NHTSA Complaint #10789441 — 2013 DODGE CARAVAN

THE TAIL LIGHTS ARE RANDOMLY WORKING AND NOT WORKING ON BOTH SIDES. ONE MINUTE BOTH THE BRAKE AND TURN LIGHT WORKS, THE NEXT ONE OR ANOTHER OR BOTH DON'T WORK. THEY ARE LED MODULES THAT REQUIRE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY BE REPLACED. THE VAN ONLY HAS 49,700 MILES ON IT. TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY AND THE WIRE HARNESS COSTS $700 PLUS LABOR EACH SIDE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP (NOT DODGE) CONFIRMED THAT IT IS THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES AND NOT A COMPUTER MODULE OR SWITCH. THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT AND THE REVERSE LAMPS WORK PERFECTLY. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU HAVE YOUR RUNNING LIGHTS ON OR IF THEY ARE OFF. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THEY ARE NOT WORKING. EVEN THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR ON THE DASH WILL BE BLINKING NORMALLY THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN BLINK FAST (INDICATING LIGHT NOT WORKING) THEN GO RIGHT BACK TO BLINKING AT NORMAL SPEED. THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS ARE ACTUALLY BLINKING AND INDICATING CORRECTLY WHEN THE TURN/BRAKE LIGHT IS WORKING AND WHEN IT IS NOT BUT THERE IS NO WARNING. THEN THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE LIGHTS STAY ON EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND WILL RANDOMLY COME ON THEN FLICKER OFF. I FOUND THAT HEAT (OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES) PLAYS A ROLE. THE WARMER (OVER 50 DEGREES) IT IS, THE MORE APT THEY ARE TO QUIT WORKING. LED LIGHTS ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST LONGER THAN STANDARD BULBS BUT THESE ARE NOT. I CONTACTED BOTH A DEALER AND DODGE CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD "WE'RE SORRY, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS". WHEN SOMETHING THIS EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE GOES BAD ON A 2 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND RANDOMLY WORKS/DOESN'T WORK, IT BECOMES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I AM WAITING FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS TO COME IN BUT IT IS TAKING 2 WEEKS AND IN THE MEAN TIME, I HAVE TO DRIVE NEVER KNOWING WHEN THE TURN/BRAKE LIGHTS ARE GOING TO WORK AND WHEN THEY ARE NOT.