2001 Dodge Caravan

DT: THE CALLER COMPLAINED ABOUT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM. HE STATES THAT HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF AT NIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL SHUT OFF AS WELL. SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME BACK ON, AND SOMETIMES THEY WON'T COME ON AT ALL. ALSO, THE HORN BLOWS, AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL BE ON, AND THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. DEALER SAID THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. ANOTHER DEALER REPLACED THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. MANUFACTURER SAID TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DEALER.*AK

DT: 2001 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONSUMER STATES THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. ALSO, THE LIGHTS WILL GO ON AND OFF WITHOUT THE KEY IN IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO. THIS RECURRED WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. THEY DO NOT ALWAYS COME BACK ON. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER THE LIGHTS ARE ON OR OFF.*AK

HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF. SUSPENDED NIGHT DRIVING IMMEDIATELY. WHILE INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, WE DISCOVERED AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA. DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE, WE'VE DECIDED TO REGISTER THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT AN EXPERT ENGINEER, EITHER FROM NHTSA OR CHRYSLER, WILL HAVE AN UNADULTERATED EXAMPLE OF THE PROBLEM TO STUDY. WORTHY OF MENTION: WE HAVE JUST RELOCATED FROM WISCONSIN TO TENNESSEE AND CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT BEING A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE.

HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN VAN WILL TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NOTHING THAT PROCEEDS THIS ACTION AND IT CAUSES GREAT CONCERN DUE TO LIMITED AND/OR COMPLETE LOSS OF LIGHT TO SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE HEADLIGHTS WILL SUDDENLY COME BACK ON WITH NO ACTION ON MY PART. THE TIME IT TAKES FOR THE HEADLIGHTS TO COME BACK ON VARIES. THIS DEFECT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION! *JB

WE HAVE A 2001 DODGE CARAVAN AND RECENTLY, WITHIN THE LAST 12 TO 6 MONTHS, THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE SWITCHED ON AND OFF. IT'S BEEN VERY RANDOM UNTIL THE LAST MONTH, WHERE THEY HAVE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AFTER FLICKERING ON AND OFF AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIGHTING UP AND GOING DIM. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT NIGHT SEVERAL TIMES AND DURING THE DAY. WE TOOK THE VAN TO DICKS COUNTRY DODGE TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND WERE TOLD THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS NO MANUFACTURE OF THIS SWITCH AND THERE IS NO ESTIMATED TIME TO EXPECT THIS SWITCH TO BE REPLACED. WE WERE TOLD TODAY, 12/10/04, THAT THERE ARE OVER 60 REQUESTS NATIONWIDE FOR THIS SWITCH AND NO ESTIMATED TIME OF REPLACEMENT AS NO ONE IS MAKING THESE SWITCHES. WE ARE UNABLE TO DRIVE OUR VAN DURING THE HOURS OF 4:30 PM UNTIL 7 A.M BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE HEADLIGHTS WILL STAY ON OR NOT. I DROVE TODAY AND MADE IT 10 MILES BEFORE THE LIGHTS FLASHED AND WENT OUT. THIS IS NOT A LIGHT BULB ISSUE, IT'S A SWITCH THAT CAN'T BE FIXED. WE ARE BEYOND FRUSTRATED WITH THIS SITUATION AS THE VAN IS OUR MAJOR FAMILY VEHICLE AND IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TWO CAR SEATS AND TWO ADULTS IN OUR OTHER VEHICLE. WE FEEL AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE INTO WHY THESE SWITCHES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT, ESSENTIALLY RENDERING A VEHICLE USELESS IN DARK CONDITIONS. IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO RENT A VEHICLE FOR A RETURN FROM THE AIRPORT AT NIGHT AS WE CANNOT RELY ON OUR VAN TO GET US SAFELY HOME WITHOUT DEPENDABLE HEADLIGHTS. *JB

OUR DODGE CARAVAN SPORT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND WE'VE HAD IT FOR 3 YEARS AND HAS ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AFTER THE 30,000 MILE MARK. WE HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. WE LIKED THE CARAVAN BECAUSE WE DID NOT HEAR BAD THINGS ABOUT IT. BUT NOW WE EXPERIENCED THESE THINGS AND WE ARE NOT ALONE MAKES ME RE-THINK OF NOT GETTING A CARAVAN AGAIN OR RECOMMENDING IT TO PEOPLE. WE'VE RUN INTO THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: FIRST ITEM IS THE POWER DOOR LOCK ON THE SLIDING DOOR. WHILE ON THE FREEWAY, THE LOCK WOULD UNLOCK AND LOCK. SECOND ITEM IS THE POWER WINDOWS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I'VE READ OTHERS WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. THE POWER WINDOW DOES NOT GO UP AFTER IT HAS GONE DOWN. AN EFFORT TO GIGGLE IT UP IS THE TRICK. NOW IT JUST DOESN'T ROLL UP OR DOWN. THIRD ITEM IS THE POWER STEERING. WE HAVE A FAMILY FRIEND WHO ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE POWER STEERING IS MAKING CLICKING NOISE AND WHILE PARKING IT HAS A LOUD AGONIZING HUM. FOURTH ITEM THE TURN SIGNALS DOES NOT TURN OFF AUTOMATICALLY ONCE THE TURN HAS BEEN MADE. TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, SEE IF THEY HAVE SOME ANSWERS. *JB

FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS I HAVE HAD NO OCCASION TO DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT IN RAIN USING FULL WIPERS UNTIL AUG. 28, 2002. AT THAT TIME I DISCOVERED THAT THE LOW BEAMS PROVIDED NO ILLUMINATION IN THE RAIN AND I HAD TO USE HIGH BEAMS. ON SEPT. 5, I DISCUSSED THE RPOBLEM WITH DEALER SERVICE PERSONNEL AND WAS ADVISED IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND I SHOULD GO TO WESTERN AUTO AND GET THEM TO INSTALL "BLUE" BULBS. THESE WOULD HELP. THE SAME DAY I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING BECAUSE THE LIGHTS MEET "SPECIFICATIONS". MAYBE SO, BUT THEY ARE INADEQUATE AND THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. IN THE MEANTIME I AM HAVING "BLUE" BULBS INSTALLED SO I CAN SEE WHERE I CAM GOING IN THE RAIN AT NIGHT. IPERS UNTIL AUG. 28, 2002.THE LOW BEAMS PROVIDED ESSENTIALLY NO LIGHTING SO THAT I HAD TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO SEE WHERE I WAS GOING. I WENT TO THE DEALER ON SEPT. 5 TO COMPLAIN AND WAS ADVISED TO GO TO WESTERN AUTO AND GET "BLUE" BULBS WHICH IS WHAT OTHERS WITH THE SAME PRPOBLEM HAVE BEEN DOING. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE THE SAME DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING AS THE LIGHTS MEET "SPECIFICATIONS".*AK