NHTSA Complaint #10401864 — 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WHEN KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION AND TURNED, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT START. THE STARTER MAKES A CLICK SOUND BUT DOES NOT TURN OVER. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TURNING THE KEY ARE NEEDED TO START THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES AFTER TRYING 5-10 TRIES WITH NO START, PULLING THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTING OR OPENING THE DRIVER DOOR WITH THE KEY REMOVED WILL START THE VEHICLE. EVENTUALLY, THE CAR WILL START NORMALLY. FIRST IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN ON AFTER THE ENGINE WAS HOT OR HOT OUTSIDE 85 OR HOTTER, BUT IT GOT WORSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, I TOLD THEM I CHECKED THE STARTER SOLENOID AND IT WASN'T READING 12 VOLTS WHEN VAN WOULDN'T START ONLY READING UNDER 5 VOLTS, WHEN THE VAN WOULD START IT WOULD READ ABOUT 10 VOLTS. THE FIRST TRIP TO THE DEALER THEY REPLACED A STARTER MOTOR, WITH IN TWO DAYS IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY REPLACED THE STARTER MOTOR AGAIN WITH MOPER BRAND STARTER MOTOR. THIS STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I SWITCH THE BATTERY WITH MY OTHER CAR TO CONFIRM NOT BATTERY. STILL VAN HAS STARTING PROBLEMS. I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE VAN WITH DEALER FOR A WEEK, THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, BUT WHEN I GOT IN THE VAN ALL THE ELECTRONICS WERE TURNED OFF, RADIO, AC.. THAT WAS NOT AN ACCURATE TEST. THE VAN STILL HAS INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEMS. WHEN WINTER CAME THE STARTING PROBLEMS STOPPED. BUT THIS SPRING AND SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE THE STARTING PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. WE DON'T IF THE VAN WILL START OR LEAVE US STRANDED.