVE IN THE RAIN AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN METAL BRAKE LINE BURST AND THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED A REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR COSTS.*MR WHEN PARKED CONSUMER'S WIFE PUT FOOTON THE BRAKE AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHE WAS LEFT WITHOUT BRAKES. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY AND /OR HEAVY TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CHRYSLER EALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT BRAKE LINE BURST. CONSUMER'S REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT WAS DENIED BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK *NM