2008 Dodge Grand Caravan Gets Mixed Crash-Test Results

Dodge’s all-new Grand Caravan minivan was just given the full crash treatment from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The good news for Dodge is that the minivan received top scores of Good in front and side crashes. The bad news is that the rear crash tests came back with a Marginal score, the second lowest possible.

The front and side crash tests are an improvement from the previous-generation’s Average scores; those are the tests that detail the most serious types of accidents. IIHS describes rear crash tests as “an assessment of occupant protection against neck injury in rear impacts at low to moderate speeds. Although such injuries usually aren't serious, they occur frequently.”

Minivans that have received IIHS’ Top Safety Pick designation — for Good scores in all three tests — include the 2008 Honda Odyssey, 2008 Hyundai Entourage and the 2008 Kia Sedona.

Chrysler Minivan Pricing is Key

Chrysler has cut the prices for its next generation of minivans, and some experts say that’s not a bad decision.

“If Chrysler can cut the price of its 2008 model minivans this fall and still make a profit — and there's no reason to assume it won't make a profit — then the price cut is a wise move," said Erich Merkle, an analyst with IRN Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich.

While it's cutting prices, Chrysler is also adding 35 new items to the vans, from electronic stability control and side curtain airbags to second-row seats that swivel to face the third row, with a table in between where kids can eat lunch or play games while they travel.

270,000 Chrysler Minivans Recalled

As many as 270,958 2005-model-year Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans are being recalled to fix airbags that may fail to deploy. The recall affects minivans built from April 24, 2003, to February 2, 2005.

The problem stems from corroded sensors in states that use large quantities of road salt. We’re not sure if that means those in southern or warm-weather states won’t be included in the recall. We’ll update this post as soon as we hear more specifics.

Report: Chrysler Recalls 270,000 Minivans for Air Bag Fix (The Detroit News)