— Chrysler sliding door problems have caused a lawsuit to be filed by the owner of a Dodge Grand Caravan who alleges the sliding doors have lock and latch problems.
The Chrysler class action lawsuit was filed a few weeks after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into sliding door problems in 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2016 Chrysler Town & Country minivans.
Fiat Chrysler told NHTSA there was a problem with the lock actuator that could cause the sliding door locks to fail, or the sliding dors could make a buzzing sound when in use.
The lawsuit includes 2013-2020 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2013-2016 Chrysler Town & Country minivans allegedly equipped with defective door latch systems. The plaintiff who sued alleges the sliding doors refuse to lock or the doors can open even if they are locked.
Maine plaintiff Lisa White purchased a new 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan in September 2018, a minivan which she still owns. In March 2021, the passenger side door allegedly stopped locking and a dealership technician charged her $630.80 to repair the sliding door problem.
White says not only is she out the money she spent, but she has suffered a loss associated with "future attempted repairs and [the] diminished value of her vehicle."
The automaker allegedly has "longstanding knowledge" of Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country sliding door problems but has ignored the alleged issues.
Chrysler Sliding Door Problems Lead to Owner Complaints
According to the class action lawsuit, the defect "appears to arise from defective actuators preventing the locks from functioning—causes the Class Vehicles’ door sensors to fail. Once these sensors cease operating properly, the Class Vehicles’ door latching mechanism(s) and door locking system(s) fail to function as intended and expected."
Minivan owners allegedly must pay costly repairs because the door latch assemblies must be replaced, and the repairs allegedly do nothing to fix the sliding door problems.
The affected Chrysler sliding door latches and actuators include these part numbers:
- Right Door Latch 68030378
- Left Door Latch 68030379
- Right Door Actuator 5020678
- Left Door Actuator 5020679
Despite what a driver does, the sliding door latching systems allegedly fail and won't lock regardless if the minivan is running or shut off. Other times the sliding doors allegedly won't open which causes occupants to climb through the front doors to exit the minivans.
Although the NHTSA investigation involves 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2016 Chrysler Town & Country minivans, the class action lawsuit includes more model years because of the number of complaints.
The Chrysler sliding door lawsuit says minivan owners have complained about the problems since 2014, and those complaints allegedly indicate 2011-2018 minivans are affected by the sliding door issues.
The Chrysler sliding door problems can cause serious dangers to occupants, especially children near the doors if they suddenly open while the minivans are moving. And the class action alleges if the problem continues with the minivan turned off, the battery can drain and strand the occupants.
The Chrysler sliding door lock actuator lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Lisa White, v. FCA US.
The plaintiff is represented by the Miller Law Firm, P.C., and McCune Wright Arevalo LLP.
