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2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · 1156932 · 2015-02-12

Vehicle

Make
DODGE
Model
GRAND CARAVAN
Year
2012
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Miles at failure
32,300
Speed
2 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

ON JANUARY 4TH, WHILE PULLING INTO A NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, I TAPPED THE BRAKES TO STOP (I WAS GOING LESS THAN 5MPH, SO I DIDN'T NEED TO PRESS HARD) THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED HARD. I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES HARDER TO STOP THE ACCELERATION, AND MY VAN ENDED UP FIVE TO TEN FEET IN MY NEIGHBOR'S YARD. TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY SON'S WORK. I WAS MOVING SLOW AND STRAIGHTENING THE WHEEL APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE FEET FROM THE SIDEWALK CURB, WHEN THE ENGINE ACCELERATION SURGED AND MY VAN LURCHED FORWARD. I AGAIN SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO NOT SLAM INTO THE BUILDING WALL JUST PAST THE SIDEWALK, THE VAN STOPPED ON TOP OF THE SIDEWALK AFTER HITTING THE CAR PARKED NEXT TO MY VAN (AS MY WHEELS WERE STILL TURNED FROM TURNING INTO THE PARKING SPACE. THE DAMAGE TO MY VAN AND THE CAR HIT BY MY VAN TOTALED OVER $10,000. IF A PEDESTRIAN HAD BEEN ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MY VAN, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. BOTH TIMES THE ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY SURGED, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, AND THE VAN WAS TRAVELING LESS THAN 2 TO 3 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN THE ACCELERATION SURGED THE VAN FORWARD, IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD AND FAST AS IF THE ACCELERATOR HAD BEEN POUNDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. I HAVE CHECKED WITH MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER, WHO STATES THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THIS VAN AND THEY HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT UNEXPECTED AND POWERFUL ACCELERATION ON THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE AS THERE ARE

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10683055
Machine
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