2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE ON 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. UPON TURNING ON HEADLIGHTS, THEY OCCASIONALLY DON'T WORK. THEY INTERMITTENTLY FAIL COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT NOTICE OR PROVOCATION RESULTING IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS WELL KNOWN PROBLEM CONCERNING OTHER YEARS OF THESE VEHICLES ON INTERNET FORUMS. THERE ARE NO KNOWN REASONS FOR THE PROBLEM. I'VE ASKED MY MECHANIC AND A DODGE DEALER AND THEY BOTH SAY IT'S A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY ANSWERS. *TR

POWER STEERING COMPLAINT FOR 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THERE IS A LOUD WHINING NOISE COMING FROM POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKS AND IS CONSTANTLY REPLACED. PREVIOUS REPAIRS HAVE INCLUDED A REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING FLUID, REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR, AND REPLACEMENT OF FILTER. THE PROBLEM IS FIXED FOR AN INTERMITTENT TIME AFTER EACH REPAIR AND THEN RETURNS. A SEARCH OF COMMON AUTOMOBILE FORUMS FOR "2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN POWER STEERING DEFECT" REVEALS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME PROBLEM. IT IS NOTED THAT THE NORMAL RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION SET. THIS IS HAPPENING ON VERY LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES. MOST ORIGINAL COMPLAINTS APPEAR TO OCCUR ON VEHICLES BETWEEN 40,000 AND 60,000 MILES. *TR

2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT. SLIDING DOORS ARE INCONSISTENT WITH OPERATION AND CREATE CONCERN FOR A QUICK EXIT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. THE SLIDING PASSENGER DOORS EITHER WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE REMOTE KEY SET OR WILL NOT OPEN ENTIRELY WITH ANY OF THE DOOR RELEASE BUTTONS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS IMPACTED BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOORS. INABILITY TO OPEN THESE DOORS WITHOUT SUPPORT OF AN ADULT HAS CREATED CONCERN FOR A QUICK EXIT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR ALL PASSENGERS. TO OPEN THESE DOORS WITHOUT SUPPORT OF THE AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENING SYSTEM IS ALSO VERY HARD. THE DOORS ARE HEAVY AND OFTEN TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HOLD THE (BLACK) RELEASE BUTTON DOWN TO OPEN THE DOOR(S). MY CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DO THIS ON THEIR OWN DUE TO THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE BUTTON WHICH YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUSH AND AUTOMATICALLY OPEN THE DOORS (FROM EITHER THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT OR THE BACK TWO REAR PASSENGER BUTTONS ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL). FROM MY RESEARCH, OF THE DODGE MINI-VANS, I'M FINDING THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS RESEARCHED TO DETERMINE THE NEED FOR SAFETY RECALL ACTION. IF A 9 YEAR OLD CHILD AND CHILDREN IN THEIR EARLY TEENS CANNOT OPEN THESE DOORS ON THEIR OWN, THIS PRESENTS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW IN 2006 AND 3 YEARS LATER, THE PROBLEM STARTED IMPACTING BOTH DOORS. I WILL ATTEMPT TO BRING THE MINIVAN INTO DODGE TO INSPECT BUT THE INFORMATION I'VE GATHERED HAS PROVEN INCONSISTENT OUTCOMES WITH DEALER REPAIRS AND EVEN MORE CONCERNING, AN INABILITY TO FIX THIS ISSUE ON A PERMANENT BASIS. *TR

MY 2006 GRAND CARAVAN DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY ALLOW THE SLIDING POWER DOOR ON BOTH SIDES CLOSE MORE THAN 1/2 OR 3/4 OF THE WAY. ADDITIONALLY, IF IT DOES CLOSE IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT CYCLE FULLY TO FULLY SECURE THE DOOR. AS A RESULT THE POWER MECHANISM WHICH SEALS THE DOOR WILL CYCLE OVER AND OVER UNTIL SOMEONE MANUALLY OPENS THE DOOR AND THEN PULLS IT SHUT. *TR

ON THE 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH REAR STOW N GO SEATING, A PASSENGER WAS SITTING IN A CHILD BOOSTER SEAT ON ONE OF THE BACK STOW N GO SEATS. THE SEAT APPEARED TO BE LOCKED INTO POSITION. HOWEVER, IN TRANSIT THE SEAT EXPLODED BACKWARDS WITH THE CHILD. THE CHILD HIT THEIR HEAD ON THE BACK DOOR. THE ENDING POSITION WAS THE TAILGATING POSITION WITH THE CHILD'S HEAD CAUGHT ON THE REAR DOOR. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 YRS. THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY VAN HAVE MALFUNCTIONED. ABOUT 6 OF THOSE 10 TIMES THE PROBLEM WAS THAT I COULDN'T GET THE LIGHT TO TURN ON. THE OTHER TIMES, I COULDN'T GET THEM TO TURN OFF. WHEN THE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING THE ONLY WAY TO SEE WAS TO MANUALLY HOLD THE LEVER TO TURN THE BRIGHTS ON AND DRIVE WITH ONE HAND ON THE WHEEL AND THE OTHER ON THE LEVER. AS FAR AS THE LIGHTS NOT TURNING OFF, I HAD TO MANIPULATE THE SWITCH BY TURNING IT OFF AND ON AND PULLING IT OUT TO THE FOG LIGHT POSITION AS WELL AS BANG ON THE DASH TO GET THE LIGHTS TO TURN OFF. *TR

2006 GC SXT 3.8 ENGINE, HAD WHINING IN POWER STEERING FROM COLD START DAILY FOR FIRST FEW MINS, THEN QUIET. AT 80,100 HAD TO REPLACE RACK AND PINION, AT 117,500 HAD TO REPLACE POWER STEERING PUMP, HOSE AND RESEVOIR, AT 151,000 HAD TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHAT'S NEXT? NEITHER POWER SLIDER WORKS, BOTH STOP ABOUT 6 INCHES FROM CLOSING, AND WILL NOT OPEN AUTOMATICALLY. SHOULD I KEEP GOING TIL 200,000 OR GET RID OF IT NOW? *TR

RACK AND PINION LEAKING ON MY 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN I ALREADY HAD A TIE BAR REPLACED AND NOW THE R&P IS LEAKING WHICH WILL COST $500 TO 1000 TO GET IT FIXED AS PER QUOTES FROM SEVERAL SHOPS. *TR

AUTOMATIC PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN OR SHUT COMPLETELY WITH EITHER BUTTONS OR FOB. WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED MANUALLY THE DOOR CYCLES TO "PULL" ITSELF SHUT. MY CHILDREN NOTICED THIS ALSO STARTING ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR AS WELL. WE BELIEVE A WIRE IN THE PLASTIC BLACK CASING HAS SHORTED OR BEEN SEVERED. *TR

2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ALL OF SUDDEN DID NOT START. THE FAILURE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE A COMPUTER THAT WAS PUT ON BY DODGE AND CHRYSLER ,THAT IS MALFUNCTION ON ITS VEHICLE.THE PRICE TO REPLACE THIS COMPUTER IS AROUND 700.00. IT HAS ALSO FAILED IN THE TOWN AND COUNTRY MINI VAN AND THE DODGE DURANGO. *TR