NHTSA Complaint #10198962 — 2003 DODGE CARAVAN

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, 56,432 MILES, ORIGINAL OWNER THE FIRST TIME IT WOULDN'T START BACK UP AFTER HAVING IT OFF FOR 5 MINUTES. ONCE IT WAS TOWED IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP (ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, IN THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT). THE NEXT DAY AFTER DRIVING IT ABOUT 10 MILES TWO DIFFERENT TIMES AND HAVING IT ON/OFF NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEN HAVING IT PARKED FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES, I GOT IN AND STARTED IT NO PROBLEM. TWO BLOCKS LATER IT DIED COMPLETELY. AGAIN EVERYTHING WORKED INCLUDING THE A/C, RADIO AND LIGHTS WITH NO SURGE IN POWER. ABOUT 1/2 HOUR LATER WHEN THE TOW TRUCK SHOWED UP, IT STARTED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. WEIRD THING IS THE LIGHTS, AC AND EVERYTHING ELSE WORK JUST FINE!! IT DOESN'T EVEN SEEM AS IF THERE IS A DRAIN ON THEM. WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION, IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING, NO CLICKS, NO "STARTING", NOTHING!!! ALSO BOTH TIMES IT WOULDN'T START/STALLED, IT WAS ON AN INCLINE. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN A DRIVE WAY WHERE THE FRONT WAS UP HIGHER AND THE SECOND TIME WAS GOING DOWN A HILL. AND WHEN IT WAS STARTED IT WAS ON A FLAT SURFACE. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE LAST NIGHT AND OF COURSE IT IS NOT HAPPENING THERE. THEY DID HOOK IT UP TO THE MACHINE SINCE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE SECOND NIGHT WHEN IT DIED, BUT THERE WERE NOT ANY MESSAGES THAT CAME OUT. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 9 DAYS, YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY HAD ALREADY REPLACED TWO PARTS, INCLUDING THE FUSE BOX. THE 3RD PART THEY ARE CONSIDERING IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER, BUT SUPPOSEDLY WAS SENT OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE THE 3RD PART IS THE MAIN COMPUTER. *JB