NHTSA Complaint #10735856 — 2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

ON 7/03/2015 MY 2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 46000 MILES WAS HAVING STARTING, STALLING AND IDLE ISSUES. THROTTLE BODY WAS REPAIRED BY SHOP AND REFUNDED MONEY BECAUSE CAR STILL HAD SAME ISSUES. THE MECHANIC SAID TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WAS NOT KICKING OUT ANY CODES I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO WAIT FOR AN APPT UNTIL AUG 4TH. THE CAR WAS ACTING UP SO I WENT IN WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT ON 07/21/15 THEY SAID BECAUSE THE ISSUE WAS SO INTERMITTENT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS. ON 07/22/15 THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID THEY FOUND TWO ISSUES WITH THE VAN 1ST IT NEEDED THE LEFT CYLINDER HEAD REPLACED AND 2ND THE TIPM UNIT WAS BAD. THE GOOD NEWS WAS THE CYLINDER HEAD WHICH WOULD HAVE COST $2000 WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE BAD NEWS WAS THE TIPM ( TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE) WAS GOING TO COST $1100 TO FIX. THE WHOLE POINT OF BUYING A NEWER CAR WAS TO NOT HAVE THESE HUGE REPAIR BILLS. BUT IN ONE SHOT THIS VAN JUST COST $3600 IN REPAIRS THAT IS JUST INSANE, WHO HAS THIS KIND OF MONEY LAYING AROUND. THE SECOND THIS TIPM UNIT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH A LOT OF OTHER CARS MANUFACTURED BY CHRYSLER ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. I COULD NOT IMAGINE BEING STRANDED SOMEWHERE WITH MY FIVE CHILDREN OR GOD FORBID STALLING OUT WHILE DRIVING IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS TIPM SHOULD BE RECALLED NOT HAPPY WITH OUR CHOICE IN THIS VEHICLE ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE WRONG WITH THIS CAR I HAVE A HEAD AND TAIL LIGHT THAT ARE GETTING WATER INTO THEM. I SAY ONCE AGAIN THIS CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF PROBLEMS. UPDATED 09/09/15*LJ UPDATED 12/05/2017*CN