The van stopped running leaving the car with no power to any system and had to turn the key back to the on position to regain power. This has happened 3 times in the past month.
2008 Dodge Caravan electrical complaints
Page 6 of 7: complaints 131 to 160 of 162, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Head lights flickered several times and then stayed off. This has continued intermittently since november. Sometimes the headlights stay on, sometimes they don't. 8/1/2014-headlights don't work at all. I have taken to a dodge dealer in december who told me it would cost $700 but couldn't guarantee it wouldn,t continue to happen. I have taken it to 2 private garages who have told me the same thing. It's not the bulbs. They believe it is a problem in the electrical system.
2008 dodge caravan. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch issues. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle would not shut off, when the key was removed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where they installed a tipm part at a cost of $897. The dealer claimed the part would make the engine shut off. A day later, the engine would not shut off. However, when it didn't shut off, the engine blew up destroying the engine in the process. The dealer admitted the mistake, of installing the wrong part, and they stated they did not know the engine would not shut off, but they were certain that the failure, was not linked to engine blowing up. Somehow the engine, and radiator blowing up was simply a coincidence.
Tl *the contact owns a 2008 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the ignition switch was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000. The current mileage was 75,000.
While driving approximately 40 MPH the van hit a small pothole and lost total power. After steering to the side of the road I determine the ignition key was now in the accessory position. The same issue occurred multiple times over the course of the 7 years I owned the vehicle to the point that when my teenage sons learned to drive I coached them on what to do when the car turned off while driving.
Repeating problem with car just shutting off. Happens most often when making a turn. Did not happen during the cold winter months but started happening again this year once spring started.
2008 dodge caravan, while driving at 65 MPH, engine quit, all dash electronics went dead. Coasted to stop, put in park, restarted fine, continued to destination. Problem has occurred 2 previous times, once while turning a corner at or below 5mph, same result, and once at approx 20mph, again same result. Checked, and switched keys, tested ignition switch, wiring to battery / fuse box, all ok, with no excessive corrosion, or loose connections. Attempted to recreate problem by wiggling wiring, switch, keys, with no electrical failure.
We pulled out at night and started driving when suddenly and without warning the exterior headlights and fog lights started flashing, the interior warning lights started flashing, the wind shield wipers started going on and off, the windshield washer fluid started spraying, the lights on the gauges were flashing, and the ignition started "dinging" like when you turn it on. Granted this was at night so we lost headlights for several seconds at a time until we could get stopped. I had my 4 year old daughter in the car and my wife. Luckily we weren't going very fast and were able to get pulled over without being involved in a wreck. After turning the car on and off a couple of times and checking under the hood the problem ceased. Fast forward a few months. Similar incident occurred during the daytime. Basically the exact same issue as above. Luckily this was during the day and the headlights aren't as important. Once again after turning the vehicle on and off a couple of times and getting out of the vehicle to check under the hood it ceased. Fast forward a few weeks. Issue occurred once again during the day. At this point we refused to drive the vehicle at night as we deemed it unsafe at night with the potential that we could lose lights while driving 60 MPH and have zero visibility. We were never able to get the lights to stop going on and off and the issue with the van is still occurring. I've read similar stories from other dodge owners and most have never been able to solve the issue even after spending thousands of dollars. This is going to seriously hurt or kill someone and a search regarding the lights flashing online for dodge caravans around this year makes it clear that there is a serious issue regarding the van. I also checked and dodge claims the other recalls have already been done on this van.
When I would turn on the heat or the air condintioning it would work at first then when I put on the brakes the air would stop working. Now the air and or heat doesn't come on blowing at all, you can feel something like it might be on low but it doesn't change when you move the dial up or down.I was told this is due to the totally integrated power module. This is electrical and should be covered through company.
Neither high or low beam lights come on. When I turn them on, they will blink three times, and nothing else. Had two mechanics work on it, but couldn't figure it out.
I was driving the van on the highway and it went crazy horn blaring windshield wipers going real slow and fluid going everywhere I could not see because the fluid was coming out faster then wipers were going!!! I had to pull over until all the windshield fluid was gone. When I got home my husband had to unhook the battery because the horn was still blaring and it was 10.30 at night and I have neighbors with children sleeping.
Driving approximately 35-40 MPH, van shut down completely however, horn, wipers, wiper fluid, door locks went crazy. Was able to pull to the side of the road. Horn and electric stopped after approximately 5 minutes. After waiting a few minutes, I was able to start the car again and make it home. Car wouldn't start again. Had it towed to the dealer who replaced the battery and cable connector ($300). Also found more brake and axle seal issues at a cost of $1,000. Drove the vehicle for approximately 40 miles (to and from work) without problem. Went for a short errand, driving 35 MPH, car jerked, wipers went halfway and horn started blaring, wipers and fluid went crazy again, and car stalled. Neighbor was able to disconnect the horn but car wouldn't shut off. Neighbors called police (embarrassing). Car wouldn't shut off (opposite problem from when the car shut down before repair.) drove the car home where it is now waiting for a tow. Beyond frustrated and angry because my 16 year old daughter was driving the during the second incident. Called dodge corporate where "[xxx]" was less than empathetic and told me that there were a lot of miles on the vehicle, as if this makes it okay. No apologies. Car is a lemon. Three brake jobs during the life of the vehicle. This will be my 3rd tow in 6 months. This could have caused a severe accident had the car shut down on a busy highway. Additionally, vision is impaired due to windshield washer fluid spewing.
