2007 Dodge Grand Caravan

THIS ISSUE OCCURS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. IT IS A CHRYSLER FINANCIAL LEASE VEHICLE, AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 9,200 MILES. THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURRING AT APPROXIMATELY 250 MILES. I AM AN ENGINEER ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPLAINT IS TO PROVIDE NHTSA AND THE MANUFACTURER WITH ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF AN ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE COMMON WITH THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION/VEHICLE. THE DODGE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED. ISSUE ? THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS AN EXTREMELY HARSH 21 DOWNSHIFT. IT ALSO EXHIBITS A MILDLY HARSH 12 UPSHIFT. I SUSPECT SOLENOID AND/OR VALVE BODY DEBRIS IS PRESENT CAUSING DELAYED/HARSH SHIFTS. THERE IS ALSO A MODERATE AMOUNT OF TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP CLUTCH SLIPPAGE IN THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN THIRD GEAR UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. DURING THIRD GEAR TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP MODE, ENGINE SPEED FLUCTUATIONS ARE VISIBLE ON THE TACHOMETER. THE ENGINE SPEED CHANGES ARE AUDIBLE AS WELL. I HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF) LEVEL AND COLOR. THE LEVEL IS CORRECT AND THE FLUID DOES NOT SMELL OR APPEAR BURNT (FLUID IS RED IN COLOR). *TR

ON 8/4/07, MY 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE DOOR AND THE CAR WENT DOWN THE HILL, INTO OUR WOODS, AND HIT A TREE. THE CAR WAS IN PARK THE ENTIRE TIME. AFTER THIS, I HAVE SPENT NUMEROUS HOURS CONTACTING CHRYSLER. CHRYSLER DID SEND OUT A MECHANIC AND THEY DID ADMIT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MECHANICAL - TRANSMISSION DID NOT HAVE THE 'PARKING PIN'. I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE. AT THIS POINT, CHRYSLER WANTS TO REPLACE MY OLD VAN WITH A NEW ONE AND ME TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE. I AM NOT AGREEING TO THIS. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT TRUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE IDLING AT A RED LIGHT, A VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE CONTACT AND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. AS A RESULT, THE PASSENGER LUNGED FORWARD AND STRUCK HER FOREHEAD ON THE BACK OF THE DRIVER SEAT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MUSCLE AND BACK INJURIES. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FOREHEAD, NECK, AND EYE INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WORKED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED OVER $7,000 IN DAMAGES TO THE REAR END. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,385 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO LOCK HER VEHICLE WITH THE POWER LOCK FUNCTION, ALL THE DOORS LOCK EXCEPT THE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR. SHE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE HER WITH A RENTAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,541 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

THE LEFT ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING AFTER THE DOOR OPENS. THE PROBLEM EVENTUALLY FIXES ITSELF SEVERAL ENGINE STARTS LATER. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION THAT COULD LEAD TO OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENT FAILURES. MANUALLY CLOSING THE DOOR AFTER IT IS STUCK OPEN DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. DRIVING TO A DEALERSHIP WITH THE DOOR STUCK OPEN IS UNSAFE. THE DEALER WILL NOT VISIT THE VEHICLE TO VIEW THE PROBLEM. IF THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM GOES AWAY, THE DEALER WILL TAKE NO ACTION TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TR

ON 8/22/07 I PURCHASED A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM ED NAPLETON DODGE IN OAKLAWN, ILLINOIS. ON 10/5/07 WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, IT OVERHEATED AND THE STEERING WENT OUT OF CONTROL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE HARD TO STEER. LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS IN SHREDS. IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAILPIPE WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND BURNED A PASSENGER'S KNEE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE PIPE DRASTICALLY PROTRUDES FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. NO ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11. UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT HARD AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6,028.

WE PURCHASED AN 07' DODGE GRAND CARAVAN JUNE 07 AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS W/ IT SINCE SHORTLY AFTER THE PURCHASE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TWICE FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND IS CONTINUING TO HAVE THE PROBLEM. WHEN WE HAD IT IN THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOLD CHRYSLER WAS WORKING ON THE PROBLEM AND WOULD HAVE SOMETHING DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST ... WELL I PHONED SEPT 11 12:15 PM AND WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THEY STILL HAD HEARD NOTHING IN REGARDS TO THE ISSUE. IT STARTED OUT THAT THE VAN WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN COMING TO A STOP ... FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO DROP OUT AT TIMES. IT THEN MOVED TO DOING THIS WHILE IN MOTION AS WELL ... THE DEALER ASSURED US THAT NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN IT IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM THAT CHRYSLER IS WORKING ON. THERE ARE OTHER KNOWN CUSTOMERS W/ THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN WE HAD IT IN THE SHOP THE FIRST TIME A DX WAS RAN ON THE COMPUTER TO RESET EVERYTHING ... DIDN'T HELP AT ALL. HAD IT BACK IN A WEEK LATER FOR 9+DAYS AND AT THAT TIME THEY DROPPED THE TRANSMISSION OUT AND REPLACED THE CLUTCHES AND SOMETHING ELSE TOO. AS SOON AS WE DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IT WAS BACK TO SQUARE ONE. MY KEY HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN THE IGNITION ONCE SO FAR ... DIDN'T TAKE IT IN BUT DID PHONE TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE. THAT HAPPENED DURING THE MONTH OF JULY .... NOW MY BACK AUTOMATIC DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE SWITCH LOCATED NEAR THE DOORS, AND MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS ROLLED DOWN YESTERDAY (09/15/07) AND DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK UP. I DID FINALLY GET IT UP BUT SCARED TO TRY AND ROLL IT DOWN AGAIN. *JB