NHTSA Complaint #10137793 — 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

TWO INCIDENTS: IN FEB 05, DAYLIGHT DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES @45 MPH DURING RAINFALL, ALL THE DASH INFORMATION LIGHTS CAME ON AND WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN ON. PULLING OFF THE ROAD TO ASSESS THE SITUATION WITH THE VAN STILL RUNNING ALL THE DASH LIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND 1 MINUTE LATER ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. AFRAID TO GO ON, PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, PLACED VAN IN PARK AND DASH LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OUT. TURNED OFF ENGINE, TRIED TO RESTART CAR. FIRST FEW TURNS OF KEY, NOTHING HAPPENED AND THEN THE CAR FINALLY TURNED OVER WITHOUT ANY DASH LIGHTS. DRIVING HOME IN RAIN, TURNED ON HEADLIGHTS/WIPERS AND MOMENTS LATER ALL DASH LIGHTS AGAIN CAME ON. AT THAT SAME TIME, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT/WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED UNCOMMANDED. MADE IT HOME/TURNED OFF ENGINE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART ENGINE FAILED, NO DASH INFORMATION LIGHTS DURING START SEQUENCE, HAD TO HAVE VAN TOWED TO DODGE DEALER. THE DEALER DISCOVERED MAIN COMPUTER WAS FRIED. AFTER MANY HOURS/DAYS OF TROUBLE SHOOTING, WE WERE TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS TO COMPUTER WAS CHAFFED CAUSING THE PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE WIRING HARNESS AND REPLACED THE COMPUTER WITH A REBUILT ONE. IN EARLY AUGUST 05 WHILE DRIVING IN DARKNESS, THE DASH LIGHTS/HEADLIGHTS STARTED TO CYCLE ON AND OFF UNCONTROLLED, ALL GAUGES WENT TO ZERO AND ALL SQUARES AROUND THE TRANSMISSION STATUS LIGHTS (P,R,N,D,L) WOULD ALL LIGHT UP. THE FAN WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN TURN ON UNCOMMANDED AND NOT GO OFF UNTIL THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. TOOK VAN UNDER OWN POWER TO DEALER. DETERMINED WIRING HARNESS BAD. TOOK ABOUT 3 WEEKS FOR HARNESS TO ARRIVE (9/23/05). EXPECT WORK TO BE COMPLETED BY 30 SEPTEMBER????? *NM