NHTSA Complaint #11164379 — 2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THE TIRE PRESSURE GAUGES COME OFF AND ON RANDOMLY EVEN THOUGH THE PRESSURE IS CORRECT. SOMETIMES, MY VANS SLIDING DOORS WHEN THEY SHOULD BE OPENING, START CLOSING BEFORE THE DOOR IS EVEN OPEN COMPLETELY AND WITHOUT ANYONE HITTING THE BUTTON TO CLOSE (MY 3 YEAR OLD FINGERS WERE SMASHED IN THE DOOR DUE TO THIS. LUCKILY, XRAYS REVEALED NONE WERE BROKEN, BUT I AM LEFT WITH AN EXPENSIVE HOSPITAL BILL)). WHEN I GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, SOMETIMES IT FEELS AS THOUGH I'M BEING JERKED FORWARD BECAUSE THE SHIFT IS SO HARD. LASTLY, MY VAN STARTED NOT WANTING TO START IN THE MORNINGS. AFTER TESTING BATTERY AND REPLACING SPARK PLUGS, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. IT'S LIKE IT WANTS TO START BUT CAN'T GET GAS SO IT DIES. REPEATEDLY TRYING GOT IT TO START, BUT THEN IT QUIT. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO START ONE MORE TIME AND DROVE TO MECHANIC. THEY INFORMED ME IT'S A FAULTY TIPM MODULE, AND IT NOW WON'T EVEN CONTINUE TO RUN ONCE IT'S STARTED. SO THEY INFORMED ME THEY CANNOT FIX IT BECAUSE ONLY A DEALERSHIP CAN REPROGRAM IT, AND THAT BECAUSE IT'S THE MODULE IT'S NOT SAFE TO DRIVE EVEN IF I COULD GET IT TO START TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT CAN DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING IT LEADING TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. SO NOW I'LL HAVE TO PAY TO TOW IT. I JUST PURCHASED THE VAN 3 MONTHS AGO BECAUSE I NEEDED ROOM FOR MY 4TH CHILD AND WANTED A SAFE, RELIABLE VEHICLE. NOW I HAVE A CAR PAYMENT AND A VEHICLE WITH ONLY A LITTLE OVER 80,000 MILES THAT ISN'T RELIABLE AND IS SITTING BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO REPAIR WHAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PLACED IN THE VEHICLE TO BEGIN WITH GIVEN IT WAS DEFECTIVE BEFORE INSTALLATION. PLEASE HELP PEOPLE LIKE ME BY HOLDING THE MANUFACTURER ACCOUNTABLE FOR FALSELY REPORTING A SAFE VEHICLE WHEN THEY KNEW IT HAD A DEFECTIVE PART THAT CAN ONLY BE FIXED BY A DEALERSHIP SINCE IT HAS TO BE PROGRAMMED.