2018 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Electrical System Problems

Am smells as if wires are burning and vehicle turns off whilst driving causing me to nearly hit a pole in one instance. Car will shut off also whilst parked or when reversing to park. Emergency Brake light come on at random times during driving as well. Or the seatbelt light will come on whilst seatbelt is engaged.

My sliding back doors do not open with the key fob AND they do not open using the handles on the INSIDE or OUTSIDE of the van. I was researching how to fix this, and this seems to be a pretty common issue. How has this put safety at risk - if there is an emergency, how do those people in the back seat get out? This is a HUGE issue! There are no other known failures with the vehicle - it has not been checked out by anyone other than myself.

When I’m driving, especially when I come to a stop or when I try to accelerate from a stop, the car kind of chokes or hesitates. It feels like it’s about to stall, but it doesn’t fully turn off. It keeps doing this off and on when I stop or try to go again. It's very scary and dangerous.

Voltage regulator malfunctioning inside ECM and having lights dim and electrical components bog down

Driver's side sliding door stays locked and will not open it also prevents me to lock the passenger side sliding door

I had recently decided to rotate my wheels and and I had gotten done I noticed that after a little while after I get down the road my speedometer, cruise control, abs, traction control stopped working and my parking brake light also came on now I do know the only thing that I done differently was kept my hub cap pieces off of the vehicle

As is a known issue in Dodge Caravans - the sliding door components have failed resulting in a safety hazard. One of the doors will not open sometimes which is a serious concern in the case of an emergency.

The front door passenger lock is not working. I think it is the actuator and hence auto-lock is not available for the front passenger door. The passenger door may get opened by mistake while on the highway.

Firstly my front door lock went out and wouldn’t work which i got fixed now both my back door locks do not work correctly which I have children that use this vehicle with me which can lead to danger the left back door locks make a nasty buzzing sound and will not lock or unlock from the back or key fob I have to open it from my door lock on my driver side and the right back passenger just doesn’t work at all this poses danger to my children and myself. This needs to be on the recall list with the amount of complaints and issues this is causing for dodge van owners!

i received communication, regarding my 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan, stating that the warranty has been extended for the Sliding Door Power Lock Actuators. My passenger door lock actuator does not work and needs to be locked manually. It seems Dodge knows there is a problem, but has not issued a recall. I feel this is a major safety hazard, especially when I travel with my young grandchildren. If I use the electric lock function but forget to lock the passenger door manually it presents a safety hazard to the children as the door is not fully secured. I have enclosed the letter from Dodge regarding the problem. This was also listed asDOT Phone complaint # 11651258 Thank you.

Left/drivers side automatic door actuator failed, door would not open and actuator had to be replaced. Mechanic notes available upon request. Safety risk as door could not be accessed for evacuating the vehicle in the event of an emergency. Notification was issued from the manufacturer that this has been a concern in this model, but manufacturer did not replace it. The vehicle was independently inspected before replacing, and replacing the actuator remedied the issue. There were no warning signs or symptoms prior to failure.

When I pump gas in the tank. It keeps stopping and it will not allow me to put more gas in the tank. Also the gas hand on the dashboard stays at half full. I don’t know how much gas is really in the tank. And electrical the passenger window will not let down on the driver side. I can’t let the window down from the driver side.

Passenger sliding door lock actuator is buzzing and going bad when you lock doors. A known problem in the dodge caravan.

The left sliding door of the van has an issue which started immediately after my last service more than a year ago (Around april 12, 2023) at Glendale CA Dodge. Initially the door wouldnt unlock and lock. I reported it to them but got no response. I had to manually unlock and lock to make it work and fixed the issue. Since then, it makes a lod buzzing noise whenever it's locked and unlocked. So, the issue now it just the loud buzzing noise and it's been that way since. I searched online and found forums with other users with the same problem who reported their issues here at NHTSA too. So, I'm reporting mine. Thank you.

The lock mechanism to the sliding door failed and is stuck in the locked position. What the danger is, and an extreme safety concern, is that the door can not be opened manually. So neither the automatic function (both button on the car itself and key fob), nor the manual mechanism on the lock itself, is functional. The door is locked with no way to open it either from the inside or outside. This is a grave safety hazard and I am shocked that this has not already been made into a recall. I have researched this issue and it has been ongoing for many years now, specifically with the 2018 model and other models as well. Dodge needs to issue a recall and fix this problem.

Driver side sliding door lock failed, same as the 2016 model that has a recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the sliding door on the rear driver’s side had seized in the locked position, and the key fob was unable to unlock the sliding door. The door was unable to unlock manually or with the key fob. The contact learned that the failure was a common failure caused by the door actuators. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lock rod had detach from the door latch, causing the door latch, rods, and retainers to all need to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

There is a cyclinder 2 misfire which hundreds of people have been effected by. There is electrical issues causing the temperature to not read correctly, side door not working, and rear air vents do not work.

