2007 Dodge Grand Caravan Body & Structure Problems

Your van's lower side sliding doors are rusting out completely, which the owner believes is a design flaw that should warrant a recall. The owner is requesting that Dodge and Chrysler recall millions of early 2000s minivans with this same rust issue. Addressing this problem would likely involve door replacement or rust treatment and protective coating.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MECHANICAL ISSUES (ELECTRICAL?) INCLUDING SLIDING DOORS THAT DO NOT WORK ANYMORE (THEY MUST BE CLOSED MANUALLY). BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM I WANT TO REPORT IS RUST. UNDER THE WHEELWELLS, UNDER THE SLIDING DOORS, ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK HATCH DOORS... IT'S RUSTING APART. FOR A 2007 VEHICLE THIS IS QUITE EXCESSIVE. I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT OTHER DODGE GRAND CARAVANS OF THE SAME MARINE BLUE GREEN COLOR HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. HAS THIS BEEN INVESTIGATED? RUSTING APART... AND IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW. YOU WOULD THINK A VEHICLE WOULDN'T START TO HAVE NOTICEABLE AND PERVASIVE RUST IN 7 OR 8 YEARS TO THE POINT WHERE YOU ARE EMBARRASSED TO DRIVE IT.

WE WERE STOPPED BEHIND AN AMBULANCE IN TRAFFIC WHEN A LARGE PICK-UP TRUCK BARRELED INTO US. DRIVER WAS INTOXICATED. MY 5-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS STRAPPED INTO THE BUILT-IN BOOSTER SEAT IN THE MIDDLE BENCH. ON IMPACT, THE WHOLE BENCH CAME OUT OF THE FLOOR AND FLIPPED HER FORWARD AND THEN BACKWARDS. SHE SUSTAINED A BLACK EYE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE, A CHILD BECAME CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF THE CLOSING AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR. THE CHILD BECAME PINNED TO THE FRAME AND SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISING AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD WAS DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,572. UPDATED 1/2/13 *CN UPDATED 01/09/13

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AFTER PRESSING BUTTON TO CLOSE REAR SLIDING DOOR, I TRIED TO STOP THE DOOR FROM CLOSING BY PUTTING MY BODY IN THE WAY. THE DOOR KEPT CLOSING AND DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY STOP AND REVERSE LIKE IT IS SUPPOSE TO. THIS NOT ONLY HAPPENED TO ME, BUT ALSO BOTH OF MY SMALL CHILDREN. IN EVERY CASE, THEY WERE SCARED TO TEARS BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE PUT ON THEM PRIOR TO THE DOOR REVERSING LIKE IT IS SUPPOSED TO. AS AN ADULT FEMALE, I WAS ALSO SCARED BY THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE THE DOOR PLACED ON ME AS I PUSHED BACK TO TRY AND STOP IT BEFORE IT WOULD FINALLY REVERSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXITING THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SLIDING DOOR IT SUDDENLY BEGAN TO CLOSE ON ITS OWN. A CHILD'S HEAD BECAME STUCK IN BETWEEN THE SLIDING DOOR AND THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 71000.

MY DAUGHTER GOT HER THUMB IN THE WAY OF THE POWER SLIDING DOOR OF OUR DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND THE DOOR SHUT COMPLETELY ON HER THUMB. I THOUGHT THE DOOR WAS SUPPOSED TO OPEN BACK UP IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF IT. *TR

THE LEFT ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING AFTER THE DOOR OPENS. THE PROBLEM EVENTUALLY FIXES ITSELF SEVERAL ENGINE STARTS LATER. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION THAT COULD LEAD TO OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENT FAILURES. MANUALLY CLOSING THE DOOR AFTER IT IS STUCK OPEN DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. DRIVING TO A DEALERSHIP WITH THE DOOR STUCK OPEN IS UNSAFE. THE DEALER WILL NOT VISIT THE VEHICLE TO VIEW THE PROBLEM. IF THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM GOES AWAY, THE DEALER WILL TAKE NO ACTION TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TR