Left macon on I-75 south, nearing perry ga in center lane, cars all around, front, rear, left and right. Speed was some where between 65 or 70. Front right tire blew. I thank god I had enough skill to avoid hitting another vehicle. I managed to slow and other vehicles allowed me to steer to the emergency lane. After putting on my spare I retracted and located parts of the tire and still have what's left. I have been unable to locate a manufactures name. There are some numbers that can be used to identify the manufacturer. There is still a lot of tread left and the tire was in apparent good shape. I have driven more than a million miles in the last 45 years. This is my second blowout. This was a bad tire that was purchased at bloomfield tire company in macon, ga. That could have caused several vehicles to crash and could have killed. Please respond to this to possibly save some lives.
1997 Dodge Caravan: tire blowout or tread separation
7 of the 706 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Caravan describe tire blowout or tread separation.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 1
Tire blowout or tread separation by model year
What owners say
While driving on the turnpike vehicle's tire blew out.*mr while driving the vehicle experienced a tire blowout. The driver lost control of the vehicle and side swiped the guardrail. The vehicle sustained damage to the driver's side (ohio traffic crash report).
While driving on the highway, passengers side rear tire separated. Model ft70c, dlt# bjkwjnb268, size p215-65r-15.*ak tire tread damaged rear side bumper molding, tire remained inflated.
Tire blew-we spun out, hit a semi, totaled van..insurance co inspector said tire was defective-tread totally came off-just had tires serviced in july 2001. Neither airbag deployed and we hit semi in front-cut engine in half . When bought car, dealer said it had been in no previous accidents, but we're later told when we found glass in the back, that the rear bumper/panel had been previously replaced. Wondering now if airbags were not recharged from a previous accident. Accident occured 6 hrs outside san antonio (van horn, tx) and van is now in el paso, tx.
The front, driver side calipers do not release which overheat the wheel. On two occasions the brake pads have sheared off, and when the tires are removed to inspect, studs easily brake off. Sears auto center broke off two studs after the 1st incident, and I broke off one stud after the 2nd incident on june 15, 2001. The negherbon service dept had replaced the caliper kit (springs and tracks) on 3/13/01. The wheel gets so hot that you burn your finger if you touch it. This problem does not happen every time. The overheating happens during times when the brakes are used often (benicia is very hilly), and does not happen during highway rides, when there is no traffic. My concern is that when the brakes starts to heat up do to use, the caliper does not release as freely, and eventually locks up and does not release at all (after the 1st incident I had to hammer off the old brake pads/caliper assembly from the rotor). Hopefully you can help identify the root problem before this causes a serious accident. I am very concerned that this overheating will cause a blowout or a wheel to come off if the studs fail while the van is being driven.
The consumer was a passenger in vehicle, and rear tire blew out, causing consumer to apply the brakes, which did not work. Vehicle hit a curb, and passenger's side air bag deployed.
Vehicle must be lift by a straight flat bed or the windows would break out and the gas tank could blow out.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Tires: bead
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger minivans equipped with p215/65r15 goodyear conquest tires mounted on steel wheel. The tires can experience a sudden air pressure loss without warning.
- Risk
- Sudden tire failure could result in a loss of driver control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the tires that were mounted on steel wheels.
Recall number 97V200000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Dodge Caravan tire blowout
Is tire blowout or tread separation a common problem on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
7 of 706 owner complaints about the 1997 Dodge Caravan (1%) mention tire blowout or tread separation. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Dodge Caravan
Airbag light 83Adaptive cruise 45Wipers 42Transmission failure 28Fire or smoke 24Stalling 23Fuel leak 16Headlights 15Loss of power 15Check engine light 13Slipping 12No deployment 10Fuel smell 10Power steering loss 10Door locks 8Grinding brakes 7Engine failure 7Jerking 7Overheating 7Won't shift 7ABS 6Brake failure 6Harsh shifting 6Ball joint 5Coil spring 5Premature wear 5Seat belt 5
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