Passenger sliding door stuck in locked position cannot unlock manually or with key fob .. same as 2017 recall same issue. Cannot unlock very unsafe issue in case of emergency or accident door will not open.

Sliding Passenger Door Lock Is Stuck in the locked position and the door cannot be unlocked or opened manually or electrically. Have been told its the lock actuator that has failed (similar to the 2017 and below models that was recalled)

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked, the key fob was used to attempt to lock and unlock the vehicle however, the doors failed to open. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked, the door would not open as needed; however, the rear passenger’s side door would occasionally open unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on three occasions where it was diagnosed that the door lock actuator on the rear doors, batteries in the key fobs, and the driver's side door module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

In November 2021 I repaired both sliding doors due to them being automatically locked and not being able to open at all. I have five kids and this year 2024 same thing happened. that is a safety issue, and the fact that I have to keep paying out of pocket because the cause the sliding doors keep getting lock and not able to do anything or open it and I have to take it to get repaired every time that is a hazard due to the fact that you can’t open the doors at all

Power sliding door makes buzzing sound when unlocking.

Passengers side back sliding door power locks will not lock the door . Driverside back sliding door will not unlock. Occasionally makes a buzzing g sound. Cannot manually unlock the door or open it.

My 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan will not turn the starter when I turn the key intermittently, especially when the temperature is hot. The key has to be turned on and off many times before the starter engages and the engine starts. The engine will turn off while driving the van on the highway which causes the power steering to go away. The van must then be shifted to neutral and cruise to a stop so it can be re-started after many tries as explained above. This is very dangerous because if you are on interstate in fast lane with cars behind you, it causes vehicle to slow down because engine stops without brake lights being engaged that could cause rear end collision and makes steering very difficult. This usually happens at least three times in succession before going away for this individual trip. There is no warning when the engine...

Sliding door lock actuator not working, sliding doors stuck in lock position, can trap children/passengers in the back of the vehicle. Huge safety issue, has happened with previous models, I see a lot of complaints on here with the same issue. Stop putting our kids in danger. Fix the lock actuators on the sliding doors!

Door locks fail When the door lock fails it locks the door without a way to manually unlock doors. This is on sliding doors. Children can lock themselves in the car and suffocate. remote nor manual door lock will operate. If lock fails in unlock position door may be opened while in motion I have not repaired the issue yet.

Driver sliding door won't open, completely jam unsafe for anyone who needs to get out of the vehicle or parents like myself trying to get our children in and out can only use the other sliding door until that one jams and locks in all rear passengers to their deaths in case of an accident this should be recalled and buyers should not be charged for a faulty and really unsafe part, no way of opening the door manually inside or out and no way of opening it sliding on its own

The trunk has opened several times usually at night where we find it in the morning open and creating a serious security problem with access to the car available. The vehicle has remote key control to the trunk and doors opening. Since we live in Huber Heights , Ohio We are aware that there is a lot of Military Air Traffic at night since we are close to Wright Patterson Air Base and once in a while we find the TV on in the front room.

The actuators on the front door and one sliding door are not working. This causes my rear doors to not lock. A child could open the door while the car is moving since it is not able to be locked. A similar issue was investigated and a longer recall period was provided for 2015-2017 grand caravans, but this is obviously an issue with 2018s as well.

Faulty lock actuator on driver’s side sliding door. I could not get my child unbuckled and out of the vehicle without climbing all the way in to the van from the other side. I looked it up and it seems this is a well known problem to Dodge. This is incredibly unsafe and concerning!

There is a faulty lock actuator in the sliding door. My door is suddenly stuck closed and I could not open it. My child was inside and I could not get my child out of her car seat without having to climb all the way into the van from the other side. This is incredibly unsafe and concerning. And apparently it is a well known issue.

The power locks in each door have failed and no door is accessible from the outside with exception to the drivers side front door. I am no longer able to open the passenger door nor the drivers side and passengers side sliding doors. This began while my kids were in the van and they were unable to get out without climbing through the van. The lock actuators in every single door have failed. There does not seem to be a root cause. I locked the van one evening and found the drivers side door no longer unlocked with the fob. Shortly after, the passengers side door lock failed altogether. As of tonight, both sliding doors cannot be unlocked and are jammed shut. There is no damage, this just appears to be a mechanical failure.

Drivers door lock actuator failed. Drivers door will not lock automatically when driving. The door can be locked and unlocked manually from the inside, and by the key from the outside.

