What 87 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Dodge Caravan

FAULTLY BRAKE CALIPAR - KEEP HANGING UP AND CAUSING TIRE TO GET HOT AND SMOKE COMES OUT VERY HOT.

NHTSA ODI 10876501

DRIVING ONLY 10 MILES THE BRAKES SMELLED HOT. STOPPED AND CHECKED, TOUCHED THE LUG NUT AND BURNED FINGER THEY WERE SO HOT. HAD IT TAKEN IN AND ROTORS WERE TURNED AND NEW BRAKE PADS. OLD PADS WERE GONE. NOW AT 31600 MILES THE SAME THING. TALKED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY WILL GLADLY CHARGE US FOR NEW ROTORS AND PADS BUT ADMIT THE CALIPERS DO HAVE A PROBLEM. SO FOR OVER $400 AND A TOW BILL THEY CAN HELP US. CALLED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NO RESULTS. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10616763

I PURCHASED A NEW VAN ON JULY 5, 2013. ON JULY 8, 2013, I DROVE 4 MILES, AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I ACCELERATED TO APPROX. 40 MPH, WHEN SUDDENLY THE VAN SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT MOMENTARILY, UPON WHICH I REGAINED CONTROL IMMEDIATELY. SUDDENLY, THE VAN JOLTED RIGHT AGAIN, JUMPED THE CURB, CLIMBED AN EMBANKMENT, AND WOULD NOT STOP ACCELERATING. I KEPT PUSHING THE EMC CONTROLS FORWARD....BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOT THAT THE VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING, BUT RATHER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP ACCELERATING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE ONLY STOPPED WHEN I CRASHED THROUGH A LARGE EVERGREEN TREE (FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER AREA). THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL I RAN HEAD FIRST INTO A HARDWARE STORE, WHICH ULTIMATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS AN ANALYSIS PERFORMED, AND I EXPRESSED GREAT CONCERN OVER THE LACK OF INFORMATION DISCLOSED IN THE REPORT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON JULY 8, 2013. TODAY IS DECEMBER 31, 2013, AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS TAKING THIS LONG TO REPLACE A NEW VAN. THERE WAS INFORMATION DISCOVERED FROM THE INITIAL MECHANIC WHO RECEIVED THE VAN AFTER THE ACCIDENT, INCLUSIVE OF PHOTOGRAPHS, WHO WAS TOLD BY ADJUSTERS TO WITHHOLD AND NOT DISCLOSE THE NOTED INFORMATION. THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY. I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER PERSON TO ENDURE WHAT I ENDURED, OR WORSE, AN INNOCENT PERSON HURT BY EQUIPMENT, OR INSTALLATION OF EQUIPMENT, THAT MAY CAUSE A DRIVER NOT TO HAVE CONTROL OVER HIS/HER VEHICLE. IN THE REPORT, THE SPECIALIST USED LANGUAGE INDICATING THAT THE DRIVER "LOST CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE." THAT IS A COMPLETELY ERRONEOUS STATEMENT. A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE ENGAGED TO DETERMINE WHY AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER, WHO HAS AN EXCESS OF 13 YEARS DRIVING EXPERIENCE WITH EMC/AEVIT CONTROLS WAS PLACED IN A PERILOUS SITUATION, WHERE THE BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE, AND THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, UNTIL IMPACT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10558048