2005 DODGE CARAVAN Complaints

REFERENCE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA11010. THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH MY 05 CARAVAN. HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING ON OCCASION, DON'T COME ON AT ALL ON OTHER OCCASIONS. HIGHBEAMS WORK WHEN THE LEVER IS PULLED BUT DO NOT STAY ON. DEALER WANTS $88 JUST TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, BUT BASED ON NHTSA INFO, THAT WON'T HELP: "CONFIRMED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FULLY EXTINGUISH, AND REMAIN EXTINGUISHED, ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. IN MOST CASES THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION" BOUGHT THE VAN USED AND AFTER THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED A FEW TIMES I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND MANY FORUMS DISCUSSING THIS KNOWN ISSUE. *KB

RECENTLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED. DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEAD LIGHTS FLICKERED THEN TURNED OFF. I MANUALLY TURNED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE LIGHTS FINALLY CAME ON. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL ON THE INTERSTATE OR FOUL WEATHER CONDITIONS. I COULD DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THE FIRST OCCURANCE. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR DODGE CARAVANS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TT

THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK USING THE KEY OR THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER DOOR'S ELECTRIC UNLOCK BUTTON. THE MANUAL BUTTON ON THE DOOR ALSO WILL NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR. I HAVE NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR OVER A MONTH. I HAVE SEEN SUGGESTIONS ON THE WEB OF TAKING OUT AND THEN PUT BACK THE IOD FUSE, BUT THAT DID NOT WORK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V192000 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL: SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE). THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED FOR THE FAILURE NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK/UNLOCK WITH THE KEY AUTOMATICALLY NOR WILL THE DOORS LOCK WHEN DRIVING AS THEY NORMALLY DO. THE CAR "BEEPS" SO YOU THINK THE DOORS ARE LOCKED BUT THEY ARE NOT. THE FIRST FEW TIMES IT OCCURRED, WE REMOVED THE FUSE AND REINSERTED. EVENTUALLY THIS "FIX" WORKED ONLY BRIEFLY. THIS FAILURE IS UNSAFE FOR PERSONAL SAFETY AND ALSO FOR PROPERTY IN THE CAR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2005 DODGE CARAVANS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON A COOL FALL DAY ON A SMOOTH PAVED INTERSTATE, WITH NOONE AROUND. I HEARD A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING FLYING OFF MY CAR. NOT BEING TOO CONCERNED AS MY CAR WAS DRIVING FINE, I CONTINUED DRIVING AND ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE VAN, I NOTICED THE ENTIRE RED COVER ON MY REAR TAIL LIGHT- DRIVER'S SIDE- HAD COMPLETLY FALLEN OFF! OBVIOUSLY SINCE I WASN'T EVER IN AN ACCIDENT AND DIDN'T RUN INTO ANYTHING THAT DAY, IT MUST BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I HAVE FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE IN REGARDS TO THIS WITH THE 2005 DODGE CARAVAN. AS I'M ON A TIGHT BUDGET, NOW I HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THIS TAIL LIGHT FIXED SO I CAN PASS MY VEHICLE INSPECTION THAT IS DUE. NOT VERY HAPPY WITH DODGE RIGHT NOW!! THANK YOU FOR INVESTIGATING THIS REPORT. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND HOPE THIS COMPLAINT MOVES FURTHER TO A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS BUT MOST RECENTLY, REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V008000 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL: SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE), BUT WAS ADVISED THAT HE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS COULD NOT BE LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE DOOR BODY CONTROL MODULE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE DOOR BODY CONTROL MODULE TWICE BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED AND THE DOORS STILL COULD NOT BE LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,900 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 01/24/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BCM HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. UPDATE 01/27/12

HEAD LIGHTS WHEN TURNED ON DID NOT LIGHT AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH TURNED TO ON POSITION. SWITCHING BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM DID NOT TURN ON THE HIGH BEAMS. HOLDING THE TURN SIGNAL/ DIMMER LEVEL IN THE "FLASH" POSITION" KEPT THE HIGH BEAMS ON. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON CAUSED LIGHTS TO WORK PROPERLY SOMETIMES, BUT NOT EVERY TIME. DRIVING OVER A BUMP IN THE STREET CAUSED THE LIGHTS TO TURN OFF ONE TIME. AFTER THE BUMP TURNING THE ENGINE ON AND OFF AND ALSO THE LIGHT SWITCH DID NOT CAUSE THE LIGHTS TO COME ON. AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE INCIDENTS THE HEAD LIGHTS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY ON THREE MORE DAYLIGHT TRIPS. THE CAR IS NOT BEING DRIVEN WHEN HEAD LIGHTS MIGHT BE REQUIRED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED ALL OF THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO OPEN. THE IOD FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD SHUT ON AND OFF IF REMOVED AND REINSTALLED IN THE FUSE BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.