This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
We went out to car to get in it, and all doors were locked and would not unlock. Horn started blaring. Windshield wipers went crazy with windshield wiper fluid spraying. Headlights were blinking on and off. Finally able to get in car, things finally calmed down after about 10 - 15 minutes. Next day, we took it to dealership. They tested it, and they said they did not find anything wrong with it. Similar episodes happened after that one which included taking the key out of the ignition, and the car was still running. We took it to a different dealership to have it checked, and they said they could not find anything wrong with it.
Vehicles instrument gauges failed, odometer, compass, and warning lights will not operate. Windshield wiper runs constantly while key is in the on position or motor is running. Headlights stay on, however brights do not illuminate and blinkers do not operate. All other systems are functional.
Van has ignition problem that causes lights and engine not to start. Had many issues with ignition with repairs had re key and turn off the alarm. No luck spent over $4000. Problem still exist. Please help.
The first time it happened was about November 2 and then again on November 23. One the first occurrence I went to open my door and the horn and wipers and wiper fluid started going off. I jump in my ride with the keys in my hand and the van locked me in I was unable to get out and fluid was going all over my garage. Finally the van let me out and we had to pull the battery to get it to stop. It had to sit all day before it would not do those things. Then yesterday I went to walmart and heard an announcement that a vehicle was going crazy in the parking lot. Of course it was mine, I once again had to pull the battery to get it to stop. After a few hours we just pulled all the fuses so that we could get it home. Also for many years now the traction control and brake lights come on in the winter and it starts very funny in the winter. I have read online that this is happening to many many people and it is happening as it is going down the road. I am at this point afraid to drive my van so I am not sure what to do I owe money on this thing. I have taken it to the dealer many times and there are no codes coming up so they said it would probably be like $1000 just for them to figure out what is wrong. There is pages upon pages of people complaining about this, why has Dodge not done a recall are they waiting for someone to get hurt?
The entire electrical system went haywire. Also note this was at night. Headlights and brights flashing/flickering. Horn blasting. Wipers on full speed (front and rear). Wiper washers spraying (front and rear) interior lights flashing, dash lights flashing...it was scary! please help us to fix.
- Orlando, FL, USA
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Our van was parked outside our house (after being driven 6 miles & sitting for 10 minutes) & I started hearing the horn trying to make a honking sound, went outside & noticed the lights flickering, the wipers going at top speed w/washer fluid spraying, & the horn was trying to honk. I tried pushing the unlock button on my key fob & nothing happened. I was able to unlock the door with the key but entering & opening all the doors did nothing. I tried starting the van & it wouldn't stay on. The horn eventually went on at full force & a solid sound. We had to disconnect the battery for it to stop.
While driving down the road, vehicle will suddenly shutoff and horn will blare and windshield wipers will become active. Other times, the lights will flicker and become inoperative at night. Most likely to shut off when negotiating a turn. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer 8 times for this issue but they have been unable to recreate the situation and such unable to diagnose. There are many instances across the country on review boards and discussion websites with the same symptoms but the dealer is still unwilling to diagnose.
Vehicle intermittently has electrical problems. The problems vary in severity. When problems occur there are various symtoms that include instrument cluster not working, windshield wipers operating without being turned on, headlights become inoperative, heat and ac become inoperative, doors lock and cannot be overridden even manually. When problems occur that can last for a few seconds and multiple times or sometimes a continuous for several minutes.
The first incident occurred while care was sitting in the driveway, no key in it. Horn started going wipers and wiper fluid started going full speed, and lights started flashing, door locks engaged and could not be stopped by key fob. This continued for about 10 minutes. I had to pull the fuses and disconnect the battery to get it to stop. Took the car to dealership twice who stated there is nothing wrong with the van. The van continues to do this intermittently. Most recent incident driving down the highway 60 mph with children in the car when all the previous symptoms started to occur and gauges would drop to zero and then back up over and over again. All lights went out at this time and transmission began malfunctioning. I was barely able to pull the car off to the side of the road where it continued to do this for 15 minutes. The third time I took it in they reported it was my tipm and want over $1100 to replace it. I called Dodge customer service and explained the issue hoping they would fix it without cost to me or offer some solution. Their rep was very rude and told me to try what the dealership suggested. I expressed how it is a design/manufacturing flaw and got the reply, "well MA'am, there is no recall on this so there is nothing we can do". I informed him I would never buy another Dodge/Chrysler vehicle and received the reply "ok, have a good day". he then hung up on me. This is a serious safety issue and after reading many forums have realized I am not the only one experiencing this issue...Dodge needs to be held accountable!
This incident has happened 3 other times in the past. The first incident at about 5,000 miles and the second incident at 22,000 and a third incident at about 45,000. This last incident occurred on the highway traveling at about 67 mph. The headlamps turn off and the horn blares constant. The windshield wipers go at full speed (front and back) and the fluid is spraying everywhere. The doorlocks begin to flicker in the open and lock position. The brake lights are also shut off but the reverse lights are lit up. The tachometer and speedometer go to zero. You can maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road and try to shut off the vehicle, but to your surprise the vehicle doesn't shut off. It keeps running! so as you are sitting there wondering what to do and unlock your door manually and then you have to unhook the battery and somehow that works. If you are lucky when you connect the battery back in the system goes back to normal. If your unlucky the horn and windshield wipers are still going strong along with all the other issues. Either way this system malfunction is being reported all over the internet and Dodge hasn't responded. They are reporting a tipm (total ignition power module) apparently the part is in such demand that you cannot order because they are backordered up to 800 units.
