Table 1 shows two common structure related problems of the 2012 Dodge Caravan.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Body problems | |
| Structure problems |
The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Caravan. The contact was manually opening the passenger and driver's side sliding doors when he noticed that the doors were rocking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with needing a software update. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 49434.
I purchased a new van on July 5, 2013. On July 8, 2013, I drove 4 miles, and stopped at a red light. I accelerated to approx. 40 mph, when suddenly the van shifted to the right momentarily, upon which I regained control immediately. Suddenly, the van jolted right again, jumped the curb, climbed an embankment, and would not stop accelerating. I kept pushing the emc controls forward. . . . But it would not stop the vehicle. It is not that the vehicle kept accelerating, but rather, the vehicle would not stop accelerating. As a result, the vehicle only stopped when I crashed through a large evergreen tree (front right passenger area). The van continued to accelerate until I ran head first into a hardware store, which ultimately stopped the vehicle. There was an analysis performed, and I expressed great concern over the lack of information disclosed in the report. The accident occurred on July 8, 2013. Today is December 31, 2013, and I cannot believe that it is taking this long to replace a new van. There was information discovered from the initial mechanic who received the van after the accident, inclusive of photographs, who was told by adjusters to withhold and not disclose the noted information. This concerns me greatly. I do not want another person to endure what I endured, or worse, an innocent person hurt by equipment, or installation of equipment, that may cause a driver not to have control over his/her vehicle. In the report, the specialist used language indicating that the driver "lost control over the vehicle. " that is a completely erroneous statement. A thorough investigation needs to be engaged to determine why an experienced driver, who has an excess of 13 years driving experience with emc/aevit controls was placed in a perilous situation, where the braking system would not stop the vehicle, and the van continued to accelerate, until impact.