2000 DODGE CARAVAN Vehicle Speed Control Problems

THE FOLLOWING REQUEST WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NTSB WEB SITE: MESSAGE: VAN ACCIDENT INCIDENT - 2000 DODGE VAN 2500 ON TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012 AROUND 4PM, I WAS ON MY WAY TO MARYVILLE TO PICK UP A TV. TRAVELING SOUTH ON EBENEZER ROAD, I ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL SETTING IT AT 45 MPH. APPROACHING NORTH SHORE IN THE RIGHT LANE, I SAW 4-6 CARS WAITING AT THE LIGHT. I TAP THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL AND IMMEDIATELY FELT THE VAN ACCELERATION. I TURNED INTO THE LEFT LANE TO MISS THE CARS IN THE RIGHT LANE. I REPOSITION MY FOOT BY LIFTING IT UP THINKING THAT I HAD PRESS BOTH THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE, AND PRESS IT BACK ON THE BRAKE. THE VAN WAS STILL ACCELERATING AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF WHY WAS IT STILL ACCELERATING? BY THAT TIME, I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION AND HAD NO CONTROL. I...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. ONE TIME, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A METAL POLE AND THE SECOND TIME, IT ACCELERATED INTO BUSHES AND STOPPED WHEN IT HIT A FENSE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO HER ARM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES AND THE LEFT REAR SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,444. UPDATED 01/06/11*LJ UPDATED 03.28.11

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE TO DEALER. THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE IDLE CONTROL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON,AND SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. *AK

WHILE IN THE DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, THE KEY WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE HAD GOTTEN BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED INTO REVERSE, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE. THE OWNER THEN PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED, WENT INTO THE GARAGE, AND HIT THE WASHER AND DRYER. OWNER STATED THERE WAS NO WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. *AK *SCC *JB

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING ON 18 JULY 2002. REPAIRS WERE DELAYED UNTIL I HAD $224 TO PAY THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE CLOCKSPRING ON 8 AUGUST 2002. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 0801001, NHTSA NUMBER 620059 AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS EA01-007 DESCRIBE THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. RECALL NUMBER 01V153 DESCRIBES THIS PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER DODGE TRUCK. ALL MECHANICS CONTACTED KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHY ALL STEERING WHEEL WIRING STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL.*AK

CONSUMER WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY IN THE PARK POSITION, WHILE TURNING THE IGNITION, STILL IN PARK, THE CAR TOOK OFF IN REVERSE DOWN THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE ALLEY AND LANDED IN THE NEIGHBORS POOL. *JG

CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AT 40 MPH, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, NO BRAKING ACTION. CONSUMER SHIFTED TO PARK TO STOP VEHICLE, ENGINE STALLED. DEALER COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE. ON 2 MAY 2001, REAR DRUMS WERE FOUND TO BE OUT OF ROUND AND WERE RESURFACED. ON 31 JAN 2002 DEALER CHECKED BRAKES DUE TO VIBRATION AND STATED BRAKES HAD 50 PERCENT LEFT. *AK DEALER HAS REPLACED BOTH REAR DRUMS AND ALSO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE BRAKE SHOES NEEDED REPLACED, THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDER WAS REPLACED AND REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED. TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE THROWN INTO PARK WHILE DRIVING, DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. *SLC

CONSUMER WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY IN THE PARK POSITION, WHILE TURNING THE IGNITION, STILL IN PARK, THE CAR TOOK OFF IN REVERSE DOWN THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE ALLEY AND LANDED IN THE NEIGHBORS POOL. *JG

WHEN CRUISE CONTROLIS ON ENGINE SPEEDS UP WHILE GOING UP AN INCLINE. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, AND THEY DID NOT WORK. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES HARD TO GET THEM TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER STATED BRAKES WERE STEALING VACUUM FROM BRAKE BOOSTER, BUT EVERYTHING IS OKAY. *AK

WHEN ENTERING A HIGHWAY MY VAN ACCELERATED SO FAST AND MADE A ROARING NOISE. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT IT KEPT ACCELERATING. I PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL (NOISE EVEN LOUDER) AND PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. I TURNED THE VAN OFF AND TRIED TO RESTART IT BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES I GOT IT TO START. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. HAD SOMEONE BEEN IN FRONT OF ME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY FOR ME TO HAVE AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT.*AK

CONSUMER PUT SPEED CONTROL ON AVERAGE CONTROL AND VEHICLE WENT DOWN TO DOWN HILL LIKE THERE WAS NOT A SMOOTH SPEED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTED THREE TIMES AND THE CONSUMER WAS SCARED IT COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT. *YH

HAD JUST STARTED TO PARK VEHICLE WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO ACCELERATION. VEHICLE HIT A TREE, AND AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. VEHICLE TOWED TO GARAGE WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. OWNER BELIEVED ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK. *AK *SLC