NHTSA Complaint #10781498 — 2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WHILE MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING IN A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE SPARE WHEEL SUSPENDER CABLE BROKE. THAT CAUSED A LOUD NOISE AND A VERY ROUGH RIDE BECAUSE THE SPARE WHEEL WAS STUCK UNDER THE MINIVAN. AFTER DRAGGING THE SPARE WHEEL AND THE STEEL TRAY THAT SUPPORT IT UNDER THE MINIVAN FOR APPROXIMATELY 200 METERS, THE WHEEL AND TRAY EVENTUALLY GOT LOOSE AND ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. INCREDIBLY AS IT MAY SOUND THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE HIGHWAY IN SAME DIRECTION AS MY WIFE AT THAT TIME AND SHE WAS ABLE TO BACK UP THE MINIVAN TO A SAFE PLACE, WALK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY PICK UP THE WHEEL AND SAVE IT INSIDE THE MINIVAN. AFTERWARDS MY WIVES CONTINUED TO HER DESTINATION WERE SHE PARKED ON A VERY UNEVEN STREET. AT THAT MOMENT A PLASTIC PROTECTIVE COVER FELL OFF FROM WHERE THE SPARE TIRE USED TO BE UNDER THE MINIVAN. WHEN I INSPECTED THE MINIVAN I COULD NOT FIND ANY TRACE OF THE STEEL CABLE THAT SUSPENDS THE WHEEL UNDER THE MINIVAN. UPON TURNING BOLT THAT IS USED TO LOWER THE SPARE TIRE THE BROKEN CABLE SHOWED UP UNDER THE MINIVAN. I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THE STEEL CABLE BROKE AT THE END TERMINAL BECAUSE THAT EXACT FAILURE MODE HAD ALREADY OCCURRED WITH THE PARKING BRAKE STEEL CABLE AND I HAD TO REPLACE IT. THE PLASTIC COVER THAT HAD FALLEN WAS PART OF THE ASSEMBLY WERE THE SPARE TIRE IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN THAT COVER AND A METAL TRAY. THE SPARE TIRE WAS IN THE STEEL CARRIER AND NEVER GOT LOOSE EVEN WHEN IT WAS STUCK UNDER THE MINIVAN.