Problems with 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan TIRES

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge grand caravan the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 11v394000 (air bags, equipment) and 14v373000 (air bags, electrical system); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repairs. the contact stated that the tire pressure warning light illuminated. the approximate failure mileage was 67,912. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. parts distribution disconnect.

Tire pressure was a bit low on 2 passenger side tires so added air. end of valve stem (about 1/4" of thread) broke off in the pump nozzle taking the valve core with it immediately releasing all the air in the tire in a sudden rush. on inspection unit was corroded badly, same situation on rear tire. there is a recall on the 2014 dodge ram truck for this very issue. there are numerous situations recounted on the internet of exactly this issue for various model years of the dodge grand caravan. aside from the cost and inconvenience of having to replace the tpms sensor, if this were to happen at high speed a crash possibly with fatalities would likely occur. dodge/chrysler refuses to acknowledge this probably because it would be very costly for them to resolve and likely suits for wrongful death and negligence. *tr

2008 dodge grand caravan. consumer writes in regards to broken tpms tower stems. *smd

Upon noticing my tire was low, we started to unscrew the valve cap and the stem fell apart & part of it shot into my husband's shoulder. the tire went immediately flat. this was on my front tire. the piece just disintegrates in my hand. if this would have happened while driving it could have caused an accident. *tr

The tpms valve stem broke at metal threads rapidly releasing air from tire!!! *tr

Tire low pressure indicator light came on and when i stopped to put air in it the cap came off with half of the valve stem and the inside piece flew out as tire deflated. i had previously asked the dealer to check and air up the tires as the indicator light had come on previously...with in 45 days. thankfully this happened sitting still. i have the parts and the aluminum valve shows metal oxidation. these are hazardous. i wanted to switch to rubber valves and tires plus said it was federally mandated that i could not and they would lose their job and $10k fine. the dodge dealer wanted to $208 to replace it. my payments are only $244.50...in the "old days" a rubber stem was $1.75 and could mount it myself at the gas station. *tr

The tipm module (totally integrated power module) is defective, and intermittently draws the battery down. after keeping the van for several days, our local dealership (bluebonnet motors) in new braunfels, tx, determined that the battery is fine, but the problem is with the tipm. the manufacturer has no units available for replacement at this time (several hundred are on backorder, and none scheduled for production). chrysler has not offered to cover this under recall, and we are told it is not covered under our extended warranty. after researching on the internet we read many other people have tipm problems, including: wipers starting by themselves; windshield sprayers spraying without warning; horn will start honking out of control: lights flashing uncontrollably (all of these while driving); and even one unit that caught fire. our dealership has indicated that the system indicates that at least six vehicles have been flagged as completely unusable. we feel that we are driving a rolling time bomb, with the potential to either leave us stranded, or cause hazardous driving distractions at any time, or both. *tr

Dashboard light indicating low tire pressure came on. when i stopped at service station to check and fill tires, i had difficulty removing valve caps from all 4 stems due to poor quality of the stems/corrosion. when i went to inflate front, passenger side tire, it practically crumbled in my hands! i had to have the cheaply constructed aluminum valve stem replaced, costing me $130! i wanted to replace it with a quality, standard, metal valve, but was told this was not an option, legally. another customer in the service station waiting room told me he'd had all four of his tires blow, on different occasions, while driving, due to these crappy valves! he recommended i have all 4 replaced as opposed to just the broken one, for my own safety and that of my family. i would, if the less expensive metal valve stems were an option! this should be a recall item!! *tr

Front driver side tire valve stem fractured when the plastic cap was removed, exposing needle valve. *tr

This is the most recent failure. low tire light came on. when we tried to put air in tire the stem was cracked so could not put air into tire. this was the second tire on this vehicle to do this. called dealership to see if there was a recall- we were told no recall. first time this happened it was several weeks before they could replace the stem for us because they were on back order...there had been so many problems they couldn't keep up! this should be a recall. we will change other two tire stems right away to prevent an accident. *tr

2008 grand caravan sxt (equipped with a tpms air sensors) - with the change of weather, the low tire pressure indicator light went on. while checking the air pressure of the tires, two (of four) of the valve stem caps would not loosen. when attempting to remove one of the stuck valve stem caps, the valve stem snapped off - instantly releasing all the air in the affected tire. the local dodge dealership was contacted, parts ordered, and an appointment was made. they are aware of the recurrent problem with these aluminum valve stems/sensors. this is the second time for a valve stem to break on this vehicle. (the last one occurred at 43,097 miles on 11/7/10.) there is a safety concern with these failed components. we have noticed on the internet forums that this is a common occurrence and should be addressed by dodge/chrysler as a serious accident could result. *kb

