NHTSA Complaint #10547688 — 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, THE DASHBOARD FLICKERED AND THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. POWER STEERING WAS DISABLED BUT I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO DRIFT IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, IT SEEMS THIS ELECTRICAL SHUT DOWN IS ONGOING AND PROBLEMATIC FOR THIS YEAR AND MAKE. I HAD LITTLE CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR DIES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS IT POSES SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND CARS AROUND IT. HAD I BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE OTHERWISE IT WILL GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE DEALER ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THE OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT I HAVE BEEN HAVING - TAIL LIGHTS BURNING OUT, SLIDING DOORS OPENING/CLOSING, WINDOW NOT GOING DOWN, POWER LOCKS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING) WERE ALSO A PART OF THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE. YET, IT IS NOT A RECALL BECAUSE IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM APPALLED THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE, THAT DODGE AND THE NHTSA HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY CONCERN. RECALL THIS MAKE AND MODEL FOR THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY. THE CAR DYING IN THE ROAD IS A MAJOR CONCERN. THE DOORS CLOSING WITHOUT NOTICE COULD HAVE KILLED MY FOUR YEAR OLD, INSTEAD I THREW MY BODY IN THE MIDDLE TO PROTECT HER. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE RECALL THIS TO SAVE LIVES. THERE ARE SO MANY OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR ON THE ROAD WITH LITTLE CHILDREN INSIDE. *TR