Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 10/01/1999 | ||
| Upon slowing down to stop at a stop sign abs pump started running and brake pedel went to floor car failed to stop at stop sign and proceeded into the intersection abs light came on | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 09/26/2011 | 98000 | ||
| 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. rvk | |||
| 09/26/2011 | 98000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. while driving at approximately 45 mph the contact depressed the brake pedal and noticed the brake pedal dropped to the floor board. the contact was able to stop the vehicle. after inspecting the vehicle the contact noticed the brake line had fractured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000. ds | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 131000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 07/20/2010 | 117000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 06/27/2007 | 101000 | 2 | 03/28/1999 |
| 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. | |||
| 10/24/2003 | 51230 | 2 | 06/01/1999 |
| I own a 1999 dodge grand caravan, sport edition. yesterday while my wife was making a right turn on the street, the steering froze and the brakes failed. she went straight on the other side of the cross street and the van went dead. upon starting the van again, the service engine soon light came up. the speedometer was unresponsive and somehow we brought the van home. this is probably the speed sensor that has gone bad again. three months ago when i was driving the van on the freeway, the van went unresponsive and i had to pullover. upon starting the van, it showed the service engine soon light and would not catch up highway speed. i had to drive at 35 mph speed on freeway at very high engine revolutions and come home. the dealer replaced the speed sensor to fix the problem. the serious thing of the problem in this van is that the problem occurs suddenly while the van is in motion. yesterday and three months ago it could have resulted in a fatal accident. *la | |||
| 10/12/2002 | |||
| Consumer noticed the brake pedal become soft and goes to to the floor when applied on a inclined position. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 10/31/2005 | 85960 | 1 | 02/01/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 11/18/2002 | |||
| Consumer states while braking have extended stopping, notified the dealer repaired and replaced rotors 5000 miles later problem recurred. ts | |||
| 03/17/2001 | 9 | 01/01/2001 | |
| There is a continous dragging of front brakes and wearing out brake pads, no one at dealer can seem to correct problem. rotors have be replaced at ;east 2 times, calipers replaced 4 times and pads replaced 9 times. all of this has been done in a 7-8 mth period of time. and the problem is still on going with no correction to the problem. brake pedal goes almost to the floor causing an extended stopping distance. have almost rear ended another car several times due to almost failure of front brakes.*ak | |||
| 04/15/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Brakes were pulsating when applied, pedal felt hard, reduced braking distance. mechanic found front rotors were rusting from inside out. *ak *jb | |||
| 01/22/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Excessive wear and tear on the pads at 13,000 miles. the service dept failed to inspect wheels and brakes. then at 28,000 miles a total brake failure occurred. additionally, a strut is defective.*ak | |||
| 07/08/2000 | |||
| When the brakes were applied down hill pedal went to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. dealer will inspect the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 11/26/1999 | 1 | ||
| The abs hydraulic system failed and vehicle could not be stopped quickly. yh | |||
| 07/09/1999 | 0 | ||
| Abs braking system light stays on. has had some problems with the brakes. dealer stated will have automobile repaired in one week. *ak | |||
| While applying brakes noticed a grinding noise which resulted in extended stoping distance. *ak | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Abs brakes failed caused collision, pedal went back and brake driver's foot. yh | |||
| 07/05/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| Our 1999 dodge grand caravan was modified for my wife who is disabled and confined to a wheelchair. the mini van was converted by vantage mobility international (vmi) in phoenix az. during the modifiacation, the exhaust system was re-routed and during normal driving conditions, caused the muffler to move and sever the right rear brake fluid line as well as the abs electrical controller line. the movement of the exhaust system also punctured a hole in the rear of the muffler that would have also presented a carbon monoxide situation. if i had not had my local dodge dealer look at my van on this particular day, my family would have been in an accident. this company provides these vehicles nationwide and this situation could continue to present a safety hazard to other owners and should be investigated. thank you. *ak | |||
