The drivers side sliding door will not open. The local dealership checked it and says it is the door lock actuator that needs to be replaced. There was a recall on this part, but we never got a recall notice. The vehicle messaging system never indicated a problem. The passenger side sliding door has also had problems, but it still opens. It just makes a lot of noise when opening sometimes, and will close unexpectedly before it fully opens. Both of these problems pose a safety hazard.
2018 Dodge Grand Caravan: doors won't lock, open or latch
74 of the 272 complaints about the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan describe doors won't lock, open or latch.
- owner complaints
- 74
- of this car's complaints
- 27%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,500
- typical mileage
- 53,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
Doors won't lock, open or latch by model year
What owners say
The lock mechanism on the passenger side sliding door has failed. It is stuck in the locked position. This is a known defect that has recurred in this vehicle for years. The door is not able to be unlocked which is a safety concern if the vehicle needs to be exited or accessed in an emergency. The sliding door lock had been making a loud buzzing noise upon locking and unlocking for weeks but only became stuck yesterday. The front drivers side door lock also does not respond to the unlocking mechanisms (button inside or remote) but can be unlocked with the key being inserted into the lock and manually turned. This has been happening on and off for a year.
Driver side sliding door locked. Fails to get unlocked. Tried unlocking with Key Fob, manually unlocking. Nothing works and this door now fails to get unlocked and open. Passenger side middle row bucket seat fails to fold down and get under the floor.
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.
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.
The driver's side sliding door would not open. It was like the door was stuck in the lock position. Unable to get my child out of the vehicle from that side. There were no warnings or symptoms indicating there was any issue at all prior to this occurring. Randomly a few days later it started to work like normal again, however now the door will not lock. When the other doors auto lock a loud noise comes from that door, but it does not lock. It does open when prompted. I have not had anyone inspect the problem as of yet.
Passenger sliding door lock actuator is buzzing and going bad when you lock doors. A known problem in the dodge caravan.
The sliding door locks/actuators on the rear sliding doors do not engage allowing the doors to open even when the doors are locked leaving the risk of the doors opening while the vehicle is moving or allowing someone to break into the vehicle since the doors won't lock and can be opened, even when the rest of the doors on the vehicle are locked.
I have a 2018 dodge grand caravan whose door lock actuators are failing in the rear sliding doors. This is accompanied by loud buzzing. Sometimes they don’t unlock which causes some problems for backseat passengers. After looking online, I found there is a recall for this same problem in model years 2016-2017. I’m having the same issue but my vehicle is not covered under the recall. I just want you to know that the problem is still happening.
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 the federal safety agency too. So, I'm reporting mine. Thank you.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan door locks
Is doors won't lock, open or latch a common problem on the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan?
74 of 272 owner complaints about the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan (27%) mention doors won't lock, open or latch. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
How much does it cost to fix doors won't lock, open or latch on the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,500 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan
Key fob 32Misfire 20Check engine light 17Stalling 12Engine failure 5Transmission failure 5
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