NHTSA Complaint #10678428 — 2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS (50 DEGREES F, NO RAIN/SNOW), THE OPERATOR NOTICED A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. UPON SCANNING THE DASH, THE EPS (STABILITY CONTROL) LIGHTS WAS ILLUMINATED. A FEW SECONDS (MAYBE 5 - 15) LATER, THE POWER BREAKING APPEARED TO BE LOST. OPERATOR IS UNSURE IF THESE FUNCTIONS WERE "SIMPLY" LOST, OR IF THE VEHICLE WAS ACTUALLY POWERED DOWN. STEERING AND BREAKING WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PHYSICALLY CONTROL THE VEHICLE ENOUGH TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING ANY OBJECTS. EVEN BRAKING WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DO WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE. AFTER GETTING SAFELY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE CAR WAS RE-STARTED AND APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, ALTHOUGH OPERATOR WAS UNWILLING TO RISK PUTTING CAR INTO "DRIVE". CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEED, OR WHEN A QUICK STOP WAS NECESSARY, A SEVERE CRASH LIKELY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. *TR