| 12/31/1998 | |||
| Abs light keeps blinking and brake fluid leaks out. problem occurred two times. dealer contacted and cannot duplicate the problem. problem still exists. provide further information. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Dt: the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. he states that for the last two years all the gauges will go out while driving. the check engine light came on while the car was running. also, while this problem was happening abs brakes failed. dealer said that the problem could have been the body control module. they could reprogram or rebuild it. the vehicle will not tabulate miles. he has known 1994's to do the same thing . they replaced the bcm, and a couple of years later it went out again. if consumer takes y fist and hits the dash the lights will come back on. this worked for a while but since the problem was happening more often this didn't fix the problem anymore. he checked the nhtsa website for this problem and has seen other complaints listed but under different components. the car was actually falsifying mileage because it will not tabulate the miles correctly. he had the name and address of the 1994 dodge owner.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 10/28/2001 | |||
| Consumer states that while backing down an incline , the brakes gradually goes out. the pedal goes almost to the floor. had brakes blead 4 times, problem still accurs. ts | |||
| 06/20/2000 | 2 | 10/12/1999 | |
| While braking the vehicle pulsates and the brakes make noise, the dealer replaced the rotors and the brakes. nlm | |||
| 08/30/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| The connecting clip popped loose. removed all braking except emergency. it was a close call | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Brakes failed during panic stopping, pedal to the floor then pedal bounced back resulting in broken bone in driver's foot, failure resulting in vehicle collision. mjs | |||
| 01/08/1999 | |||
| When pulling into a parking space and applying the brakes, brakes went straight to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to accelerate. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC | |||
| 1 | 11/19/2002 | ||
| Left front brakes wore out prematurely. it sounded like metal rubbing against metal. *ak | |||
| 05/21/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Since purchase of vehicle we have had an ongoing noise from the rear axles of the van. we have reported this at every service and the vehicle has had one of the rear axles replaced. dealer states this is a common problem with 4 wheel drive mini-vans and that reduced milage on rear brakes is common. we had less than 30k miles on a set of rear disc brakes and pad failure resulted in damage to one rotor. we have owned many different vehicles and have never had such poor performance of rear brakes.*ak | |||
| 03/17/2001 | 9 | 01/01/2001 | |
| There is a continous dragging of front brakes and wearing out brake pads, no one at dealer can seem to correct problem. rotors have be replaced at ;east 2 times, calipers replaced 4 times and pads replaced 9 times. all of this has been done in a 7-8 mth period of time. and the problem is still on going with no correction to the problem. brake pedal goes almost to the floor causing an extended stopping distance. have almost rear ended another car several times due to almost failure of front brakes.*ak | |||
| 08/07/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Front pads and rotors wore out prematurely. front left inner pad completely gone causing metal to metal contact. both rotors severely damaged. brakes are under designed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 06/14/2001 | 7 | 01/01/2001 | |
| When taking a turn the brake pedal went to the floor. the next day as i was traveling on a feeder road as i applied the brakes for a red light i heard a gringing comming from front driver side of the tire. i immediately got on the phone with the dealer and notifed them. car had to be towed to the dealer. this is not the first time this has happened. vehicle has been in the shop approximately 7 times for this problem. it has had both front calipers replaced 4 times. brake pads replaced about every 3000 miles and 2 master cylinders installed since jan. 2001. brake pads are being crystilized and can be crumbled in hand like charcoal. have had roators replaced and turned several times. also keep losing brake fluid.*ak | |||
| 1 | 12/01/1999 | ||
