NHTSA Complaint #10572934 — 2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I WAS TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 50-55 MPH FOR A MERGING VEHICLE. WHEN I CHANGED LANES AND ACCELERATED, THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO 4000 RPM AND STUCK THERE, AND I WAS GOING OVER 80 VERY QUICKLY. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I PUT THE VAN IN NEUTRAL AND BRAKED, AND WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND STOP AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I STARTED THE VAN BACK UP AND THE ENGINE WENT RIGHT BACK TO 4000 RPM - EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS BEFORE. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN REPEATED THE PROCESS ANOTHER 3 TIMES - STRAIGHT BACK TO 4000 RPM. I VERIFIED THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT STUCK ON ANYTHING. SINCE THE VAN HAS THE AUTO-MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHERE I CAN SHIFT MANUALLY, I STARTED THE VAN, AND IMMEDIATELY PUT IT IN DRIVE AND SHIFTED MANUALLY, AND THE ENGINE KICKED A FEW TIMES AND THEN BEGAN TO RUN NORMALLY. RAN NORMALLY ALL THE WAY HOME. CALLED A FEW DEALERS, NONE OF WHICH SEEMED TOO CONCERNED AND COULDN'T GET MY VAN IN FOR OVER A WEEK. WHEN I FINALLY GOT A DEALER TO LOOK AT IT, THEY PERFORMED A RECALL FOR THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS WORKING FINE. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE RECALL ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND NONE OF THE SERVICE DEPTS I CALLED HAD HEARD OF IT. *TR