2008 DODGE CARAVAN Electrical System Problems

VEHICLE PURCHASED IN PUERTO RICO WITH 40,000+ MILES; REPLACED A ROTOR & ALL PADS ABOUT 65,000 MILES. COULD HEAR NOISES COMING FROM BRAKE MECHANISM (NOISES WENT AWAY UPON REPLACEMENT OF BRAKES WITH OEM PARTS). AROUND 70,000 MILES THE VEHICLE STARTED LOCKING ITSELF WITHOUT WARNING, AT LEAST TWICE WITH KEYS INSIDE. IMAGINE A HOT DAY AND A CHILD IN A RESTRAINT SEAT AND THE CAR LOCKED. I DID NOTICE THAT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE POWER LOCK SWITCH ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BECAME INOPERABLE. NOW AT 78,892 THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT ON THE BLINK (BLANK), EXCEPT FOR THE DIGITAL MILEAGE INDICATOR & 'GATE AJAR' . I STOPPED FOR GROCERIES & WHEN I WENT TO CRANK THE STARTER SOLENOID, NOTHING HAPPENS. HAD TO TOW HOME & AM TOLD THAT LOCAL DEALERS ARE CHARGING $1,000 TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER.... NO WONDER LESS & LESS PEOPLE ARE BUYING AMERICAN BRAND CARS. ANY...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE FURTHER. THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICLY DURING HOT WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE GROUND WIRE FOR THE WIRING HARNESS WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED DURING PRODUCTION. THE MECHANIC ALSO DETECTED FAULTY BATTERY CABLES DUE TO SUBSTANTIAL CORROSION WITHIN THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE ILLUMINATED AND NONE OF THE GAUGES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON UNEXPECTEDLY AND THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK INVOLUNTARILY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND THE CURRENT MIELAGE WAS 57,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V235000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING), BUT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,097.

WIRING HARNESS LEADING TO DRIVER SIDE DOOR BECAME PINCHED/ CHAFFED RESULTING IN DEACTIVATION OF SIDE AIRBAGS. WIRING HARNESS REPLACED. *TR

BRAKE SYSTEM ISSUES AND POSSIBLE FRONT-END ISSUES IN GENERAL, ELECTRICAL ISSUES. HAD TO REPLACE FRONT TIRES AT 18729 MILES. BRAKES PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED REPLACED AT 24130 MILES. DEALER ONLY AGREED TO COVER ROTORS AFTER MUCH DISAGREEMENT. STATED EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEEN COMING ON SINCE LATE 2009, KEEP TAKING IT IN- STATED PROBLEMS WITH O2 SENSORS. PROBLEM STILL NOT FIXED. DEALER STATES WE MUST NEED NEW COMPUTER, AND THAT WILL BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING SCREECHING/RATTLING NOISES AGAIN, AND MILEAGE IS NOW AT 29000 MILES. DEALER STATES NOTHING WRONG WITH BRAKES, THAT IT MUST BE BRAKE DUST. DEALER JUST DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OR PAY TO COVER- THERE IS ABSOLUTELY AN ISSUE THAT THEY WILL NOT ADMIT. INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS FAILED 4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING, INCLUDING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS VAN....

I HAVE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY VAN. ALL WARNING-LIGHT-INDICATORS IN MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD TURN "ON" WHILE I'M DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OR STREET. ALSO, I HAVE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH MY HEADLIGHTS THAT FLICKER "ON" AND "OFF" BY ITSELF WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE, SPECIALLY AT NIGHT. MY DEALERSHIP HAVE FAILED TO HELP DIAGNOSE THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *TR

2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. HEADLIGHTS FAIL WHILE DRIVING. THEY WILL COME AND GO. BRIGHTS MAY FAIL OR LOW BEAMS MAY FAIL OR BOTH TOGETHER. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET. DODGE DEALER AND OTHER MECHANIC HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR FIND THE CAUSE. I HAVE SEEN AT LEAST 30-50 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. *TR

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES REBUILT. BRAKE PROBLEM INDICATOR LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR CHECK AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS JUST A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER. BRAKES GAVE OUT ONE MONTH AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT (CERTIFIED) SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT AND THAT THE BRAKE WARNING SYSTEM APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED, RENDERING IT USELESS. ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE INFLATION INDICATOR (DEALERSHIP FIXED THIS PROBLEM AND STATED IT WAS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION) AND SHORTS IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH THE HORN TURN SIGNALS, LIGHTS, AND ALARM SYSTEM. DEALERSHIP DID A REPAIR ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR

10/14/08, 10/17/08, 11/3/08, 11/7/08 - ELECTRONIC FAILURE, LOST STEERING AND BRAKES, CAR STAYED RUNNING, ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT, ALL INDICATOR LIGHT WERE ON. I HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED. IT WOULD RESTART BUT ALL LIGHT WERE LIT. 1ST TIME IN THEY SAID IT WAS A BRAKE SENSOR AND SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. 2ND TIME, LIGHT WOULD GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, ALL LIGHTS CAME ON, LOST STEERING AND BRAKES AGAIN. AND. WIRELESS IGNITION NODE REPLACED, WIN MODULE REPLACED, CONTROL ASSEMBLY, INSTRUMENT PANEL HVAC AND ATC AUTOMATIC TEMP REPLACED. 3RD TIME, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO 1 GEAR, NO STANDARD TRANSMISSION EITHER, PULLED VEHICLE OVER, SHUT ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT MANUAL SHIFTING DID NOT WORK AND LIGHTS WERE ON. ANS. POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE NOT COMMUNICATING PROPERLY ALONG WITH THE TCM, TEST AND...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CARAVAN. ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK, THE DOORS WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SPRAYED WIPER FLUID, AND THE HORN SOUNDED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER THREE TIMES AND THE ECM WAS REPLACED DURING THE MOST RECENT VISIT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 700. UPDATED 09/15/08 *BF THE DEALER THE CONSUMER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER NOT WORKING WAS DUE TO NO OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED ON THE HIGH BEAMS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON INSTEAD AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE BLINKERS DID NOT WORK, THE AC AND RADIO STOPPED WORKING, BUT AFTER PARKING AND RESTARING THE VEHICLE, THEY WORKED AGAIN. WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED ON THE VEHICLE, EVERYTHING WENT HAYWIRE; THE THE FRONT AND REAR WIPERS CAME ON, SPRAYING...