2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Cruise Control Problems
13 owner-reported cruise control complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (13)
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT SLIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE SURGED WITH AN AUDIBLE REVVING, AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RESULTING IN A COLLISION. IDLING OR NEAR IDLING IN COLD WEATHER SEEMS TO BE A FREQUENT ISSUE, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY TIME IT HAS NOT BEEN OVERRIDDEN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND WITHOUT WARNING INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WHILE IN REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SHIFT THE GEAR TO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. . A TOTALED OF 5 VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TURNED OFF. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE OF THE VEHICLE WAS OCCUPIED HOWEVER NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. NO DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AFTER COMING TO A STOP SIGN AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY THEN AFTER PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL IT STOPPED. THE NEXT LIGHT I CAME TO SAME THING HAPPENED THE CAR ACCELERATED AFTER TOUCHING THE BRAKES AND I ALMOST WENT THROUGH A LIGHT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID NOTHING IS WRONG VERY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR WITH THIS ISSUE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL WITHOUT HIS FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE RPMS INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. AS SOON AS HE REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ACCELERATION RECURRED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND TURNED IT OFF FOR TEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL BEING OPERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.
WHILE ACCELERATING TO 65 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE MY GAS PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE MY VAN TO A HIGHER SPEED, I ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BY TAPPING THE BRAKE HOPING THE SYSTEM WOULD RESET OR DISENGAGE BUT IT DID NOT. I ALSO CHECKED MY FLOOR MAT TO ENSURE IT WAS NOT INTERFERING BUT IT MOVED EASILY. TO STOP THE ACCELERATION, I HAD TO PHYSICALLY PULL ON THE GAS PEDAL IN WHICH IT FINALLY RELEASED FROM BEING STUCK AND ALLOWED ME TO DRIVE AT A NORMAL RATE OF SPEED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE PEDAL INDEPENDENTLY DEPRESSED FURTHER AND THE SPEED SUDDENLY INCREASED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND THE PEDAL HAD TO BE DEPRESSED IN ORDER TO RELEASE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,500.
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 MANY OTHER REPORTS ON DODGE FORUM BOARDS STATING THIS EXACT UNEXPECTED AND DANGEROUS ACCELERATION. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND BECAME STUCK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO INCREASE IN SPEED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,700. UPDATED 3/13/15 *CN
AROUND 37,000 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASED, LIGHT WOULD GO OFF AND ON PERIODICALLY. AFTER A SEVERAL WEEKS LIGHT STAYED ON AND STARTED BLINKING, AT THIS TIME VAN WAS VIBRATING AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WOULD CUT OFF. DEALERSHIP ENDED UP REPLACING ENGINE HEAD UNDER WARRANTY. A FEW MONTHS LATER LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, VAN DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE, DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH VAN. AT TIMES VAN DOES NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE AS IT SHOULD. AFTER A DELAY, IT WILL ACCELERATE, BUT NOT LIKE IT SHOULD. AROUND 60,000 MILES, ABS LIGHT AND TRACTION LIGHT HAVE COME ON AND CRUISE CONTROL WILL NO LONGER WORK. BACK HATCH DOOR OF VAN LOCKED WHILE OPEN AND WOULD NOT SHUT. THE DOOR HAD TO BE TIED DOWN FROM THE INSIDE IN ORDER TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SAYS HINGES HAVE BEEN BENT. HINGES HAVE NO MARKS OF ANY KIND, AND THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT GOING WRONG FOR A 2012 VEHICLE. *TR
WAS AT STOPLIGHT WHEN 2012 GRAND CARAVAN (CREW) ACCELERATED INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. I HAD TO STAND ON THE BRAKE TO STOP AND WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY CROSS TRAFFIC. THE VAN WOULD THEN MOVE FORWARD SLUGGISHLY (AS IF NO POWER) AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES ACCELERATE TO HIGH SPEEDS (80+ MPH). I CALLED THE DEALER AND PARKED IT.TOOK IT TO DEALER NEXT DAY. SINCE MY VAN HAD 38K MILES ON IT THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME OVER $300 TO REPAIR THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL. THE CODE (P2138) SHOWED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR WAS BAD. SINCE MY VAN HAD JUST WENT OUT OF WARRANTY, I FUSSED AT THEM AND THEY GAVE ME A "GOODWILL" DISCOUNT FOR ME TO PAY $100.00. THIS DEFECT IS LIFE THREATENING! *TR
WIFE WAS MERGING ON TO HIGHWAY AND THE THROTTLE STUCK OPEN AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS ALSO STUCK. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UP TO 90 MPH AND WAS HITTING 5000 RPMS. SHE HAD TO STICK HER FOOT UNDER PEDAL TO LIFT IT AWAY FROM FLOOR AND GET THE CAR TO SLOW. THIS PROBLEM NEARLY RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT AS IT WAS A BUSY TIME OF MORNING. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A DEALERSHIP IN SAN ANTONIO BEING LOOKED AT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED NOR WAS THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,100.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK IN OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND SHE HAD TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING ANY FARTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,900.