Driveshaft Problems of Dodge Caravan

On wed 4-23-08 my wife was returning both of my daughter from school. As she was driving on a city street in maumelle, ar where the school is her 06 Dodge Caravan sxt was rendered immobile with a huge clunking noise in the front end. The Caravan was towed to the Dodge dealer, landers on alcoa road. The dealer repaired the vehicle today Friday 4-25-08 stating that the front drive shaft had cracked in two rendering the vehicle inoperable. If this had happened on the busy interstate highway my wife and daughter would probably have been dead. The landers service tech. Stated something similar to this also.

See all problems of the 2006 Dodge Caravan 🔎.

Contact states there is a pin located in the hub that separates the driveshaft from the axle. This pin caused the hub to bust the casing on the transmission. The consume believes the small pin is not large/strong enough for all the pressure.

See all problems of the 1998 Dodge Caravan 🔎.

Lower left ball joint failed without warning during low speed (2 mph) driving, causing the wheel to fall off, also destroying part of the sway bar and the left drive shaft. At highway speed, such a failure would have resulted in complete loss of control. The vehicle was in the dealership the prior day for routine maintenance and the dealership also performed state safety inspection four months prior. There was no evidence of ball joint wear or damage prior to the failure.

See all problems of the 1996 Dodge Caravan 🔎.

Driveshaft broke in half.

See all problems of the 1997 Dodge Caravan 🔎.

The left driveshaft interconnecting shaft on my 1996 Caravan sheared at the outer edge of the damper weight. I was driving with my family, was stopped at a red light, and heard and felt a loud thump when I attempted to move the car when the light turned green. The car would not move. I looked under the car and saw that the left driveshaft (axle) was sheared. The car was towed and repaired at a Dodge dealer. I could not get a satisfactory explanation from the service department as to why this had happened. I have kept the damaged part. The "tuned damper weight" which encircles the "interconnecting shaft" at about midpoint on the shaft had rusted and rotted out (etched) the circumference of the shaft, weakening the shaft and creating a stress fracture point which will shear under normal stress loads. The shaft is 27mm in diameter where it is not corroded, but at the cross-section where it sheared at the outer edge of the rubber cover of the damper weight, the shaft is corroded down to 21mm, more than a 22% reduction in shaft diameter! apparently the metal used in the damper weight is subject to severe rusting, and the rubber cover around the weight traps moisture. Note: the tripod and cv joints are not damaged; the driveshaft assembly is literally broken in half. If this had happened while we were in motion we could have been injured or killed, particularily if I had been driving on the highway or making a turn with oncoming traffic. This is a serious safety issue. Because it is caused by corrosion over time weakening the driveshaft, I am very concerned that driveshafts of this design (or lots using this combination of materials) will be breaking more and more frequently (approximately 6 years before failure?), causing accidents, injuries, and deaths.

Left driveshaft interconnecting shaft on my 1996 Caravan sheared at the outer edge of the damper weight. I was driving with my family, was stopped at a red light, and heard and felt a loud thump when I attempted to move the car when the light turned green. The car would not move. I looked under the car and saw that the left driveshaft (axle) was sheared. The car was towed and repaired at a Dodge dealer. I could not get a satisfactory explanation from the service department as to why this had happened. I have kept the damaged part. The "tuned damper weight" which encircles the "interconnecting shaft" at about midpoint on the shaft had rusted and rotted out (etched) the circumference of the shaft, weakening the shaft and creating a stress fracture point which will shear under normal stress loads. The shaft is 27mm in diameter where it is not corroded, but at the cross-section where it sheared at the outer edge of the rubber cover of the damper weight, the shaft is corroded down to 21mm, more than a 22% reduction in shaft diameter! apparently the metal used in the damper weight is subject to severe rusting, and the rubber cover around the weight traps moisture. Note: the tripod and cv joints are not damaged; the driveshaft assembly is literally broken in half. If this had happened while we were in motion we could have been injured or killed, particularily if I had been driving on theway or making a turn with oncoming traffic. This is a serious safety issue. Because it is caused by corrosion over time weakening the driveshaft, I am very concerned that driveshafts of this design (or lots using this combination of materials) will be breaking more and more frequently (approximately 6 years before failure?), causing accidents, injuries, and deaths.

When driving at low and high speeds the vheicle becomes very difficult to steer straight, consumer noticed the problem when drivning at highway speeds. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has replaced the driveshaft, problem still occurs.

Consumer stated that while pulling from a stop vehicle felt like it was in neutral. Vehicle was towed to dealer. Dealer stated it was a problem with the driveshaft.