8/24 - the van was parked in a parking lot with my husband & son sitting in it. Another driver came to claim their nearby dodge caravan & beeped open his van, at that point our wipers started going full speed & the fluid shot up. It stopped for a minute then started going full strength again with the horn going non-stop, the lights all started flashing, & the doors all locked. The key fob was in the ignition but in the off position. My husband tried unlocking the doors with the key fob (pulled out of the ignition), tried using the indoor unlock button but all was unsuccessful. We were able to manually open the doors from the inside. All of this kept going for about 5 mins until I climbed in the back to open the side doors to air out the car & get my 2 year old out. When I manually unlocked the driver side back door everything stopped. We were able to drive home without further incident that day. 8/25 - we were driving back to chicago when the wipers did the same thing but nothing else. 8/26 - I was driving to work when all the doors unlocked & all the warnings on the control panel lit up. I was able to pull over to the side of the road and when I started driving again the RPM started going crazy like it couldn't shift gear. I pulled over again, turned the van off & let it sit for a few minutes. I was able to continue my drive to work & got home ok.
On a highway ramp entering the highway the horn on my van started to blow on & off, at the same time the windshield wipers were wiping & the spray was spewing at me at high speed. The lights blinked on and off & the door locks were going up & down. The radio was blasting as well. I came to a stop before entering the highway to try & figure things out but nothing worked. For 5-8 minutes I sat there in fear it would catch on fire. I put in park, turned it off & took the keys out. It continued to do all the activity with the keys in my hand! When it stopped & I tried to starting it. It started & ran ok till it happened not more than 15 minutes latter on my way to the dealer. This time it lurched forward at a faster speed with everything wiping, blowing, spewing & blinking which caused me to drop it into neutral & brake to a stop in the median. This time when it became quite it wouldn't start again & was towed to the dealer. They saw the codes it left but couldn't determine the cause. They said they could keep it thru the weekend & try again on monday or I could take it & bring it back when it did it again. This is the car I drive my family in all the time. Myself & 4 young girls plus friends. Although I am thankful to have only had to pay for towing I am very upset that they couldn't find the cause. I am essentially driving a ticking time bomb. This could happen again at any time, anywhere & with a car full of kids! I have said from day 1 that the van had electrical problems & no one took me serious. The only thing the dealer found that raised a red flag was that the windshield wipers come on when you use the turn signal - this has been a chief complaint all along. My family has had dodges for a long time, have been loyal customers & employees. We expect better from a company we've grown to depend on & refer others to for their next vehicle.
Vehicle started with doors suddenly and repeatedly locking and unlocking then drivers lock switch stopped working then week later passengers at the same time radios cd player started trying to eject cd repeatedly with out even being on or having one in it also at same time fuel gauge stopped working. Now this morning wife coming home from work braking system started to malfunction almost causing a crash. Upon simple web search this seems to be common occurrence with 2008 grand caravans electrical system repeatedly hearing or seeing as the case may be a faulty tipm (totally integrated power module) as told by dealership mechanics. It seems it is causing so many different problems such as those just described to headlights shutting off,wipers coming on horn blowing ect,ect,ect. How many people need to die before you take action. A copy of this will be sent to senators,congressman,and news media maybe if it makes the news someone wont have to die due to failure to act by your agency or dodge and chrysler.
All of a sudden, "bad key" message appeared on dash when using key and car would not start. Dealer saying replacement of win module and key is necessary. Other VIN #'s for other 2008 dodge caravans have recall on the remote keyless entry transmitters, dec 2008, but not my VIN number for some reason.
We have a 2008 caravan when the weather is cod outside the dash lights come on and off and the wipers come on by themselves while the seat belt chime keeps going off. Can't find any answers on what the problem is and why it only does this when cold.
Vehicle horn, wipers, fluids and locks simultaneously operating without driver initiating. This is the 9th occurrence without dealership accepting our story-requesting us to recreate it for them. Runs down battery when car not running-if it happens overnight, etc... On third battery now. Obviously unsafe and humiliating experience. Last week had to drop elementary aged daughter off at drop-off and caused great confusion. Yesterday woke neighbor baby and family sleeping.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the keys could not be turned in the ignition to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. There were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 75,000. Updated 6/15/12 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the ignition had to be replaced and the keys were reprogrammed. Updated 06/20/12
When I tried to unlock it the horn honked but it did unlock and when I turned the key it started but the horn honked again. I couldn't get the heater or radio to work. I put it into reverse it honked and kepted honking. I turned it off and thought that would clear everything. Then I couldn't get it started. We went back into the store and when we came back out I couldn't get the frount doors to unlock. When I pushed the unlock button it honked and the windshield wipers and washer started working. I managed to get back in by getting into the back doors. I was talking to the tow person when I tried to start it again and it started but the lights didn't work. The fog lights worked so I thought I might try to limp it home. I went a back way but it wouldn't shift out of 2nd gear. I finally stopped and called for the tow. The next morning I took it to a mechanic. Everything was working fine. They looked at it and couldn't make do any of the things I discribed. The computer guy checked it out and said the part that needed replacing was not available because there have been so many problems with it there is a 2 year backlog making them. Dodge knows about the problem so if they can't get those parts out I think they should replace the car. Why should the buyer be put in the position of traiding in the car when we bought it in good faith and intended to keep it.
Vehicle has been shutting off while driving. Electrical system has been powering down then repowering. Brakes have been replaced four times rotors twice. Power door locks work half the time. Air conditioning has problems. Power sliding doors only open by hand.
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 suggestions? I do appreciate the federal safety agency efforts. Thankyou!
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 the federal safety agency 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.
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.
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.
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.
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