NHTSA Complaint #10778397 — 2013 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2015, THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON WHILE TRAVELLING FROM CANADA TO USA AT NIGHT TIME WITH MY WIFE AND TWO YOUNG CHILDREN. BECAUSE I CARRY A VEHICLE SCANNER WITH ME, I PULLED OVER AT A REST STOP AND CHECKED THE VOLTAGE SENSE PID. IT SHOWED 12.5V. THOUGHT THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE AND CONTINUED DRIVING. APROXIMATELY 400 MILES LATER, VEHICLE EXHIBITED SUDDEN LOSS OF MOMENTUM WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL AT 72MPH, AS I PRESSED ON THE ACCELARATOR, VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED AND RPMS ROSE TO 4500, HOWEVER VEHICLE SLOWED EVEN MORE AND I HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO GET TO RIGHT SHOULDER. VEHICLE WENT FROM APPROX 72MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL TO 40MPH IN A MATTER OF FEW SECONDS WHILE I WAS TRYING TO ACCELARATE TO SAFELY GET VEHICLE FROM LEFT LANE ON I-495 S TO RIGHT SHOULDER. I AGAIN PLUGGED IN MY SCANNER AND HAD CODE P0622 SHOW UP. AT THIS TIME, CONTROL MODULE VOLTAGE SENSE WAS READING 11V. AFTER ERASING THE CODE AND MULTIPLE IGNITION KEY CYCLING ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE STARTED UP, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE, BATTERY LIGHT WENT OUT AND VOLTAGE WAS AGAIN AT 12.5 V, AND CLIMBING. WE MADE IT TO OUR DESTINATION (TAUNTON, MA) AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEKEND. ON SEPTEMBER 28, WHILE WE WERE TRAVELLING BACK TO CANADA, WITHIN 40 MILES OF LEAVING TAUNTON, THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, BUT VERY SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AGAIN, AND HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO GET VEHICLE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY (I-495 N). AND IS UNABLE TO RESTART. I CALLED FCA ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE, AND THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DAN'S DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP IN WESTBORO, MA, USA AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC.