Air Bags
Filed Jul 9, 1997NC
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DUP OF 813912, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98. *AK
Page 15 of 15 · complaints 701–714 of 714
1997 Dodge Caravan complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 8, 1997NC
WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT THE SENSOR BEING TRIGGERED. PREVIOUSLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH A/C, BUT NO AIRBAGS PROBLEM. OCCUPANT SUSTAINED INJURIES DUE TO THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *AK *SLC
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 1, 1997FL
TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND STUMBLES AT TURNPIKE SPEEDS.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jun 30, 1997GA
CONSUMER STATED WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND IN THE REAR END, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND BRAKES FADING AWAY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE ANY PART. *AK
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 27, 1997NH
WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HOSE BECAME DETACHED FROM TRANSMISSION, CAUSING THE FLUID TO LEAK AND THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. *AK
Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jun 25, 1997TX
RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR: DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50MPH AND THE DOOR OPENED,HIT BRAKES AND DOOR SLAMMED SHUT, BUT DID NOT LATCH. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE ELECTRIC MOTOR LOCK. *AK
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 9, 1997VA
TRAVELING SHORT DISTANCES DRIVER BEGINS TO ACCELERATE. STEERING COLUMN BEGINS TO VIBRATE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JERKS. THIS CONSTITUTES POOR HANDLING. *AK
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jun 2, 1997FL
FUEL TANK LEAKAGE WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE, COULD SMELL GASOLINE. FIRST TIME DEALER REPLACED GAS TANK, SECOND TIME, GAS LEAKED ONTO GARAGE FLOOR AND DEALER REPLACED FUEL PUMP. *AK
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1 injured
Filed Mar 17, 1997SC
TRANSMISSION FAILS TO STAY IN PARK GEAR, ALLOWING VEHICLE TO ROLL DOWN THE STREET.
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices
Filed Feb 14, 1997PA
EXTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR DESIGN DISTORTS VISION.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master CylinderCrash
Filed Jan 13, 1997FL
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER. *AK
Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jan 10, 1997UN
DISTORTED WINDSHIELDS RESULTS IN DISTRACTION AND UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS.
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 28, 1996NJ
WHEN PLACING THE VEHICLE FROM PARK INTO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 18, 1996IL
WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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