Here we go again. front brake problems at 18,000 miles on a 2008 grand caravan. then the recall, now the rear brakes at 35k. after discussion with the service manager he stated the rear brakes could wear out at 8k miles(r u kidding me) some service manager. back brakes should last at least 40-50k when not towing. the rear brake calibers and pads have the same defects as the front. i changed the rear pads and 1 glide was missing and that pad was worn alot more than the other 3. thanks dodge, great vehicle. also who was the genius that came up with the 225 65 16 tire size, nice job. *tr

March 8, 2011; vehicle was at dealer for service,while performing the service the right rear tire, pressure sensor fell apart.this was replaced with a new sensor. other sensors in the other three tires were not checked at that time. june 5, 2011; computer warned of low tire pressure, i attempted to put air into left front tire, took the cap off, put the air nozzle on and the valve stem broke off. needless to say, i found out how to change a flat tire. june 6, 2011; i went to a local tire dealer, snow tires removed, to be replaced with summer tires. the technicians reported that two of the sensors, valve stem assembly came apart. i requested standard value stems to put in 3 of the tires.i feel this is safer, seeing that the valve stem is now, a one piece unit. not something that two pieces of metal that are adhered together and don't stand a chance in our climate. this is a 3 year old vehicle, value stems are 3 years old, i feel this is a safety issue for all concerned. i have contacted the compliant department at chrysler dodge in michigan, as what will be done, don't know yet. *tr

The tire valve stem tips (the end metal part), which are integral with the tpms, break off leading to a sudden and complete loss of air from the tire. this has happened twice on two different tires on our 2008 dodge grand caravan. once at about 25k and the second time at 33k. the dodge dealership says this is a common occurrence but will not cover it under warranty. *tr

When checking tire pressure on vehicle, the rear passenger valve stem broke in half in the middle of the threads. upon examination, the cause of the break was corrosion of the metal valve stem. the three other valve stems are also corroded. chrysler customer service was contacted, but no help was given. the valve stem and tire pressure monitor are a one piece unit so changing the valve stems at the tire change is not practical ($50-75 per tire). due to the corrosion and resulting safety concern, all four valve stems and tire pressure monitor will be replaced at a cost of approximately $200. the corroded valve stem is available for examination. if this would have happened on the highway, a major accident could have resulted. *tr

Last sunday, 11/7/10, we were returning from vacation (200 miles from home) and noticed the air pressure was low in our l front tire of our 2008 grand caravan sxt (vehicle is equipped with tpms air sensors). we stopped at a nj gas station to fill the tire when the valve stem snapped off - instantly releasing all the air from the tire. we had to put on the spare and proceeded to look for a place to replace the broken valve stem. we did find one service station open on the nj turnpike, but they stated that they could not put in a standard valve stem as it would require a chrysler part. (as i mentioned earlier, it was sunday am.) to our dismay, we had to "limp" home on the "donut" which entailed traveling on several major interstate. our concern is the safety factor. we have now noticed on the internet forums that this is a common issue with these aluminum valve stems as there are multiple reports of this occurring at approximately 25k-40k miles. (our vehicle has 43k.) after returning home, i contacted a local dodge dealer and they are also aware of this problem and had to order the part. thursday, 11/11/10, i had the broken valve stem/sensor replaced ($92.34) and asked for the broken valve stem/sensor which was given to us. when asked, the service person said that the replacement part has not been modified to keep this from occurring again - except for a plastic cap (which, by the way, the first one had). *tr

2008 dodge caravan tire valve stem failure, valve stem broke off during adding air to tire. told by dealership this is a common problem with these tire pressure sensor valve stems on dodge caravans. in my entire history of owning vehicles i have never encountered this problem. to me looks like either a design or material problem that caused the valve stem to crack. *tr

Tire pressure monitoring sensor/valve stem 2008 dodge grand caravan...valve broke off in my hands today. it is a $100 valve stem? it is corroded, and only has 25000 miles! this is a joke! *tr

Valve stem broke causing the tire to deflate and warning light to come on in car. *tr

