Table 1 shows three common wheel related problems of the 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems | |
| Wheel Rim problems | |
| Wheel Cover/hubcaps problems |
1. Had a flat and tried to lower the spare tire which is held up by a winch underneath the vehicle. 2. Followed the instructions in the vehicle to lower the spare tire using the supplied wrench; however, the tire would only lower about two inches and not lower far enough for the spare to be removed from the 't' that holds it in place when the wheel is secured. 3. The spare would not come down so I had to remove the flat tire from the vehicle and get a ride to get the wheel fixed then get a ride back to the vehicle to re-install the tire. After several attempts at lowering the spare, I still could not get it to come down so I took the vehicle to and auto repair shop. The repair shop was not able to get the wheel to come down either and had to cut the "t" to remove the wheel.
We hit a pot hole in the road going about 40mph, the right front alloy wheel on our Dodge Grand Caravan actually spit in half. This could have cause serious accident, thankfully it didn't. Chrysler should have to do something about this as this should never happen to a wheel like this.
Vehicle has 16 inch wheels and full wheel covers (hub caps). I removed the wheel covers at about 56000 miles to rotate the tires. This is the first time that I had removed the covers. When I removed the covers three or four of the molded plastic clips broke off all four covers. I contacted the dealer who contacted Chrysler rep greg jankowski who refused any assistance due to mileage. I contacted Chrysler customer relations rep martin shager who refused any assistance due to mileage. I have lost one cover on the road. When wheel covers come off at road speeds, I see that as a safety problem. I do not see mileage as an issue. If the plastic retaining clips break off in two years, I see that as a structure or material problem.