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1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN — TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

1 injured · 553221 · 2005-09-07

Vehicle

Make
DODGE
Model
GRAND CARAVAN
Year
1998
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
Miles at failure
87,000

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

FLAT TIRE REQUIRING NEED FOR USE OF COMPACT SPARE TIRE. THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SPARE TIRE REMOVAL DO NOT SHOW A RELEASE MECHANISM THAT IS CRITICAL FOR LOWERING OF THE SPARE TIRE. THE RELEASE MECHANISM IS REQUIRED TO LOWER A NYLON FIXTURE THAT SECURES THE COMPACT SPARE TIRE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTIONS DID NOT MENTION THE RELEASE MECHANISM, AND THE RELEASE MECHANISM WAS NOT VISIBLE, I HAD TO CUT THE NYLON FIXTURE (SUGGESTED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF A DODGE DEALERSHIP I CONTACTED), WHICH THEN CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO FALL DOWN. I WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED BUT IF SOMEONE HAD THEIR HEAD UNDERNEATH THE SPARE TIRE WHEN IT DROPPED DOWN, THEY COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE NYLON FIXTURE IS NOW RUINED. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN IS POOR AND THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLEARLY LACKING IN THE USE OF THE RELEASE MECHANISM. *JB

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10135689
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown