2007 Dodge Grand Caravan

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE IGNITION THREE TIMES AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REMAIN AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THE WIRING TO THE DOME LIGHT WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED THE DOME LIGHT TO MELT TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. ....UPDATED 08-24-12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE TURNED OFF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE RADIO SWITCHES STATIONS, TURNS ON THE CD PLAYER, AND SWITCHES BETWEEN AM/FM. THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BUT, CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/30/2012 *JS

RECURRING ISSUE OF ENGINE STALLING AFTER REFUELING. USUALLY WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF FILLING, AND WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY. INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM, NOT ONLY WITH CARAVANS, BUT WITH OTHER CHRYSLER/DODGE VEHICLES. APPARENTLY THE ENTIRE GAS TANK REQUIRES REPLACEMENT, WHICH INDICATES TO ME IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

DEAR SIR/MADAM: MY 2007 DODGE MINIVAN MANUFACTURED BY CHRYSLER HAS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE. THE 3.8L ENGINE BURNS OIL AND OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS DONE PROVED THE SAME. I WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BY MECHANICS OUTSIDE OF DEALERSHIP SERVICE WHICH WHEN NOTIFIED BACK, RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED THE ISSUE AND WENT ON TO STATE THAT I HAD TO PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM RELATED TO WORN OUT PISTON RINGS. REPAIRS OF THIS NATURE ARE EXPENSIVE AND ON BRIEF RESEARCH ON INTERNET, OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCES THE SAME PROBLEMS. WHEN VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, I ENCOUNTERED MANY ENGINE RELATED SYMPTOMS LIKE SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE, ENGINE WHINING OR HISSING NOISE AND SUCH. IT'S MY BELIEF THAT CHRYSLER SERVICE FAILED TO DO NECESSARY TESTS TO DETECT THIS ISSUE. *TR

MY 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AND MY 4 YR OLD WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VAN OUT OF PARK INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE OR STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VAN COASTED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, ACROSS THE STREET AND CAME TO REST IN THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD ALL THE WHILE WITH MY 4 YR OLD IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING UP TO 10MPH DOWN THE SLOPED DRIVEWAY. NO INJURY OR DAMAGE LUCKILY OCCURRED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE DODGE DEALERSHIP STATES THE SHIFT INTERLOCK SOLENOID FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RECALL ISSUE SINCE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS BEEN THE PREVIOUS SUBJECT OF NHTSA INTERVENTION WITH THE AUTOMAKERS. *TR

FOUR SEPARATE INSTANCES OF AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OCCURRED WITHIN 5 MINUTES WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS (5 - 15 MPH). EACH OF THESE INSTANCES IS DESCRIBED BELOW: 1. WHILE TURNING RIGHT OUT OF A GAS STATION AT ABOUT 5-10 MPH, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM SEEMED TO FAIL (I.E., THE CAR WAS STEERING RIGHT AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP FROM CONTINUING RIGHT INTO A CURB). THE BRAKES WORKED FINE AND PREVENTED A COLLISION WITH THE CURB. I HEADED FOR A FRIEND'S HOUSE LOCATED NEARBY. 2. APPROXIMATELY 500 - 1000 FEET LATER, WHILE TURNING LEFT AT 15 MPH ONTO A SIDE STREET, THERE WAS ANOTHER UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS 'LOCKED' LEFT (I.E., THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM AGAIN SEEMED TO FAIL). THE BRAKES ON AND THE CAR COLLIDED WITH THE CURB AT A LOW SPEED (1-3 MPH). HAD TRAFFIC BEEN COMING DOWN THE ROAD, A CAR HEADING TOWARD ME WOULD HAVE HIT THE SIDE OF MY CAR. 3. APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET DOWN THAT STREET, WHILE TURNING LEFT ONTO ANOTHER SIDE STREET, THE ENGINE REVVED AGAIN FOR A SECOND, AND RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WERE NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED. 4. I PROCEEDED SLOWLY DOWN THAT STREET FOR A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 200 FEET AND WAS SLOWING DOWN TO PARK ALONG THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE STREET. WHILE GOING ONLY ABOUT 2 MPH, THE CAR REVVED HARD AGAIN, AND LURCHED FORWARD ABOUT 3 FEET UNTIL I COULD STOP THE CAR. I STAYED AT THE FRIEND'S HOUSE FOR 3 HOURS. 5. A SERVICE STATION WAS NEARBY AND I DROVE SLOWLY TOWARD IT. THE CAR MADE A TOTAL OF 3 RIGHT TURNS AND 2 LEFT TURNS WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER, WHEN JUST STARTING TO MAKE A 4TH RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO FAIL AGAIN. I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. I PROCEEDED A HALF MILE TO THE REPAIR STATION (WITH 3 LEFT TURNS AND 1 RIGHT TURN), WITHOUT INCIDENT. *TR

THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED AROUND 20 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING THE VAN AND STOPPING IN TRAFFIC (TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE), WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL (FOOT OFF THE BRAKE) THE RPM GAUGE WILL RESPOND BUT THE VAN WILL NOT MOVE. THE VAN BEHAVES LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK DESPITE THE TRANSMISSION BEING IN DRIVE. IN ORDER FOR THE VAN TO MOVE AGAIN YOU MUST PUT THE VAN IN PARK AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE. AT THIS POINT THE TRANSMISSION WORKS AS IT SHOULD. AT LEAST TWICE I HAVE HAD TO TURN THE VAN OFF AND BACK ON BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD WORK CORRECTLY. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE AND THERE WERE NO CODES TO PULL. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN HE CRASHED INTO A ROW OF TREES AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSORS WERE NOT CONNECTED AND WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.