NHTSA Complaint #10744821 — 2005 DODGE CARAVAN

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A DODGE CARAVAN FROM A DEALER AND SINCE PURCHASING IT, WE HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. OUR DOOR LOCK SYSTEM HAS STOPPED WORKING IN WHICH MY MOTHER WHO IS DISABLED AND CAN ONLY BE PUT ON ONE SIDE OF THE VAN RELATED TO HER STROKE, WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE LOCKING MECHANISM WOULDN'T LET US OPEN THE DOOR AND WE LIVE IN TEXAS. WE HAD TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFER HER TO THE OTHER DOOR. WE NOW CAN ONLY PUT HER IN ON HER "BAD" SIDE WHICH PUTS HER AT RISK FOR INJURY (AND US). AFTER THAT WE HAD PROBLEMS THAT STARTED WITH THE GAGES BOBBING UP AND DOWN AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTING SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING RIGHT HALF THE TIME. IT ALSO HAS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT COME ON AND THEN THE FRONT END SHAKES. WE HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, GROUNDING WIRES, CHECKED FUSES AND BATTERY AND CABLES. NOTHING HAS WORKED, BUT THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GET CODES FROM UNTIL THE CAR WAS AT AN INTERSECTION AND DIED!!!!! NOW IT IS FREQUENTLY DYING WHEN WE ARE AT A STOP FOR RED LIGHTS, STOP SIGNS AND ...RECENTLY IT DIED WHILE I WAS YIELDING FOR A LEFT TURN. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CAR ACCIDENTS AND I NEARLY GOT T-BONED AT THIS INTERSECTION. EVEN WHEN THE CAR DIES, IT WOULD USUALLY START RIGHT UP UNTIL A MONTH AGO. NOW IT MAY START UP RIGHT AWAY OR IT MAY NOT START FOR 15-30 MINUTES AFTER IT DIES. IN TEXAS WE NEED THE AIR CONDITIONING. I AM NOW REFUSING TO PUT HER IN SOMETHING I CONSIDER A "DEATH TRAP". I AM NOW PUTTING THIS DOWN IN WRITING BECAUSE I HAVE NOW A CODE THAT SAYS IT IS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. FROM REPORTS, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THESE SAME VANS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AS IT ISN'T AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. AND NOW IF THIS VAN DIES AT A CRITICAL TRAFFIC MANEUVER AND I OR MY HUSBAND OR MOTHER OR CHILDREN BECOME INJURED, WE WILL LOOK INTO LEGAL ACTION.