2010 Dodge Caravan Other / unspecified Problems

2010 DODGE CARAVAN. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE TIRE DEFLATED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING. *SMD THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY PUNCTURES, GASHES OR OTHER REASONS WHY THE TIRE WOULD HAVE DEFLATED SUDDENLY. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE NUT ON THE VALVE STEM HAD CORRODED, CRACKED OFF AND THE SEAL BETWEEN THE STEM AND THE TIRE BECAME UN-SEATED CAUSING THE MASSIVE LOSS IN AIR PRESSURE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT APPEARED THAT THE OTHER TIRES HAD CRACKED OR WERE MISSING NUTS ON THEIR VALVE STEMS AND WERE IN DANGED OF THE SAME CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10735220

Incident

Jun 19, 2015

VALVE STEM LOCK NUT CORROSION CAUSED STEM TO FALL INSIDE TIRE. CAUSED INSTANT FLAT AT 65 MPH. ALMOST LOST CONTROL. AGAIN TODAY ANOTHER STEM FELL INSIDE TIRE. GOING SLOWER 35 MPH. BOTH TIMES IT ALSO DESTROYED TIRES.

NHTSA ID

10715515

Incident

May 7, 2014

Mileage

50,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ONE DAY, OUT OF THE BLUE MY CAN WOULD NOT GO OVER 25 TO 30 MPH. IT WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY IF WE WENT FASTER. WE GOT IT TO THE MECHANIC AND THE BRAKES HAD ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT RUINED ONE TIRE AND THE BRAKES AND CALIPERS. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I REPORTED IT TO DODGE. THEY SAID IT HAD NEVER HAPPENED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES GET REPORTED. I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE IT NEVER ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. REALLY? *TR

NHTSA ID

10694526

Incident

Jul 19, 2014

Mileage

100,400 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON I-90 TPMS INDICATOR CAME ON. WITHIN SECONDS RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE WHEEL I SAW THE VALVE STEM WAS GONE. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO TIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10588753

Incident

May 15, 2014

Mileage

80,000 mi

I WAS CHECKING THE TIRE PRESSURE AND THE VALVE STEM BROKE OFF IN MY HAND AND ALL THE AIR RAN OUT IN 10 SECONDS. I REMOVED THE FLAT TIRE AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME 100.00. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE VALVE STEMS WITH THE INTERNAL PRESSURE SENSORS AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE OTHER WHEELS DOING SIMILAR POSSIBLY WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10492299

Incident

Jan 8, 2013

Mileage

25,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH THE TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VAN BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO THE ACCELERATOR. WHILE THE VAN BEGAN TO SLOW THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING MAKING IT HARD TO MANEUVER OFF THE ROAD, GOOD THING I WAS ON A RURAL ROAD. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10488898

Incident

Dec 6, 2012

Mileage

42,500 mi

1ST TIME: TIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN CHECKING THE AIR PRESSURE, THE VALVE STEM BROKE OFF MID WAY UP THE STEM EXPOSING THE VALVE ITSELF. WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE IT COST APPROXIMATELY $150.00 TO REPLACE AND PROGRAM. 2ND TIME: CHECKING AIR PRESSURE BEFORE LEAVING FOR A LONG TRIP. I COULD VISUALLY SEE A TIRE WAS LOW ON PRESSURE (TIRE SQUATTING), LATER REMOVING THE CAP ON THE VALVE STEM I COULD SEE A DISTINCT WHAT I CALL WEAR RING NEAR WHERE THE CAP, WHEN INSTALLED, WOULD END ON THE STEM. AS THIS IS THE AREA THE PREVIOUS STEM BROKE, I SPRAYED THE STEM WITH SOAPY WATER AND CONFIRMED A SLOW LEAK FROM THIS WEAR RING. HAD THIS STEM REPLACED WITH A STANDARD SAFE VALVE STEM. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE COMPONENT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED! THE FIRST OCCURRENCE TOOK THE TIRE ABOUT 20 SECONDS TO GO COMPLETELY FLAT. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHILE LOADED DOWN WITH A FAMILY GOING ON VACATION, THIS COULD END UP WITH A LOT OF SERIOUS INJURIES IF NOT FATALITIES. I'M HAVING ALL STEMS REPLACED WITH THE TRADITIONAL STYLE UNTIL THE MANUFACTURER RECALLS AND PROVIDES AN ENVIRONMENTALLY TESTED REPLACEMENT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF SAFETY TESTING IS NOT ALL READY REQUIRED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10486291

Incident

Mar 6, 2012

Mileage

50,000 mi

THIS CAR IS A 2010 DODGE CARAVAN. I HAVE HAD 2 VALVE STEMS FAIL EXPLOSIVELY. IT OCCURS AROUND WHERE THE VALVE CORE IS SCREWED DOWN. IT APPEARS THE THREADED VALVE STEM JUST CRACKS OFF ABOUT THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM OF THE VALVE STEM . BOTH TIMES I WAS SITTING STILL WHEN IT HAPPENED. LUCKY! I DON'T KNOW HOW WIDE SPREAD THIS PROBLEM IS BUT IF HTTP://USNEWS.RANKINGSANDREVIEWS.COM/CARS-TRUCKS/DAILY-NEWS/080905-TIRE-VALVE-STEM-RECALL-COULD-AFFECT-30-MILLION-CARS/ IS AN EXAMPLE, THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND GETTING WORSE. I THINK THAT IS BEYOND TIME FOR YOUR AGENCY TO GET VERY INVOLVED. THE COMPANY I PURCHASED THIS AUTO FROM DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE VERY EAGER TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS. YOUR TIMELY RESPONSE IS REQUIRED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10447936

Incident

Jun 15, 2011

Mileage

30,000 mi

WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 12000 MILES MY FRONT TIRES WERE COMPLETELY BARE (LIKE RACING SLICKS). WAS TAKEN TO 2 DEALERSHIPS AND THEY LOOKED AT THE VAN AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG THAT WOULD CAUSE THE TIRE WEAR (ALIGNMENT WAS FINE). I FOUGHT AND FOUGHT WITH CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR THEM, WHICH THEY FINALLY DID ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER THE PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED. NOW MY VEHICLE HAS 15000 MILES AND WHILE DRIVING ALL YOU CAN HEAR IS NOISES (ALMOST LIKE ROAD NOISE BUT ITS FROM THE FRONT END). MOST LIKELY, WHEEL BEARINGS, BALL JOINT, TIE RODS ETC. ON 10/21/11, WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY LOW AND BEHOLD WHAT DO YOU HERE, NOTHING BUT THE SOUND OF GRINDING BRAKES. NO SIGN OF BRAKE HAVING A ISSUES THE DAY BEFORE WHEN DRIVEN. THIS PARTICULAR VAN THAT I PURCHASED BRAND NEW (WITH 2 MILES ON IT) CLEARLY IS A LEMON AND HAS FAULTY PARTS OR SOMETHING MAJORLY WRONG WITH IT. NONE OF THESE PARTS OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE GOING AT THIS AMOUNT OF MILES. AS ALWAYS, CHRYSLER AND ITS' DEALERS SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10432299

Incident

Sep 30, 2010

Mileage

12,000 mi