NHTSA Complaint #11124454 — 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, ANOTHER DRIVER TOLD US THE VAN'S TAIL LIGHT WAS SMOKING. WE PULLED AROUND A CORNER AND INTO A PARKING LOT AND FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS ON FIRE WITH FLAMES LAPPING UP THE SIDE OF THE VAN. THE VAN WAS TURNED OFF AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. WE REMOVED THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND FOUND THAT THE INSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE WIRING HARNESS WERE DESTROYED. THERE IS ALSO BODY DAMAGE. WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT BULB IN THE PASSENGER SIDE BURNING OUT FREQUENTLY, AND HAD SEEN EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING AND SOME MELTING IN THE BRAKE LIGHT CONNECTOR SOCKET IN ABOUT 2010. ALTHOUGH THE LIGHTS BURN OUT FREQUENTLY, THE MELTING HAD NOT GOTTEN WORSE SINCE THEN. THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT HAS NEVER EXHIBITED A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. AT THIS TIME IT IS UNKNOWN IF THERE IS ANY DAMAGE OR FAULT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEYOND THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF OBVIOUS DAMAGES IS APPROXIMATELY $1,000 TO $1,500 WITH REPAINTING.