| My brakes have been squeaking and grinding since about a month after we bought the car brand new. i have had the van into the dealership numerous times with complaints about it and only once, after my brake warranty expired did they feel the need to inform me that the front brakes were shot and the master cylinder for the back brakes was defective due to a leak. it has now been abut two months since the new brakes were put on and we had the van in again for the same problems. this time the dealership told us there was a large buildup of metallic residue which was causing the problem. they replaced the front brake pads again at no charge but noew, a week to the day later, my brakes are starting to squeak again. my warranty on this van in general is almost up. i want to make sure that this problem as well as the other minor ones i have with the van are corrected once and for all.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 03/24/2003 | 1 | 03/11/2000 | |
| We bought our dodge grand caravan on march 11th 2000, within the following month we took the van back to the leith dealer ship that we bought it from to complain about a very loud popping noise that was comming from the front right wheel well and we were told and i quoite that is a noise that is very common to dodge vehicles and basiclly told we would have to live with it. it got worse so we took it back again to the same dealership and told them that the problem was deffiantly worse and would you please look at it, again we were told the same thing. all in all we took it back to the dealership at least 3 or 4 different times and everytime the answer was the same. in march of this year (2003) we took our van in to a local firestone to have new tires but on the van and i asked once again if they would check and see if they could find the source to the noise, and they did. for 3 years we drove around with the wheel hub comming off, it turned out the the wheel hub asembley was loose and coming off you could pull the wheel in all different directions with it tightly bolted to the van itself, the gas struts had to be replaced and the sway bar link kit had to replaced on it also. all in all the total bill ended up as $800.09 to get the van fixed. we have also had to have the calipers replaced twice on the van and we have been told once again that this is also common to dodge vehicles. we would love to be reimbersed for this because the dealership sold us this vehicle in this shape and knew it and then lied about it not once but several times but the dealership is no longer in business.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 09/10/2004 | 95000 | 5 | |
| When braking consumer heard a grinding noise coming from the front brake pads. consumer was still having problems after repairs. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 06/02/2004 | 2 | 11/30/2002 | |
| Had a complete check done on van before leaving for a long vacation trip. at this check it was found that the front brake pads needed replacement. we did so thinking this was normal maintenance. less than two months later we noticed a squeaking noise from front of vehicle and within one day after trying to make a stop at a turning lane after going approximately 25mph the brake went to the floor. took to garage and front brakes had gone to the rotors. we have been having them checked every four weeks due to the horrible squeaking noise we continue to hear. *ak | |||
| 01/22/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Excessive wear and tear on the pads at 13,000 miles. the service dept failed to inspect wheels and brakes. then at 28,000 miles a total brake failure occurred. additionally, a strut is defective.*ak | |||
| 1 | 08/14/1999 | ||
| Brake pads and rotors failed. nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 06/02/2004 | 2 | 11/30/2002 | |
| Had a complete check done on van before leaving for a long vacation trip. at this check it was found that the front brake pads needed replacement. we did so thinking this was normal maintenance. less than two months later we noticed a squeaking noise from front of vehicle and within one day after trying to make a stop at a turning lane after going approximately 25mph the brake went to the floor. took to garage and front brakes had gone to the rotors. we have been having them checked every four weeks due to the horrible squeaking noise we continue to hear. *ak | |||
| 14000 | 2 | 02/12/1999 | |
| Vehicle shimmied when the brakes were applied. dealer resurfaced the front and rear rotors. four months later, the problem recurred. every 14,000 miles the dealer was replacing the rotors. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 6 | 12/15/1998 | |
| I have a 1999 grand caravan, i have not received any recall notices at all. i have had numerous problems with this vehicle. why haven't i been notified of any of these concerns. i have problems with windshield wipers just quitting. dome lights fading in an out. now that my warrenty is up, they say i'll need a new transmission. the back gate won't unlock with a key, the windows leak, the sliding doors don't seal, they rattle going down the road. my rpm dial shoots up and down, not only that, my paint has started peeling over the back left wheel. they say it's not their problem. just started bubbling and rusting. i've had to have a gas line underneath fixed due to knocking it wasn't fixed properly. i have a lemon is what i have and now that i have no warrenty they just keep putting their hands out. i have put three sets of brakes in less than 4 years and now they say i need rotors. i live 3 miles from work. what's up with that. help!!!!!!!!!!!!!now my blower is going out of my heater, i've had to replace two hub caps, $150 each for the fragile plastic.*ak | |||
