11 of the 356 complaints about the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan are about the braking system — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 42,060 miles.
11
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SERVICE BRAKES
I had recently decided to rotate my wheels and and I had gotten done I noticed that after a little while after I get down the road my speedometer, cruise control, abs, traction control stopped working and my parking brake light also came on now I do know the only thing that I done differently was kept my hub cap pieces off of the vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11672128 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH and attempting to slow for a traffic signal, the vehicle was not slowing down as intended. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake lines needed to be flushed and the brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact called and made the dealer to aware of the failure but was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11613794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Stalls out randomly rear caliper keeps failing and leaking break fluid transmission will not shift properly up or down shifting which makes had to stop everything the the recalls for USA model has this Canada model has going right with it
NHTSA complaint #11441841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
9:45 PM I HAD JUST TAKEN THE EXIT FOR 781 OFF OFF I-81 IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, NY TO HEAD TO FORT DRUM. I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. I SET THE CRUISE CONTROL TO 62, THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65. IT WAS ABOUT A MILE OR SO DOWN FROM THE ON RAMP WHEN THE VAN SHUT OFF BY ITSELF AT 62MPH. THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL OR LIGHTS, NOT EVEN THE HEADLIGHTS WORKED. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, THE BRAKE PEDAL LOCKED AND WOULD NOT WORK. I HAD NO CONTROL. THERE IS NO ROAD LIGHTING IN THAT AREA AND NO OTHER CARS WERE AROUND SO I COULD NOT SEE THE ROAD OR ANYTHING AROUND ME. MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS THAT I NEEDED TO TRY TO GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE NO OTHER CARS COULD SEE ME BUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING. I TRIED THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND THEY WORKED SO I TRIED AS HARD AS I COULD TO PULL THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. I ENDED UP HITTING A GUARD RAIL AND THAT'S WHAT ULTIMATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK, AND THEN I CALLED 911. I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT WORKED FINE. IT TOOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES FOR THE POLICE OFFICER TO ARRIVE. SHE ASKED WHAT HAPPENED, LOOKED AT THE GUARD RAIL AND THE VEHICLE. I GAVE HER MY LICENSE, INSURANCE AND REGISTRATION AND SHE DID THE PAPERWORK. I LEFT THE SCENE IN THE VEHICLE AT 10:35PM. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT SIDE BUMPER AND WHEEL WELL AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO THE HUB CAP. THIS WAS TERRIFYING TO EXPERIENCE. I AM VERY, VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS ALONE ON A STRAIGHT, ONE WAY PIECE OF HIGHWAY. TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT HAD THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN DIFFERENT. I COULD HAVE GONE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I COULD HAVE BEEN REARENDED, MY CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. THERE IS AN OPEN RECALL FOR THIS MODEL YEAR GRAND CARAVAN AND THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, BUT IF I INPUT MY VIN IT SAYS THERE'S NO RECALLS FOR THAT VIN.
NHTSA complaint #11387413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
THE BRAKES DID NOT HOLD WHEN BACKING UP. I WAS DRIVING WHEN BRAKES WENT SOFT. I HAD VECH TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIS AND IT WAS DISECOVERED A GAS BUBBLE IN BRAKE LINE .I SEARCHED AND FOUND A RECALL NOTED THIS WAS FOUND AND WOULD REOCOUR. MAFRACTURE STATES IT COULD REACOUR AGANIN AT ANYTIME
NHTSA complaint #11384710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING IT WOULDN'T SROP THIS HAPPENED TO ME 3XS 2 TIMES I WAS IN A CRASH THE BRAKES FO LOW TO THE FLOOR BUT WHEN IT WAS CHECKED I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THIS LAST SACCIDENT PEOPLE WHERE WITH ME THEY WITNESSED ME FRANTICALLY APPLYING BRAKES BUT CAR WOULDNT STOP.
NHTSA complaint #11339308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS (JUNE 22, 2020) ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED IT FROM OUT OF STATE SO IT WAS ABOUT A 400 MILE DRIVE HOME. I WAS COMING TO A STOP LIGHT AND THE BRAKES STIFFENED AND DIDN'T WORK. ALSO THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN. A BRAKE LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON THE DASH SO, I PRESSED THE PARKING BRAKE RELEASE TWICE AND RESTARTED IT AGAIN. AFTER I DID THIS THE CAR SEEMED FINE. I DROVE HOME VERY CAREFULLY AND CALLED THE DEALER. THEY SAID TO TAKE IT TO THE CLOSEST DEALER TO MY HOUSE. I DID THE NEXT DAY (JUNE 23, 2020). THE ONLY PROBLEM CODE THEY FOUND WAS IN THE BRAKES SO THEY REPLACED THOSE PARTS. I WENT HOME THINKING THAT ALL WAS FIXED. I DROVE THE VEHICLE ANOTHER 500+ MILES IN THE NEXT WEEK WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THEN ON JULY 4TH IT HAPPENED AGAIN, NO BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. I WAS LUCKY AGAIN IN THAT I COULD PULL OVER AND RESTART THE CAR. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER WHEN THEY OPENED ON JULY 6TH. THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM CODE AND SAID UNTIL THEY HAD IT HAPPEN WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING IT, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING DOWNHILL SLOWING DOWN TO A STOPLIGHT. THE SECOND TIME I WAS DRIVING DOWNHILL AND SLOWING FOR TRAFFIC WHEN I NOTICED IT. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT ON FAST HIGHWAYS WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
NHTSA complaint #11337900 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
VEHICLE IS STOPPING VERY SLOW. ALSO IS JERKING WHEN GOING FROM IDLE TO PULL OFF. BREAKS REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STOPPING ROOM. THESE ISSUES BEGAN IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE IN SEPTEMBER 2019. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL ONLINE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME VEHICLE. THERE ARE RECALLS ON SIMILAR VEHICLES.
NHTSA complaint #11307468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I WAS IN ALLENTOWN AND MY BRAKE PEDAL DRIFTED HALFWAY TO THE FLOOR WHILE AT THE STOP LIGHT. I WAS AT PEP BOYS AND THEY BLEED THE BRAKES. THAT SEEMED TO DO THE TRICK. HERE WE ARE TWO WEEKS LATER AND THE BRAKE PEDAL IS GETTING SPONGY AND DRIFTING AGAIN. THEREFORE NO FLUID LEAKS ANY PLACE. THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON ONLINE BOARDS. I PAID CASH FOR THIS VAN JULY 1 2019 . I SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS. NOT TO MENTION OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD OR CROSSWALKS.*DT
NHTSA complaint #11299769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I WAS CROSSING AN INTERSECTION WHEN 2 CARS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME MAKING A LEFT TURN I TRIED TO STOP SLAMMED MY BRAKES NO SKIDDING AT ALL AND RAN INTO THE BACK OF A CAR TOTALING MY VAN AS OF THE RESULT OF THE WRECK IN WICH L FELT LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES
NHTSA complaint #11280675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
MY WIFE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER CAR. SHE CALLED ME AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE POLICE HAD BEEN CALLED. I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER THE POLICE. MY WIFE WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP ACCORDING TO HER. SHE WAS NOT DISTRACTED AND FELT LIKE THE VAN SHE WAS DRIVING HAD AMPLE ROOM TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING UP AN INCLINE ON A HIGHWAY, TRAFFIC CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE VEHICLE MY WIFE HAD THE WRECK IN IS A RENTAL VEHICLE, HOWEVER; SHE HAD DRIVEN IT FOR THREE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT. THE UNFAMILIARITY OF THE RENTAL COULD HAVE HAD A PART TO PLAY IN THE ACCIDENT, HOWEVER; THE STOP WAS ON AN INCLINE AND IT SEEMS TO ME THE INCLINE WOULD HAVE HELPED WITH THE STOP AND SOMEWHAT COUNTERACTED SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. MY WIFE SUSTAINED BRUISES AND SWELLING IN THE ANKLES, KNEES AND WRISTS AS WELL AS SOME NECK INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. I AM NOT AWARE OF THE INJURIES OF THE OTHER PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. MY COMPLAINT IS NOT TO REDIRECT BLAME OF THE ACCIDENT TO THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THESE VANS HAVE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BRAKING DISTANCE FALLING OUTSIDE ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS. A FLAW IN THE BRAKING MAY NOT HAVE CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT BUT, FROM A LOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, GIVEN THE FACTS MY WIFE'S REPORT OF THE INCIDENT AND READING THE RECALL DETAILS FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL VAN, IT IS A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY. MY HOPE IS THAT THE WRECK WAS NOT THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND THAT THE DRIVERS OF THESE VANS ARE SAFE WITH NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. THANK YOU
NHTSA complaint #11210388 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.