2016 Dodge Grand Caravan Steering Problems

The steering and wheel alignment of the vehicle is habitually misaligned and pulling drastically to the right. The vehicle has been serviced and aligned multiple times, and the auto mechanic shop says that the alignment can no longer be set properly. They charged me extra for some additional part to help correct this and allow the vehicle to be aligned, however that did not help. Although the steering wheel appears in alignment, the front wheels continue to pull sharply to the right, causing a safety issue because the vehicle is constantly trying to move to the right.

NHTSA ID

11503576

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

While pulling into a parking lot, the engine suddenly died with no indicator lights or warning of any kind. Steering locked up and brakes were not functional. Coasted to a stop in a stall and put the vehicle in park. Restarted it without incident but I'm afraid it will happen in much more dangerous conditions

NHTSA ID

11434240

Incident

Sep 24, 2021

WHILE DRIVING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE INCLUDING ALL FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS SIMPLY SHUTS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS. ALL SYSTEMS ARE LOST. BRAKES, STEERING, ENGINE, ETC. THERE IS NO ADVANCED WARING OR INDICATIONS. THERE ARE NO ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE TO FIX THIS MALFUNCTION WITH NO SUCCESS/PROGRESS. THIS IS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE BECAUSE ALL VEHICLE CONTROLS ARE LOST. BOTH TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. ONCE IN THE CITY AND THE OTHER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID

11385584

Incident

Dec 20, 2020

Mileage

70,000 mi

WHEN EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE POWER GAVE OUT AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. HOWEVER, THE CAR DID NOT SHUT DOWN IT WAS STILL RUNNING BUT WAS UNABLE TO STEER. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THERE'S ISSUES WITH THE HEADS. THERE HAS BEEN EXTENDES WARRANTIES FOR THIS ISSUE BUT VIN IS NOT INCLUDED.

NHTSA ID

11376255

Incident

Nov 22, 2020

Mileage

66,700 mi

CAR LOSES ALL POWER AND STEERING IS LOST AS WELL. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW, WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR OR RECREATE THE ISSUE. WE HAVE A FAMILY OF 6 AND ARE WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING OUR CAR, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11321740

Incident

Apr 5, 2020

Mileage

50,000 mi

WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN THE VEHICLE DIED. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL, BUT THE BRAKES AND THE POWER STEERING WERE NOT WORKING AND THE CAR APPEARED TO BE IDLING, BUT NON-RESPONSIVE. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND FORCE THE GEAR INTO PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND WHEN THE VEHICLE TURNED ON NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE DISPLAYED.

NHTSA ID

11317577

Incident

Mar 11, 2020

Mileage

90,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, SEVERAL DASH PANEL LIGHTS FLASHED, LOST POWER STEERING, LOST ABILITY TO INCREASE SPEED WITH GAS PEDAL. ENGINE STAYED ON BUT ONLY AT IDLE. ABLE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC ONTO SIDE ROAD AND STOP. TURNED KEY TO OFF AND THEN TRIED TO START CAR AGAIN. IT WORKED ON THE SECOND TRY. SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY WITH ONLY THE CLOCK RESET TO 12:00AM. THIS SAME SEQUENCE HAPPENED TWICE, ABOUT A WEEK APART. NO RAIN EITHER TIME BOTH DURING DAYLIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11297104

Incident

Jan 4, 2020

Mileage

74,900 mi

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A INTERSECTION TURNING RIGHT THE ENGINE SHUTOFF WITHOUT WARNING. ALONG WITH THE ENGINE SHUTOFF, POWER STEERING WAS LOST AND EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER, RPMS, RADIO. WITH THE LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND POWER STEERING IT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER TO SAFETY. ONCE STOPPED I WAS ABLE TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK I TURNED THE KEY TO OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED BACK UP NORMALLY. ABSOLUTELY NO ENGINE LIGHTS OR WARNING WERE SHOWING BEFORE OR AFTER THIS INCIDENT. I SUSPECT THAT THE ISSUE IS THE TIPM BUT CAN'T BE EXACTLY SURE.

