2017 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Complaints

I purchased the vehicle on 9/15/2025 at approximately 103,900 miles. Around 10/6/25 at approximately 103,982 miles the driver side sliding door actuator has failed causing the door to get stuck in the lock position and creating a safety hazard. I reached out to Dodge today and spoke with a representative by the name of Lynn and they've declined to repair.

The engine began stalling and reving while driving. It is at the shop with an estimate of 2500.00 to 4000.00 to repair due to faulty cylinder #2. Researching this, we are not the first to have issues. As stated by my repair place, it’s a ticking time bomb waiting for it to cause a serious major incident and possible injuries. Vehicle is less than 8 years old and less than 100,000 miles

I first had this happen months ago and now I found another place to post about it. The locking and unlocking motor on the passenger sliding door is making a horrible noise and buzzing sound. This happens every time you lock or unlock it. It also happens when it locks automatically when you drive. It is horribly loud that it wakes up the baby and toddler every time. My mechanic has looked at it and knew exactly what was wrong right away. The motor is just and needs replaced. He said it's very common for the dodge motor in the sliding doors to need replacing. He's shocked it hasn't been recalled yet. He's also had many people have kids locked in the vans due to the motor basically burning out. He said it definitely needs replaced and should've been recalled by now. Also be prepared to climb over seats to get the baby and toddler out when they finally stop working all together. The fact that my small mechanics shop has seen many issues with the locking motor definitely tells me dodge isn't putting safety first at all.

SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED RANDOMLY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR CAUSE FOR THIS. IT JUST DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE. THIS WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEAD REST. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT AT THE TIME.

The headrest on the driver’s seat burst open and deployed while waiting in a parking lot.. A very loud and awful exploded to the back of my head and ringing of the ears.

The driver's side sliding door on this minivan became stuck shut. I had to remove my disabled son through the open window. Not being able to remove him quickly in an emergency because the door has become sealed shut is unacceptable. I cannot believe there is no manual override. I was able to solve this issue by forcing the unlock lever while pressing 'unlock' on the keyfob. However, the main reason I write this complaint, numerous people on various forums report an actuator shorting out in their doors causing this issue, meaning they cannot open the door, by any means, without this actuator being repaired. I cannot for the life of me believe that a system was engineered to not have a simple manual override on a car door. This is beyond me how this got cleared by any sort of regulatory body. If that actuator gets cooked in a fire, I guess the occupants of the car will too.

The contact owns 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that upon reversing and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle lost motive power. The contact turned off the vehicle, and four bystanders assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle into a parking spot. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that an unknown computer software chip needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V524000(Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 115,000.

Vehicle: 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan Component/System: Sliding door lock actuator Is the part available for inspection upon request? Yes Description of the Issue: The sliding door lock actuator failed, causing the door to remain locked at all times. The door cannot be opened manually or using the power door controls. This renders the door completely inoperable. Safety Risk: This is a significant safety hazard. In the event of an emergency, passengers—especially children seated in the rear—cannot exit the vehicle through this door. It severely limits evacuation routes and could result in injury or death if occupants are trapped during an accident or fire. Has the issue been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? Not yet. Issue is ongoing and appointment is pending. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms before the failure? No warning lamps or messages appeared. The door simply stopped responding to manual or power lock/unlock commands. When did the issue occur? June 2025. The door has remained inoperable since. Assessment: Based on consumer forums and other reports, this appears to be a known and widespread issue with this model, likely caused by a defective actuator design.

Door lock actuator on passenger sliding door beginning to make noise before it likely will fail and not automatically lock door as vehicle accelerates. This is a recall item on the two prior years of this same vehicle.

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and shift the vehicle into park(P); however, the vehicle was stuck in reverse(R), and failed to shift to neutral(N). The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P1602 (PCM not Programmed) and P0606 (Error with PCM) were retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.