NHTSA Complaint #11161272 — 2013 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

THE ENGINE TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING. IT CRANKS AFTER THAT, BUT DOESN'T START UNTIL 20 MINUTES OR SO AFTER THE SHUTOFF. IT'S HAPPENED 4 TIMES SO FAR: 4/18/2017 AT 42,770 MILES, 11/15/2017 AT 49,000, 6/25/2018 AT 53,200, AND 8/8/2018 AT 54,650. THE 1ST AND 3RD TIMES THE CAR WAS MAKING, OR HAD JUST COMPLETED, AN EXTENDED HILL CLIMB ON CITY STREETS AND THE GAS TANK LEVEL WAS RELATIVELY LOW. THE 2ND AND 4TH TIMES THE CAR WAS ON THE HIGHWAY ON LEVEL TERRAIN WITH A 3/4 TO FULL GAS TANK. AFTER 1ST OCCURRENCE, TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP AND HE COULD FIND NO ERROR CODE IN THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THEN DROVE IT TO DEALER AND HE KEPT IT OVERNIGHT. DEALER AGREED THAT THERE WERE NO CODES BUT SAID THAT RESTART COULD HAVE ERASED THEM. HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE IT HAPPEN IN HIS SHOP AND, THEREFORE, COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. FOR SUBSEQUENT SHUTOFFS WE JUST WAITED THE 20 MINUTES, RESTARTED AND DROVE OFF HOPING IT WOULD NOT RECUR. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER WITH NO INCIDENT. WE NOW DRIVE ONLY IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE AND TRY TO AVOID HIGHWAYS AND LONG-DISTANCE TRIPS. THE CAR IS UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS.