NHTSA Complaint #10172615 — 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

DEAR SIRS: 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE . IT HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, FEW OF WHICH WERE FIXED PROPERLY WHEN BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. FINALLY, ON OCTOBER 04, 2006, WITH 29000+ MILES ON THE VEHICLE, AN AXLE BROKE AS MY SON, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OLD PULLED OUT OF A PARKING LOT ONTO THE ROAD. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON AN INTERSTATE, WITH THE VEHICLE MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, THERE IS EVERY LIKELIHOOD THAT A FATAL ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. AXLES DO NOT BREAK EXCEPT UNDER EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES OR WHEN THERE IS SOME FATAL FAULT WITH THE MANUFACTURE ITSELF. THIS IS NOT A VEHICLE WHICH HAS BEEN ABUSED. IT HAS BEEN USED TO TRANSPORT HOUSEWIVES AND SMALL CHILDREN BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL, TO GROCERY, ETCETERA. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED AT ALL PROPER INTERVALS AT THE MECHANICSVILLE, VA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. EXCEPT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE SO AS TO AVOID STORAGE CHARGES, I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY TRANSPORTED IN THIS VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT MECHANICSVILLE DODGE CLAIMS TO HAVE REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AND THAT IT IS SAFE. THEY HAVE ALL ''' DRIVEN IT AND IT DRIVES FINE!'' THAT IS ILLOGICAL FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. FIRST, IT ''DROVE FINE'' RIGHT UP UNTIL THE MOMENT THE AXLE BROKE, EVEN THOUGH NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL AND OTHER PROBLEMS EXISTED WHICH WERE NOT FULLY REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. SECOND, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, BASED ON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH SHODDY WORK AND OUTRIGHT FALSEHOODS AT THIS STORE, TO BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOP IS CAPABLE OF PROPERLY REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. THIRD, THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT OTHER LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS DO NOT EXIST, LURKING IN THIS VEHICLE TO STRIKE MY FAMILY IF WE WERE TO TRUST IT OR MECHANICSVILLE DODGE ONCE AGAIN WITH OUR LIVES. *JB