NHTSA Complaint #10937195 — 2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

DRIVING STRAIGHT, APPROX 35 MPH ON 2-LANE STATE HIGHWAY PASSING THROUGH SMALL TOWN WITH RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON BOTH LANES AND NO SHOULDER. WITH NO PRIOR WARNING, ALL RED INSTRUMENT WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON AT ONCE, INCLUDING FUEL PUMP/THROTTLE, BRAKES AND OTHERS. CAR STALLED DEAD AND INSTANTANEOUSLY LOST POWER TO STEERING AND BRAKES, WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STEER VEHICLE PARTLY OFF ROAD INTO A DRIVEWAY OF BUSY STORE, BLOCKING DRIVEWAY TO CUSTOMERS. STATE POLICE WERE UNABLE TO GET CAR IN NEUTRAL TO PUSH TO SAFE LOCATION. POLICE ORDERED CAR TOWED AND IT IS CURRENTLY AWAITING DIAGNOSIS FOR TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE("TIPM") FAILURE AT DODGE DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS A LIFE-THREATENING FAILURE AND IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT NEARLY ANY OTHER LOCATION OR IN ADVERSE WEATHER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURY OR DEATH TO DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. WE HAVE TOW RECEIPT. WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER STATE POLICE FILED INCIDENT REPORT. MANY SIMILAR TIPM FAILURES OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA AND YOU HAVE RECENTLY REJECTED A CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY PETITION FOR NHTSA INTERVENTION REGARDING THIS DEFECT. CHRYSLER/DODGE IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TIPM BECAUSE 80,894 JEEP WRANGLERS AND DODGE NITRO VEHICLES WERE RECALLED IN 2007 FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. IN THAT RECALL, DEFECTIVE TIPMS HAD A SOFTWARE PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL. NHTSA SHOULD REQUIRE DODGE TO RECALL EVERY MODEL THAT HAS THIS SAME TIPM INSTALLED AND TO IMMEDIATELY WARN THE PUBLIC THAT THEIR LIVES ARE IN DANGER EVERY TIME THEY DRIVE THEIR DODGE/CHRYSLER VEHICLE. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT THE MANUFACTURER AND NHTSA HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN INFORMED OF THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT AND FAILED TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.