Factual error: When the family leaves their house to start the long road trip, they show a nice residential area with downtown Chicago in the background. This is not possible. The view and angle at which they are showing downtown is the same image that one would see from the Adler Planetarium. At the angle at which we see downtown Chicago could only be from the Adler Planetarium and there isn't anything even resembling nice residential homes in that area. Also, the area looking at downtown from that angle is mostly water-Lake Michigan and boat docks. In other words, looking at the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) from the Adler Planetarium, it would be 60° off due north, an extreme angle putting the family house either in or very near the water (Lake Michigan). (00:18:25)
Continuity mistake: When eating dinner at Stone and Audrey's house, Debbie has BBQ sauce on her cheek, the next shot she doesn't, the next shot she does and Stone wipes it off. (00:54:00)
Other mistake: When Rusty is talking to the trucker on the C.B. radio, he hands the microphone to Kevin. Kevin never presses the talk button on the microphone when he is talking to the trucker.
Factual error: The exterior shots of Rusty's plane show a Boeing 777, a modern twin-engine widebody with a distinctive square tail (and glass display panels in the cockpit). The cockpit interior scenes shows a mishmash most closely resembling a vintage 727, with three columns of individual gauges for each of the three engines, among other details, including small "eyebrow" windows above the main windshields. Later Rusty says he flies an Airbus A318, which is totally different from either Boeing.
Continuity mistake: Russell asks Debbie to try and slam his arm in the car's door to show its sensor. After she slams his hand the second time, the door remains open. In the next shot, it is closed. In the next wide shot, the door is now open again.
Continuity mistake: When the car blows up after the dad stabs buttons on the key-fob, the younger boy is standing at the edge of the road and on his mother's left. In the very next shot from in front of the family, the younger boy is now suddenly off the road and on his brother's right. Also the shadows of the family varies in the same two shots, from long in the rear shot to short in the front shot.
Revealing mistake: When the semi trailer is coming at them sideways down the highway, the trailer is missing 4 wheels. The tandems do not have their inner dual tires on them. Perhaps this made it easier to slide the trailer sideways.
Continuity mistake: The scene at Debbie's old college takes place in Memphis TN, then the Griswold's drive for a few hours on the interstate and then see a sign saying Welcome to Arkansas. Arkansas is located right across the river from Memphis TN.
Continuity mistake: When Rusty finds the book on failing marriage, he removes the book jacket, but when Debbie throws it in the garbage the jacket is back on the book.