After shutting vehicle off the headlights, interior lights, or parking lights will stay on indefinitely, resulting in draining the battery to zero. The only solution is to disconnect the battery for ten minutes. Dealer could not diagnose problem.
I was driving home at 10:30 at night on Thursday the 15th of November 2012 driving 65 mph on state highway 64 in pawnee county Oklahoma and the windshield wipers went on by themselves and then the head lights went off by themselves. I took the vehicle to the Dodge dealer and they recommended that I replace a clock spring but weren't even sure if that would fix the headlight issue. Not to mention charging me $300 for the part when I have the extended electronics warranty on the vehicle. I feel that this is a very major safety issue and Dodge needs to look into it further and correct the issue at no charge to the owners, this is obviously a manufacturer defect. There is no reason this vehicle should have this issue. It is a liability to Dodge if not corrected. Please look into this issue as it could end up costing someone their life. I would like to make sure that this gets looked into. Please send me a supervisors number or email so I make sure this gets attention. If I do not hear something back within 48 hours, I will contact the secretary of transportation myself, a Mr. Ray lahood through senator coburn. I am really pissed off about the situation. You drive down a road with your family in the dark of night and unexpectedly your headlights go out and you risk your families life. Dodge didn't act like it was a big deal, but it could end up being a major liability for them if they do not remedy the situation.
Upon entering vehicle pressing keyfob to unlock any door or hatch the horn would start to sound, the windshield wipers (front and rear) would start to go on its on including windshield wiper fluid as well, lights would start to flash as well. I would have to open up the hood and hit the fuse box located next to the battery on the drivers side firewall just to get it to stop. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership on several ocassions to no avail because they cannot duplicate the problem and now I am out a diagnostic fee of $94 X2 and the cost of a rental car both times for my wife and three children because my 100% full warranty does not cover the cost of the rental because the problem could not be duplicated. After searching and reading about this problem that my wife and I are having with this cara van I think something should be done before someone is seriously hurt or killed by the Caravan doing something that it was not asked to do!!!!
Went to turn my lights on and they turned on then off then on again and then off. And now they will not turn on. Everything else works, parking lights, dimmer etc. I had a diagnostic run and it showed the following trouble codes: B162F, B, C ; B1633, B1634, B1637. Which all points to the tipm control module. So I called the shop, they called to find the part and there is none available. There are on backorder, about 800 of them to be exact. So that means that I have no headlights until 800 other people get theres. Next thing to go is the wipers, horn and then the car to shut off as I'm driving. Obviously if 800 of these are on back order there is an issue with them.
The headlamps on my van turn themselves off at random times. They will turn off while the van is going down the street, parked in the driveway, anywhere. Sometimes they don't turn on at all, instead they just flash several times and then stay off.
On 4 occasions our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan has gone into a mode where the lights flash, the horn honks, the windshield wipers come on, washer fluid squirts out, and the doors lock. When moving, it also appears to downshift to lower gear. Once it starts, it appears the only way to stop it is to let it run its course which can take up to 10 minutes (disconnecting the battery did not make it stop). During the time it is happening the key fob does not work. Of the 4 times it has happened, it has happened twice while driving and twice while sitting still (once with key in ignition and once without). I have it at the dealer and so far in 2 days they have not found anything wrong. There are literally hundreds of other people with 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan who have this exact same or similar issue. This is a potentially dangerous issue if you happen to be moving when it happens.
Driving at random times, speeds, etc, the lights would suddenly flash, wipers turn on high, wiper fluid come out and the horn would honk. Sometimes this would last only 2-3 seconds, sometimes up to 10 miuntes. Turning the key off and then back on would not clear the problem. Taken to dealer in November 2010. They re-flashed the PCM and the issue disappeared for 12 months. Problems resumed in November 2011. Taken to dealer. Could not diagnose and decided to change an accessory control module. Situation causes very unsafe operating condition by distracting driver, obscuring drivers view, distracting other drivers, causing sight problems for oncoming drivers with uncontrolled illumination of lighting.
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact was driving 55 mph when the vehicle started to jerk and burning fumes were emitted into the vehicle. The contact also mentioned that the headlights would fail sporadically without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the front passenger side caliper was defective and needed to be replaced. Three months later, the rear driver caliper needed to be replaced as well. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 38,000 and the current mileage was 55,643.
Headlights started with a flickering and random shut off, now no regular headlights but high beam come on for a second when you switch them on but won"T stay on. Multiple attempts to fix at 2 dealerships. Possible problem frount module but no part available nationwide to even try to fix it. Told by dealership used part would mess up "brain" on vehicle so used part not option either.
The headlights will randomly go out. Once in a while switching to high beam will help for a very short time, but usually I am completely without lights when it happens. There is no warning. The running lights do not even work anymore when that happens. I have been in a number of extremely dangerous situations because of this. I end up having to hope I can find a place to pull off the road, without being hit first, and turn the car off and on again until the lights finally work. Nothing else stops working, just the lights. There are so many complaints all over the internet for so many different model years I can't believe this hasn't been recalled yet.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Newnan, GA, USA