It happened 2x today but it happens on an average about 4x a month for the past 3 years. (yea I know.) Anyway, what it does is turn the ignition and click. That's it. Just click. Then I giggle the shifter, hang on the steering wheel, and try again. Click. that's it. Then I giggle it again and try to pull the steering wheel the other way. Click. Nothing. Well after 20 minutes (both times) and sweating to death, it starts. SO that's just the ignition. The cigarette lighters haven't worked in years (to charge my phones not to smoke). The control panel for side doors and back hatch blink. The back up camera and radio work when but at least once or twice a month it just stays blank. Wont come on. Neither one. And the side doors wont stay open. They open then close right away! You name it, its wrong! The brakes locked up on me on the turnpike with my son in the car. That was fun too! Time for a new vehicle! You served us well Betsy but your time has come and gone!
This is not the first time the van would not start. It started about a year and a half ago. We thought it was the battery, so we replaced it. The van ran good for about six months before it stopped again. We took it to the dealership, and they said it was the transmission. Spent $1,800.00 to get the transmission fixed. The van again ran good for another few months. My stepson was driving the car to work, and when he got back in to come home...it would NOT start. AAA came and replaced the battery, which was less than a year old. It started, but once the engine was shut off, it would not start again. We had to have it towed to the repair shop. They replaced the starter. The van ran for about a week, and IT WILL NOT START AGAIN!
The van will intermittently fail to start, or it sputters when it starts. Bypassing the Fuel Pump Relay on the TIPM module will fix the problem, however it is not a safe permanent solution. Other Makes and Models have been recalled for the same issue, however the 2010 Dodge caravan was not included in the recall even though the same defect and problem is evident. This is a bad design and Dodge should stick by their mistakes and provide a fix.
Wife was turning onto highway ramp when engine shut down. Thank God she was able to get van to the shoulder. The van would crank, but not restart. Had van towed our local garage. Our mechanic states that the Totally integrated power module needs to be replaced. He is going to replace module, then have van towed to Dodge dealer for programing. I would like to know if this qualifies for any recalls or class action law suits.
Van often won't start. Not even turn over. Just a faint "click" sound. Sometimes I try up to a few dozen times before it finally starts like normal. Took it to my mechanic and they replaced the starter ($350) but the problem continued. Eventually I tried shifting out of park to reverse and back before turning the key again and it started! Only tried that trick a few times, and the frequency of the problem has reduced recently. The symptoms seem consistent with what I read about the TIPM problems. I may look into getting it replaced and hope the recent efforts to get it recalled works before something more serious occurs and I get reimbursed for the perfectly good starter that I paid to replace.
I have not yet spent any money fixing the problem due to the fact that there is apparently a national shortage on this part. I now do not have a car to get me to work, kids activities, doctor's appointments, etc. I am told that it could be months before the part is available and then it will cost me in the neighborhood of $1200 to fix! A recall should be issued immediately!
I am a single mother of two and on a one income bases. I traded in my 2002 for a newer model thinking that a newer vehicle to eliminate the high cost of fixing older vehicles. Ever since I purchased my 2010 Grand Caravan back in 2012 it has been in and out of service more times then my 2002 and the bill is up to $5,000 on top of my $320 monthly car payment. The latest $1250 bill was on Dec. 16 when I was picking up my daughters from school and I was turning right waiting for the light to turn green and all of a sudden the van stalled and would not start. I had to be pushed off to the side of the road while my daughters and I were stranded on the side of the road in the middle of winter. This was the third time that the van left the girls and I stranded by not starting or stalling and not starting.
Update from Jan 28, 2015: The first two times that this vehicle stalled and would not start I got the vehicle towed to the dealer where I bought it and they found two breaks in the electrical line from the T.I.P.M. to the fuel pump two different times about three months apart. After they fixed the second break in the line it lasted for about six months and it happened again. Had it towed back to the dealer (12-22-14) and now they are telling me that it is the fuel pump itself. Had the first one put on got the vehicle back on 12-28-14(Friday) and took the vehicle to my surgery 35 miles away from my home, my boyfriend went to go leave that night to go home and the vehicle would not start. He had his mom come and pick him up. We had it towed back to the shop and the mechanic said maybe I got a faulty fuel pump so ordered a new one and returned the other one and had that one installed. Got only a block away to the grocery store and the vehicle would not start again. This past Tuesday 1-27-15 I had it towed back to the shop where it is sitting now with no further clues on what is wrong with my van and this past expense not including what they have to do to it now, cost me $1500. My pocket book and my patients is wearing really thin with no answers in sight.
