Dodge Caravan The Dodge Caravan is the best selling mini van from Dodge. How many Dodge Caravan owners here at DodgeForum.com would agree? Discuss it now!

2013 Grand Caravan Crew w/ Misaligned Parkview Camera

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 03-16-2013 | 04:57 PM
celestialh's Avatar
celestialh
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Default 2013 Grand Caravan Crew w/ Misaligned Parkview Camera

When I bought my new 2013 GC Crew in November 2012, the Parkview camera worked perfectly -- when in reverse, the camera would show perfectly centered red/yellow/green guidelines and there was no bumper visible at the bottom of the screen. About a month or so ago, I put it in reverse and suddenly the guidelines are no longer centered (they veer off to the right), and I can see the edge of my bumper at the bottom of the screen.

I took it into the dealer and they told me I needed a new camera, so they ordered it, and installed it and told me my car was ready. When I went to pick it up, I threw it in reverse, and guess what? No change -- the guidelines were still off center and I could see the bumper at the bottom of the screen. They didn't even test the new camera after installing it. I talked to the mechanic and he acted clueless (it probably wasn't acting) and had the nerve to take me around the back of the car and said "Look, see? The camera is flush in the mount -- it wasn't flush before."

I told him I don't care about what you're showing me, look at the screen and you can see the problem. It just so happened there was another 2013 GC Crew in for service and we took a look at the camera on that one -- it looked just like mine; misaligned guidelines and bumper showing at the bottom! He said that must be just how they are and "there's nothing they can do".

Then I really started to lose it and fought with him and the service manager for almost 20 minutes telling them why the hell would Chrysler design this to be misaligned from the factory and all this proves is that this GC has the same flaw as mine and it wasn't that way when I bought it new (although I didn't have proof). I should have made them go out to the lot to find a brand new GC Crew to show them. Finally the service manager said OK, we'll order you another camera and try again because they couldn't give me a good argument why "that's just the way it is". The camera is in, but I haven't taken it back yet because I'm going in better equipped to fight back.

Here's the proof on Dodge's website of how it's supposed to look (see screenshot about halfway down the page); I'll be bringing in printouts of this with me when I go back in:
http://www.dodge.com/en/2013/grand_c...ent-avoidance/

What's probably happening is that after opening and closing the tailgate for a couple of months, whatever mounting is in place for the camera comes loose or breaks and the camera is no longer perfectly aligned. I just talked to Dodge customer care to tell them what's going on and that they have a potential recall on their hands. The rep told me to take it back to the dealer and let them try again and they should talk to STAR Engineering if they can't figure it out. Well, thanks for that advice, why don't you call the dealer and tell them that? She said if they can't fix it, call them back and we'll escalate to a case manager.

I dug around on the web and found these pix dealers have taken of GCs for sale with the Parkview camera active and the same problem clearly shown:
http://cimages4.carsforsale.com/4443...R680743_26.jpg
http://cimages4.carsforsale.com/4443...R684958_22.jpg

Anyway, I'm curious if anybody else here has had this issue and has had a dealer fix it for them? I'll post back once I bring it back to the dealer and we see what happens.
 
  #2  
Old 03-16-2013 | 07:37 PM
steak59's Avatar
steak59
Record Breaker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 8
Default

Almost all the Caravan Back up camera I've seen actually do show the bumper slightly. I think almost all Dodge Car back up camera shows the bumper slightly.
You should take a few New Caravan in their lot and see how it is.
 
  #3  
Old 03-17-2013 | 02:46 AM
celestialh's Avatar
celestialh
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Default

Yeah, I think I'll have to check out some brand new ones to see what they show. I would accept seeing the bumper in the camera if it was a straight line across and if Dodge's screenshot on the GC section of their website didn't show it. You can see the difference in the attached thumbs (mine w/ garbage alignment vs. Dodge's)
 
Attached Thumbnails 2013 Grand Caravan Crew w/ Misaligned Parkview Camera-dodge.jpg   2013 Grand Caravan Crew w/ Misaligned Parkview Camera-car.jpg  
  #4  
Old 03-17-2013 | 06:27 PM
steak59's Avatar
steak59
Record Breaker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 8
Default

um... They all shows bumper, but I don't remember seeing one crooked like yours. If you find one on the lot that aim straight, tell your dealer to swap it out of the new car.
 
  #5  
Old 03-17-2013 | 07:41 PM
TNtech's Avatar
TNtech
Site Moderator-Dodge Tech
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 18
From: Nashville, Tennessee
Default

Tell them to replace the bezel that it's attached to. It's probably warped.
 
  #6  
Old 06-03-2013 | 08:00 PM
AlexanderKolesov's Avatar
AlexanderKolesov
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Default

Hi there..I experienced exactly same thing as owner of that post today...
we got our GC 3 weeks ago and first couple back ups camera was working perfectly fine, but now it shows exactly same picture as yours...I understand about wide angle lens and other stuff but I Don't understand why its misaligned as well.you cant really park with it now because you standing close to one car or too far from another.
Plus for the brand new car they should fix.
I checked bunch of other cars with back up cameras dodge and not and most of them got perfectly aligned cameras....
Please advise what we have to do...
 
  #7  
Old 06-04-2013 | 07:49 AM
mcgusto's Avatar
mcgusto
Amateur
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Smile

Originally Posted by celestialh
Yeah, I think I'll have to check out some brand new ones to see what they show. I would accept seeing the bumper in the camera if it was a straight line across and if Dodge's screenshot on the GC section of their website didn't show it. You can see the difference in the attached thumbs (mine w/ garbage alignment vs. Dodge's)
From what i've seen (2011/2013), the top lip of the bumper always shows, how else would you know when to stop when reversing?
But your camera is definitely on an angle!
Isn't electronics covered for one year? Keep complaining and ask to compare to a stock vehicle.
 
  #8  
Old 06-04-2013 | 09:36 AM
celestialh's Avatar
celestialh
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Default

The dealer will fix it under warranty, hopefully it won't take you 3 tries like it did with me. They were complete idiots about the problem. Tried to replace the camera itself twice and it didn't fix it (surprise surprise). They need to replace the camera bracket like TNTech suggested. Here's a screenshot of the perfectly aligned backup camera off Dodge's website if you need to somehow convince the dealer it's a problem -- the dealer I went to kept insisting the crooked lines are just "how it is" until I showed them this:

http://www.dodge.com/en/2013/grand_c...ent-avoidance/
 
  #9  
Old 06-05-2013 | 09:25 AM
AlexanderKolesov's Avatar
AlexanderKolesov
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Default

Hi there...I just have a request for you guys...Whoever went to Dodge Dealer and got this problem fixed please send me picture from actual car so i can go and prove it to them..We got 3 weeks GC and its crooked as far as im concerned, but they saying its perectly straight in a middle.Also
 
  #10  
Old 06-05-2013 | 09:26 AM
TNtech's Avatar
TNtech
Site Moderator-Dodge Tech
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 18
From: Nashville, Tennessee
Default

Originally Posted by AlexanderKolesov
Hi there...I just have a request for you guys...Whoever went to Dodge Dealer and got this problem fixed please send me picture from actual car so i can go and prove it to them..We got 3 weeks GC and its crooked as far as im concerned, but they saying its perectly straight in a middle.Also
Post a pic of yours and let us tell you what we think also.
 


Quick Reply: 2013 Grand Caravan Crew w/ Misaligned Parkview Camera



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:02 PM.