NHTSA ID

11277837

Incident

Nov 2, 2019

SHORTLY AFTER GETTING MY VAN I FELT THAT IT DID NOT HANDLE PROPERLY. I EXPERIECED HYDRO PLANNING WHEN BRAND NEW TO ME. TRACKING UPON ACCELERATION WAS PORE. VERY POOR TRACKING AT ACCELERATION GOING INTO A TURN AT START UP SPEED. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO COMPLAINTS TO DATE. BY SUGGESTION, I PAID $100 FOR AN ALIGNMENT. THE ALIGNMENT DID NOT HELP WITH THIS MATTER. ANY TYPE OF PRECIPITATION AFFECTS THE TRACKING OF THE VEHICLE. ANY PAINTED LINES ON THE ROAD AFFECT TRACTION. IT SEEMS THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL IS THE PROBLEM, OR MAYBE THE YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES ARE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ACCELERATE IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION MY TIRES WILL SPIN OR TRACTION CONTROL SLIPS BACK AND FORTH AS I CROSS OVER ANY REFLECTIVE SURFACES (LINES ON ROAD, OR STOP STRIPS, OR CROSSWALKS). I HAVE HAD TO LEARN TO STOP ON ROAD SURFACE, PRIOR TO CROSSING ANY DIFFERENTIATED SURFACES. RIGHT TURN ON RED IS MOSTLY FORBIDDEN, AS I MAY SPIN MY WAY OUT IN FRONT OF FASTER MOVING TRAFFIC. THIS VAN NOW HAS 24,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE TIRES NEED REPLACED FROM THE SPIN IN ACCELERATION.. AT 2 1/2 YEARS OLD, I AM CONCERNED ENOUGH TO TRADE FOR A DIFFERENT MAKE. I HAVE OWNED A 1992 DODGE CARAVAN, A 2007 TOWN & COUNTRY, AND NOW THIS 2016 DODGE CARAVAN. MY FRIEND WHO WORKS FOR THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, HAS TO USE A NEW DODGE CARAVAN, ON OCCASION, OUT OF THEIR FLEET , HE TOO AGREED THAT TRACKING WAS AN ISSUE WTH THE VAN GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I AM ONE OF TWO PEOPLE TO COMPLAIN ON THIS VEHICLES HANDLING. TODAY 02/10/2019 WE RECEIVED ONE INCH OF SNOW. I WAS HEADING OUT FOR ERRANDS. MY TRACKING WAS HORRIBLE. I HAD TO ANTICIPATE ACTIONS OF OTHERS AN MYSELF WELL IN ADVANCE. I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON A OTHER THAN LEVEL DOWN HILL SLOPE (VERY MILD), ANITICPATED VEHICLES AHEAD MOVING, I LEFT OF MY BRAKE TO ROLL. TURNING AT 5MPH, I LOST CONTROL

NHTSA ID

11176088

Incident

Jul 30, 2016

Mileage

24,000 mi

PURCHASED THIS BRAND NEW SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. DROVE 8,000 MILES TO AND FROM WORK. TWICE WITHIN THE PAST WEEK THE VAN HAS COMPLETELY JUST TURNED OFF ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY. I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE VAN JUST TURNED OFF. IT'S AS IF SOMEONE WERE TO GRAB THE KEYS AND TURN IT OFF. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED AND KEPT DRIVING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS QUICK ENOUGH AND MY CHILDREN AND I WERE SAFE.

NHTSA ID

10926947

Incident

Nov 16, 2016

Mileage

8,000 mi

7.5K MILES ON VEHICLE, MOVING FROM A PARKING SPOT THE ESC LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THE RACK AND PINION COMPLETELY SNAPPED. THE VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE. HAD MY FAMILY AND MYSELF BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED WOULD'VE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

NHTSA ID

10885381

Incident

Jul 16, 2016

Mileage

7,500 mi