Sliding doors stuck in lock position from the actuator

Drivers side sliding door actuator broke leaving door in locked position. Unable to manually or electrically unlock door to open it. While researching this found passenger side door actuator broken leaving door in unlocked position. Unable to manually or electrically lock door.

Driver-side sliding passenger door lock gets stuck in locked position. Will not unlock with key fob or buttons inside the car. You have to manually push the lock with great force to get it to disengage. This is a serious hazard because it effectively traps people in the backseat because you cannot manually disengage the lock. This is apparently a known issue by the manufacturer, and it costs between $1100 and $1500 to fix. No warning lights or indicators signaled this problem prior to failure. First failure of this kind started 1/23/23

Drivers side sliding door lock actuator failed in the locked position. Door could not be opened from the inside or outside.

Cranks but no fuel fix. Possible TIPM fuel pump relay issue.

The rear driverside sliding door was stuck in the lock position for several months. It was inconvenient that the actuator stopped working on the door. After months of it being stuck it suddenly works, but everytime the door s lock the rear driverside sliding doors locking system makes a buzzer sound while locking. If this fails again and we need to leave the car quickly in an emergency not having both doors working properly could be very dangerous.

Passenger door lock actuator stuck in the unlock position. When manually locked, actuator began buzzing when unlocking using electric methods. The van will not always unlock the doors via key fob since this has happened. I have small kids, and in the event of an emergency, it is important to be able to reliable unlock the rear doors if vehicle evacuation were necessary. I am in the processes of ordering a replacement actuator and will self install, but will keep the original on hand if the need arrises for it to be inspected. The vehicle has not been looked at by anybody other than myself as I do my own mechanic work.

My cars engine light came on. First I thought it’s was after a fill up of gas. Then it went off. Days later I went to go home from work and the car just wouldn’t start. I had to have it towed- the mechanic stated it’s always a problem em with dodge caravans it’s the engine. I towed it to my normal mechanic which replaced the battery and lo and behold engine light is on. Took it to the dodge dealership and it’s a cylinder head that needs to be replaced. This car is 4 years old, just at 75,000. In the ordinal owner and maintenances as suggested by manufacturer. This is unsafe and I cannot drive my children around in this vehicle. This is a known issue with these. My mechanic had another one in his shop with the same issue, but only 45,000 miles. I cannot drive this...

The driver side sliding read door is stuck in the lock position. The door is unable to be opened manually in case of an emergency. This is a known problem with these vans and it is a safety issue. To fix this problem a part needs to be replaced, the "door lock actuator", which is costly. This should be fixed by the manufacturer as it can be dangerous if my family is stuck because of an accident and there is no way to force the door open. This problem could also happen to the sliding door. I have small children and I worry about this issue. My van only has 64,000 miles and I bough the vehicle used just six months ago. Prior to the failure the door would make a buzzing sound and seem to struggle to close. There should at least be a way to operate the door...

Power control module or Totally Integrated Power Module(TIPM) is giving multiple faulty codes. Car would not turn off(even when key is taken off) some times can not be put into gears. I'm afraid and concerned that vehicle could derail and not respond correctly. Veicle has been inspected by mechanics but failed to locate problem. An schedule has been made at Dodge dealership for Octuber 10. They will charge $160 just to inspect. Vehicle VIN # not included in the recalls with the same issue.

every time I unlock the door or lock it it makes this loud buzzing noise,

Rear passenger door is stuck in closed position. No way to override actuator to allow door to open. This is an for the rear passenger in the event they need to exit that door.

Sliding side door on drivers side is locked and unable to get in or out of door. Carry 4 grand children in back and they could not be removed from side door in an emergency. Cannot unlock by key fob or manually. Vehicle has 46000 miles on it

Driver side sliding door will not open. Is locked and can not use this door to enter or exit the van. We bought this 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan about 2 years ago only had this car for 2 years doors been stuck for 1 year I would say. It just stopped working one day!!! We have 2 disabled children and if something happens our children can not get out . There have been alot of complaints on this!! Why hasn’t anything been done?? . My one child is not able to understand if he needs to get out another way. My other child climbs in from the back hatch back . or over the front seat to the back! Come on enough fix my door. I should not have to put out thousands of dollars to fix something that has been a known problem. Shame on dodge For not fixing...

The drivers side sliding door stopped working in the locked and shut position and is impossibleto open. Because of this we had to climb over our car seat to get our daughter out of the car. This is incredibly unsafe and should not happen.

Driver side rear slider is stuck in the locked position. The auto slider and door locks will not allow is to open from the inside or outside. My concern is that the passengers would not be able to exit in the case of an emergency. This happened without warning.