The tire valve stem made of a single piece of aluminum corrodes at the base of the threads at the end of the plastic cap. this leads to the sudden release of air and can happen while driving orwhen handling the tire valve, e.g. when adding air to the tire. this has now happened to me twice, once while i was driving, and once soon after adding air to the tire. the tire was damaged in the first incident and had to be replaced. the second time i found the valve piece hanging inside the cap a week after i had added air to the tires. upon continued inspection of these valve stems i have found another one that is cracked. i am an engineer and up till recently was in the automotive industry. the design of the valve and material selection or manufacturing is flawed. this vehicle is used by my wife to carry my kids and their friends. i will not replace this flawed design with another equally flawed replacement and have gone to using non-tpms valves that utilize a flexible rubber stem and threaded brass end. i am willing to go back to a tpms valve if the design is corrected. the best thing would be to have chrysler recall and repair the vehicle but it seems they are either waiting for a solution to fall form the sky or for nhtsa to force this on them. i have an old part that is available. *tr

1 tpms sensor broke allowing tire to deflate instantly. sensor stem broke while tire pressure was being taken

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 dodge grand caravan. while the vehicle was parked the contact was adding air to the rear passenger side tire when the threaded portion of the valve stem snapped off. the contact stated that the failure occurred on the rear drivers side tire three weeks later. the tire pressure light was illuminated on the dashboard. the manufacturer was contact and referred the contact to the dealer. the vehicle was taken to the dealer . the technicians stated that the tire pressure sensor needed to be replaced and the repairs were not covered under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

1 tpms sensor failed causing tire to deflate immediately. sensor broke at stem while tire pressure was being checked.

I am a mechanic of 25 years experience and feel the need to report a possible defect that exists on 2008 dodge caravans. during the last five months i have replaced three tire pressure monitor system pressure sensors. what make this problem alarming is that all three failed in the same manor. the failure occurs when the portion of the sensor called the valve stem fractures and detaches from the rest of the sensor causing a sudden loss of air pressure in the tire. i have photographs and have saved two of the sensors that have failed. i believe the problem is either a corrosion issue or a weak material used in the manufacture of the product causing it to fracture easily in ice and snow. *tr

1 tpms sensor failed (stem broke) causing tire to go flat instantly. stem broke while pressure was being checked.

Tire pressure monitor sensor failures in three 2008 & 2009 dodge grand caravans. the valve stem on the tpms snaps off at the threaded portion, causing a rapid deflation of the tire. this occurs when driving on snowy or slushy roads, or when attempting to remove the valve stem cover. this has occurred on three fleet vehicles over the last two months. all three vehicles required purchase of new oem tpms and reprogramming of the new tpms by the dealer. two vehicles required towing due to unsafe location at time of failure. one vehicle also required replacement of brand new tire that was destroyed at time of rapid deflation. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that two valve stems have failed; the shaft of the valve stem broke off. the first time, he was alerted by a tire shop when he was having tires installed. in february 2010, when he checked the tire pressure, a valve stem popped off and the passenger front tire became flat within minutes. he was unsure of what tire the first stem came off of. the tire shop informed him that the valve stem failure may have been due to corrosion. after the latest failure, he took the vehicle to another tire shop and it was reiterated that the valve stems were corroded. the contact had the two valve stems replaced. he called the dealer and manufacturer who stated that since the repair was made that they could not assist help because they could not see the failure. he was also told that they could not repair the other two stems because they had not failed at that point. the current mileage was approximately 35,000. the failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that while having the tires changed, the tire pressure sensor fractured from the vehicle. the contact stated that the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to local repair shop where the contact was advised that the tire pressure sensors were defective and would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 109,000. updated 05/25/11 *bf the consumer stated the sensors failed due to valve stem corrosion

Three of the four tire pressure monitoring sensors (tpms) valve stems have failed on my 2008 dodge grand caravan. two of them failed in october 2009 and one in january 2010, all while attempting to add air. all tires immediately lost all air. the valve stem housing (threaded portion) snapped off. the three tpmss were replaced by the local dodge dealership. because i believed this was a safety issue, i requested that the forth tpms be replaced, however, the local dealership and chrysler hq customer service adamantly refused to replace the remaining one. if the valve stem were to break off while the vehicle is in motion, the results could be disastrous, as the tire would rapidly deflate. *tr

Tire pressure sensor failure. simply broke off completely while washing car. possibly effected by roadsalt. only 3 yrs old made from aluminum? never saw a metal shredded valve holder fail. luckily failed while not moving. but should not have failed. *kb