NHTSA Complaint #10289877 — 2005 DODGE CARAVAN

AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK FAILED TO LOCK/UNLOCK ON MY WIFE'S 2005 DODGE CARAVAN. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON FAILURE ON THIS MODEL AS I DETERMINED FROM A WEB SITE. HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/DODGE/CARAVAN/2005/ELECTRICAL/POWER_DOOR_LOCKS_QUIT_WORKING.SHTM THE PUSH BUTTONS ON THE KEY GIVE THE INDICATION OF LOCKING/UNLOCKING THE VEHICLE DOORS AS THE HEADLIGHTS BLINK AND THE HORN SIGNALS A RECEIPT OF THE SIGNAL, BUT THE DOORS DO NOT LOCK. ALSO, THE DOOR LOCK SWITCHES ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR DO NOT ACTIVATE THE LOCKS. YOU CAN LOCK AND UNLOCK MANUALLY BY USING THE BUTTONS ON EACH DOOR - MANUALLY PUSHING THEM DOWN TO LOCK OR RAISING THEM UP TO UNLOCK. HOWEVER, THAT IS HARD TO DO ON A VAN AS LOCK BUTTONS ARE NOT EASILY REACHED. WHILE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE FROM OUR FAILURE, I CAN SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROBLEM, AS AN EXAMPLE : 1) A PERSON THINKS THE DOORS ARE LOCKED AND A CHILD IS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, 2) A PERSON LEAVES THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING AREA THINKING THE DOORS ARE LOCKED WHEN THEY ARE NOT AND SOMEONE BREAKS INTO THE VEHICLE TO STEAL IT OR TO HIDE AN ATTACK THE DRIVER WHEN THEY RETURN. OUR DODGE DEALER WAS AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AND OFFERED TO APPLY A FIX FOR AROUND $50. APPARENTLY, THE FIX IS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY OR PULL A 20AMP FUSE WHICH AS FAR AS I CAN DETERMINE FROM THE ABOVE WEB SITE "RESETS THE COMPUTER MODULE". SO, I DID THE 20 AMP FUSE REMOVAL MYSELF AND THAT FIXED IT. HOWEVER, FROM THE COMPLAINTS IN THE WEB SITE - THIS FIX APPARENTLY DOES NOT LAST (THAT IS SOMETIMES IT LASTS FOR HOURS AND SOMETIMES FOR DAY OR WEEKS). I WILL ADD THAT A FEW ON THE WEB SITE DISCUSSED HAVING THEIR COMPUTER "REPROGRAMMED"AND MY DEALER MENTIONED THAT TERM WHEN I LET HIM KNOW I HAD BEEN READING THE WEB SITE. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY FOLKS MENTIONED THAT PROBABLY THE ACTIVATOR MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. ALL I KNOW IS-IT IS A CLASS PROBLEM AND AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED SHOULD BE FIXED BY A RECALL. *TR