In the most serious of many no-start incidents, our van failed to start in 107 degree temperatures with our 3 small children in the car. We were stranded at a remote rest area in Utah's Bonneville salt flats, with nowhere to take refuge from the dangerous heat. After 18 attempts the engine finally started and we completed our trip to Reno Nevada, driving in remote areas amid deadly heat fearing our van would fail to restart if stopped.
n the prior week while in FL, the van had a new battery installed at our Gator Chrysler, in a repair advised to solve no start incidents we had in FL. The van also underwent an inspection, with no problems reported to us.
We scheduled a panicked dealer service visit while still in route, at Reno Dodge on July 1st 2013. The dealership technicians retained the van to diagnose the no-start for 2 full days. They noted no malfunction and could not reproduce the problem. The van has since developed intermittent failures of several electronic systems, including stalling when placed in reverse, failing to shift into 2nd gear after sitting overnight, no power to the instrument cluster or no power to the console controls.
The van at the time of purchase in December of 2011 had previously been "repaired" in the recall for its WIN module. Additionally a PCM reflash 68050411AF had been performed. Our van continues to have no-start incidents and transmission fails to shift into 2nd gear, no fixes. Both Reno area Chrysler dealerships have looked at our van and noted no failures.
Despite being "repaired" under recall the ignition module continues to malfunction. With a fobik inserted the module shows excess sloppiness in the clockwise direction. The fobik has been stuck in the ignition on several occasions, and the engine has continued running after removal of the key. These malfunctions have potential to become dangerous in certain situations.
Went to park on Sunday with daughter and her newborn baby. Vehicle working fine, no indication of problems to come. When baby began to fuss, returned to car to come home. Turned on key - nothing. (Had brand new battery installed three weeks earlier). Tried many times, kept getting message 'badkey'. Finally called for tow truck to take us home, and van to dealership. The dealership called Monday morning to say computer transponder that recognizes key was gone. Cost to repair - $940!!!!.
This is now Wednesday, not sure if van will be ready on Thursday. There was no warning, this part just quit working. The transponder is not a dealer part - but comes from a supplier, so there is a time issue to get it to dealer who must then install and program two keys. When this van was purchased, there was no knowledge of this possible future expensive repair, especially at such an early date. We need van to go to park and fly on Friday night for international trip to take daughter home. Have been without vehicle in trying to get prepared, and distraught with cost of this repair. What's wrong with good old keys you got cut and turn the car on. Those cars' keys lasted a lifetime. No explanation for why this part quit working, stranding us. We did not jar the car in any way, go over any large bumps, collide with anything. This repair costs two months worth of old age pension!! No wonder I feel short of breath now.
computer module failure for third time. failure to start
This vehicle since its initial purchase has been in the shop periodically for lengthy periods, one lasting 31 days.. It is now back in the shop for this past week for teh same problem. Replacement of another computer module I have today been advised that another week or two must pass before replacement parts are available. The car was a lemon to begin with and seemingly cannot be repaired. Completey unreliable since one never knows when it will start or not.
it was in shop last month for three days during recall when all rotors and brake pads wee installed. All this on a vehicle with a little over 15, 700 miles.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
It happened 2x today but it happens on an average about 4x a month for the past 3 years. (yea I know.) Anyway, what it does is turn the ignition and click. That's it. Just click. Then I giggle the shifter, hang on the steering wheel, and try again. Click. that's it. Then I giggle it again and try to pull the steering wheel the other way. Click. Nothing. Well after 20 minutes (both times) and sweating to death, it starts. SO that's just the ignition. The cigarette lighters haven't worked in years (to charge my phones not to smoke). The control panel for side doors and back hatch blink. The back up camera and radio work when but at least once or twice a month it just stays blank. Wont come on. Neither one. And the side doors wont stay open. They open then close right away! You name it, its wrong! The brakes locked up on me on the turnpike with my son in the car. That was fun too! Time for a new vehicle! You served us well Betsy but your time has come and gone!
- Chrissy Z., Norristown, PA, US