What 583 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT SLIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE SURGED WITH AN AUDIBLE REVVING, AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RESULTING IN A COLLISION. IDLING OR NEAR IDLING IN COLD WEATHER SEEMS TO BE A FREQUENT ISSUE, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY TIME IT HAS NOT BEEN OVERRIDDEN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE.

NHTSA ODI 11389550

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND WITHOUT WARNING INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WHILE IN REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SHIFT THE GEAR TO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. . A TOTALED OF 5 VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TURNED OFF. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE OF THE VEHICLE WAS OCCUPIED HOWEVER NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. NO DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11317531

ON JANUARY 4TH, WHILE PULLING INTO A NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, I TAPPED THE BRAKES TO STOP (I WAS GOING LESS THAN 5MPH, SO I DIDN'T NEED TO PRESS HARD) THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED HARD. I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES HARDER TO STOP THE ACCELERATION, AND MY VAN ENDED UP FIVE TO TEN FEET IN MY NEIGHBOR'S YARD. TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY SON'S WORK. I WAS MOVING SLOW AND STRAIGHTENING THE WHEEL APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE FEET FROM THE SIDEWALK CURB, WHEN THE ENGINE ACCELERATION SURGED AND MY VAN LURCHED FORWARD. I AGAIN SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO NOT SLAM INTO THE BUILDING WALL JUST PAST THE SIDEWALK, THE VAN STOPPED ON TOP OF THE SIDEWALK AFTER HITTING THE CAR PARKED NEXT TO MY VAN (AS MY WHEELS WERE STILL TURNED FROM TURNING INTO THE PARKING SPACE. THE DAMAGE TO MY VAN AND THE CAR HIT BY MY VAN TOTALED OVER $10,000. IF A PEDESTRIAN HAD BEEN ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MY VAN, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. BOTH TIMES THE ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY SURGED, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, AND THE VAN WAS TRAVELING LESS THAN 2 TO 3 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN THE ACCELERATION SURGED THE VAN FORWARD, IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD AND FAST AS IF THE ACCELERATOR HAD BEEN POUNDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. I HAVE CHECKED WITH MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER, WHO STATES THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THIS VAN AND THEY HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT UNEXPECTED AND POWERFUL ACCELERATION ON THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE AS THERE ARE MANY OTHER REPORTS ON DODGE FORUM BOARDS STATING THIS EXACT UNEXPECTED AND DANGEROUS ACCELERATION. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10683055