Issue ID | 908657 |
Internal NHTSA # | 10449340 |
Manufacurer | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC |
Brand | DODGE |
Model | CARAVAN |
Model Year | 1997 |
File date | 07/02/12 |
Component | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC |
Product type code | VEHICLE |
Description of the problem | Was traveling home from work, rush hour traffic heavy but moving close to posted speed limit (65 mph). Traffic slowed in front of me and i also slowed, then traffic came to a sudden stop, so i also increased pressure on the brakes. While doing so, the pedal went right to the floor, i lost brake pressure and started moving to the left to avoid a collision but was not able to. My van hit the car in front of me. I had time and space to stop and not collide if the brakes would not have failed, but when i lost brakes, the distance between my van and the car in front of me closed too quickly for me to avoid the collision. The van was damaged on the front right (passenger) side, but when i got the van back home off of the tow truck, i saw brake fluid on my driveway from the driver's side of the van. A few days later i got the van on jackstands to locate the fluid leak and found the problem to be terribly corroded brake lines running along the driver's side of the vehicle in the area of the driver's door. There is some flexible steel braided line and where it joins the rigid line, there is a so much corrosion that the line is literally rusting away. Searching on the internet i have found this is a very common problem with chrysler minivans from 1997 to 2000. I feel it is a manufacturing problem. I am 55 years old and have worked on cars all of my adult life and have never seen brake lines corrode like this. As there are many vans like mine on the road, i wonder how many other vans have brake lines that are in similar condition as the ones on this van? It was simply a matter of time before these lines would fail. Now when i drive in traffic and see a chrysler product van i ask myself "does that driver know anything about the brake line problem?" i think people need to be informed! There are so many potential accidents just waiting to happen! Chrysler needs to do something! |
Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 185000 |
Number of Occurences | 1 |
Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
City and State | PRIOR LAKE, MN |
VIN pattern | 1B4GP45R0VBXXXXXX |
Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | Y |
Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
Was incedent reported to police? | N |
Was medical attention required? | |
Was part original equipment? | |
No. of injured persons | 2 |
No. of fatalities | |
Date of purchase | 29/06/24 |
Was original owner? | N |
Anti-lock brakes | N |
Cruise control | N |
Number of cylinders | 6 |
Drive train type | |
Transmission type | |
Vehicle speed | 25 |
DoT tire identifier | |
Tire size | |
Location of tire code | |
Type of tire failure code | |
Was defective tire repaired? | |
Date of manufacture | |
Type of child seat code | |
Type of restraint | |
Dealer's name | |
Dealer's telephone number | |
Dealer's city | |
Dealer's state code | |
Dealer's ZIP code |