My vehicle caught fire on 10-14 after being parked for 2.5 hours. Three weeks prior I had bumped into a light pole while backing up and my airbag light triggered on. The airbag did not deploy and nothing seemed wrong with the van. Then my battery died so I had to have it jumped. It died 3-4 times before I replaced it with a fresh battery 10-7. I did smell heat, but I attributed it to my oil leak, but I think I was smelling wires, not oil. I went by an autoparts store and they read my old battery temp and it was at 173 and didn’t say it was hot or anything. I don’t think that was safe to put a new battery in when there was obviously a problem. The airbag light consistently dinged off and on but since the airbag didn’t deploy I didn’t think it was any problem. But now I think it was slow draining the battery and then the new one kept charging it causing something to overheat and catch fire.
Dodge Grand Caravan battery drain problems
60 of the 13,443 owner complaints about the Dodge Grand Caravan describe battery drain or dead battery, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 60
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,129
- typical mileage
- 86,344
By model year
Often reported together
Fuel pump 25Stalling 18Won't start 15Headlights 6Warning lights 4Won't shift 4Overheating 4Loss of power 3
What owners say
About a month ago had an issue where the battery was drained completely. Couldn't unlock the van with the FOB, had to use the physical key to unlock the door. Was able to jump the battery and i started right up. Assumed that a over-head light was left on. Confirmed the battery was holding a charge, no issues with alternator. Had the same battery drain a couple of days later. Jumped the van again. Remove any devices from all the power outlets. The battery issue went away. 2 weeks ago noticed that the instrument cluster console appeared to be frozen. I tried to change the settings to view the trip counter. Turns out that none of the steering wheel buttons were working, except for the Cruise Contorl. The steering wheel horn is not working either. However the horn beeps when I use the FOB to lock the van. As it was at night time, noticed that the over-head interior lights are not working either. The lights in the doors are working. The vanity mirror lights are working. Checked the owners manual and online look-ups, found that the M20 fuse is responsible the following items (which are not working) - Instrument Cluster Interior Light, Switch Bank, Steering Column Module, Switch Steering Wheel Pulled the fuse and found that it was blown. With the van not running, replaced the fuse. And it blew immediately. Based on online searches, and some troubleshooting to help try and narrow the issue, it appears that the problem is the clockspring in the steering wheel. Based on information it appears to be known issue. I called the dealer to see what the cost was to diagnose and replace. i'm looking at over 1K for parts and labor to replace the clockspring. My previous mini-van, which was a 2015 dodge caravan with 180K had no issues with the clockspring. This van is 4 years newer and half the miles.
I have a problem with fuel pump circuit .it stays open and drain the battery after I shut the car off ,the problem with the fuel pump rely witch s integritated in the TIPM, to solve the problem I have to replace whole TIPM wich is cost $1070. All Dodge Grand Caravan model 2010 to model 2020 have same problem . Please liste this problem as a recall. Thanks for understanding.
The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the ignition key was stuck in the ignition switch. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The contact stated that the failure was draining the battery and causing the rearview camera to become inoperable. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 11V139000 (Electrical System) and 14V373000 (Electrical System, Air Bags). An unknown dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that an unknown recall repair had already been performed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
The fuel relay switch is faulty and causing fuel pump to stay on draining the battery. This is a known problem and has been recalled on several other models. It causes my vehicle to continue to lose power due to electrical surge.
The TIPM has failed. It causes the fuel pump to randomly engage and drain the battery. It drained so low the key fob would not work and I needed a locksmith to get inside the vehicle to pop the hood. Our van has been at Lynwood Dodge since February 2022. it took over a month to diagnose and now they can not get the part. The estimate they have given me is around $2,300. That does not count two tows, a locksmith and replacing the fuel pump and a fuel related module around a month prior. The inspection was by the Dodge dealership. To my knowledge no manufacturer representative has checked this vehicle.
The tipm failed, this has been confirmed with a mechanic. It is available for inspection. The car's fuel pump keeps running even when the car is turned off which drains the battery. I am concerned that it may cause a fire and burn my house down. This is a known problem with these vehicles and certain VIN numbers are recalled. I was told my VIN number is not on recall. With this being a know problem, all VIN's should be on recall. This makes your car unusable and if the car cuts off in traffic, a real safety concern.
I was driving and the vehicle stalled out. Could have been hit if someone was right behind me. At first the car would keep turning over trying to start and it would after awhile, then lead to going out to the car and the battery completely drained. I had to replace a whole battery and alternator and it is still draining the battery (fuel pump rely). I don't see why there hasn't been a recall to fix this with as many complaints as there are online.
When turning the key over to start the vehicle it will keep turning over but not crank and it will not stop turning over until you switch the key in off position. Also, at times the van will stall while runing and shut off. So far in parked position but I am afraid it could happen while driving. The fuel pump will keep runing after the ignition has been shut off and the key taken out. This runs the battery dead and will leave you sitting.
Tipm - total integrated power module failure. Car intermittently won't start, keeps the fuel pump on draining the battery, radio won't work, air conditioning. I replaced the battery the first time it drained it thinking the battery went bad. Cost me 3 times in towing charges. Felt like it was stalling while driving a few times. Can only be repaired at the dealer's and they say it is over $1,500 to repair.
Related recalls
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
- Risk
- A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Recall number 18V524000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Chrysler Group, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, through October 31, 2013. The affected vehicles may experience overheating of the vent window switch in the driver's door armrest.
- Risk
- An overheated switch may result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vent window switch with a newer version, free of charge. The owner notification letter was issued and the remedy campaign launched on on December 31, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P25.
Recall number 14V234000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2010 dodge journey, grand caravan, and chrysler town & country vehicles manufacturer from august 3, 2009, through june 17, 2010. Some vehicles may experience inadvertent ignition key displacement from the run to accessory position while driving causing the engine to shut off.
- Risk
- Engine shut off while driving could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the win modules free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during july 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 11V139000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2009 dodge grand caravan and chrysler town & country passenger vehicles manufactured from february 2007 through september 2009. Some of the vehicles may have been built with an improperly routed wire harness that may have a condition where the lower sliding door hinge bracket can make contact and wear through the wire insulation.
- Risk
- A short circuit could occur inside the sliding door, overheating the latch, possibly resulting in a fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on november 15, 2010. Owners may contact chrysler toll-free at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 10V235000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling 6,138 my 2009 town and country and dodge grand caravan vehicles. Unused electrical connectors for the blind spot detection system may become corroded and could short circuit, which can cause a variety of conditions.
- Risk
- If the fuse for this circuit does not blow, the connectors could overheat and potentially catch fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will seal the power circuit at the subject connector and replace the fuse for this circuit if necessary free of charge. The recall began on march 9, 2009. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 09V046000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge Grand Caravan battery drain
Which Dodge Grand Caravan years have battery drain or dead battery problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (16 complaints), 2011 (14 complaints) and 2005 (4 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix battery drain or dead battery on the Dodge Grand Caravan?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,129 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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