| 01/17/2003 | 60985 | 4 | 12/21/1998 |
| Continuous brake problems/failures due to pitting & corroding of the front disc rotors. rear brake drums not adjusting properly (have never adjusted). rotors replaced by dealer and now require replacement again. entire rear wheel braking system replaced, still not working correctly. vehicle has never stopped correctly in four years of ownership. is very dangerous and could cause an accident. | |||
| 04/11/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer heard a grinding coming from the front of vehicle. took to a mechanic and they stated the left rotor needed replacing. consumer feels this was unsafe because the brake could have failed. nlm | |||
| 04/11/2002 | |||
| There was a grinding noise coming from the front of vehicle. took vehicle to a mechanic, and mechanic stated that front left rotors needed replacing. there was no warning. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 2 | 11/01/1999 | |
| When applying brakes vehicle vibrates, dealer replaced front rotors due to rust and holes from street salt. at this time, front rotors needed to be replaced again, same problem.*ak *slc | |||
| 04/15/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Brakes were pulsating when applied, pedal felt hard, reduced braking distance. mechanic found front rotors were rusting from inside out. *ak *jb | |||
| 1 | 08/14/1999 | ||
| Brake pads and rotors failed. nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 07/30/2006 | 83100 | 1 | 10/31/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 03/10/2006 | 36000 | 1 | 12/18/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 09/09/2005 | 120000 | 1 | 05/03/2005 |
| I have a 1999 dodge grand caravan. i found that i have severely rusted brake lines. (i just happened to look my self) they look like they will burst any minute. i have detailed pictures. seems wrong to me that a car manufacturer would be so cheap as to use brake lines that rust. *nm | |||
| 04/22/2005 | 1 | 01/11/1999 | |
| 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 | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | |||
| 08/26/2002 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Brake failure due to a cracked master cylinder. dealer and manufacturer has been notified. *ak *jb | |||
| 07/27/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Brake pedal went to floor, but vehicle came to a stop. dealer replaced master cylinder under warranty. brakes working properly after replacement of part. | |||
| 03/01/2001 | |||
| Master cylinder is leaking . contacted dealer.*ak | |||
| 1 | 12/01/1999 | ||
| My brakes have been squeaking and grinding since about a month after we bought the car brand new. i have had the van into the dealership numerous times with complaints about it and only once, after my brake warranty expired did they feel the need to inform me that the front brakes were shot and the master cylinder for the back brakes was defective due to a leak. it has now been abut two months since the new brakes were put on and we had the van in again for the same problems. this time the dealership told us there was a large buildup of metallic residue which was causing the problem. they replaced the front brake pads again at no charge but noew, a week to the day later, my brakes are starting to squeak again. my warranty on this van in general is almost up. i want to make sure that this problem as well as the other minor ones i have with the van are corrected once and for all.*ak | |||
| 1 | 08/14/1999 | ||
| Master cylinder failed. nlm | |||
| 03/03/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Master cylinder has failed resulting in greatly reduced braking ability. i have been waiting for a replacement for well over a week. this wait leads me to believe that there may be a shortage of these parts possibly due to a unusually high failure rate of this part. this car does not have anti-lock brakes. i was told that there has been a recent change in the supplier of this part to chrysler. *ak | |||
| 11/26/1999 | 4 | ||
| The driver was unable to stop the vehicle quickly because a bad master cylinder caused the brake pedal to fail. yh | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM | |||
| 06/01/1999 | |||
| Consumer was driving approx. 45 mph when she smelled burning plastic, pulled into the garage there was smoke from front of vehicle in the tire areas, vehicle was towed to dealership, was test driven and could not duplicate the problem, since june 1st problem comes and goes, second time dealership discovered that the booster brake was out, at this time they are waiting for parts. | |||