Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | ||||||
| EA05009 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 06/01/2005 | 05/02/2006 | HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION | ||
| Owner reports indicate allegations of improper headlight operation of one or both headlights.some report intermittent outage or dimming.many report that the condition is random; it sometimes does not repeat and lasts for a very short duration. a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report for additional information. | ||||||
| PE05004 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 02/02/2005 | 06/01/2005 | HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation after receiving reports from consumers that their headlights would malfunction in various ways from flickering to complete non-illumination.headlight operation is monitored by the vehicle's body control module (bcm) and front control module (fcm).odi is upgrading this preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis (ea05-009) to further examine the issue. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | ||||||
| PE05004 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 02/02/2005 | 06/01/2005 | HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation after receiving reports from consumers that their headlights would malfunction in various ways from flickering to complete non-illumination.headlight operation is monitored by the vehicle's body control module (bcm) and front control module (fcm).odi is upgrading this preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis (ea05-009) to further examine the issue. | ||||||
| EA05009 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 06/01/2005 | 05/02/2006 | HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION | ||
| Owner reports indicate allegations of improper headlight operation of one or both headlights.some report intermittent outage or dimming.many report that the condition is random; it sometimes does not repeat and lasts for a very short duration. a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report for additional information. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 05/28/2008 | 80000 | ||
| Own 2001 dodge grand caravan sport, 3.3l. left (driver side) headlight does not work and it is not the bulb. also have flickering of dashboard lights. prob started in 08' repair shop advised me this is ongoing prob with these vans. repair shop said it was moisture in relay box, he dried it out for me and headlight worked fine for almost 2 years, but he said it was only matter of time until moisture builds up again and headlight wont work. he was right, because now not working again. | |||
| 01/26/2011 | 128320 | ||
| 2001 dodge grand caravan. left headlight works on low. right only on high. researched on line after spending a fortune by mechanics who couldn't repair it. found to be fcm. multiple complaints but chrysler not fessing up to issue | |||
| 05/28/2008 | 80000 | ||
| Own 2001 dodge grand caravan sport, 3.3l. left (driver side) headlight does not work and it is not the bulb. also have flickering of dashboard lights. prob started in 08' repair shop advised me this is ongoing prob with these vans. repair shop said it was moisture in relay box, he dried it out for me and headlight worked fine for almost 2 years, but he said it was only matter of time until moisture builds up again and headlight wont work. he was right, because now not working again. | |||
| 01/26/2011 | 128320 | ||
| 2001 dodge grand caravan. left headlight works on low. right only on high. researched on line after spending a fortune by mechanics who couldn't repair it. found to be fcm. multiple complaints but chrysler not fessing up to issue | |||
| 06/14/2009 | 102000 | 1 | |
| Intermittent failure of headlights. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| I bought a used 2001 dodge grand caravan. all the lights constantly flicker like a candle in the wind. this included the headlights and taillights. this is annoying at best. the dealer says they are not aware of the problem and don't know what causes it. i understand there are 800,000 caravans just like mine with the same problem according to your website. i believe the cars computer may be faulty which is why chrysler says they are not aware of the problem. driving with constantly dimming headlights is extremely fatiguing on a persons eyes. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2007 | 1 | ||
| Headlights flicker. dash lights and gauges flicker. *tr | |||
| 11/25/2008 | 123000 | 1 | |
| 2001 dodge grand caravan sport with 3.3 liter engine a/t. the has intermittent on/off headlight problem. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| Problem began approx. sept/08headlight intermittently flicker and/or go out shortly after vehicle is started. daytime running lights continue to operate. have been to dealer four times for a fix, but has not been resolved. *tr | |||
| 02/22/2009 | 90121 | 1 | |
| Own 2001 dodge grand caravan sport. driving down interstate 75 mph at night. lights go off for 2 minutes, have to pull over. lights come back on. could have been fatal. headlights turn on 1 side only all the time. front control module defective. this vehicle needs to be recalled, new replacement part corrects problem temporarily but not permanent. problem still exists as of today 2/26/2009. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2008 | 176000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2001 dodge grand caravan that is having a problem with the headlights. when the lights are on, only the left light comes on, when you put the highbeams on only the right light will light. we have replaced the bulbs, but this has not taken care of the problem. i have done some research and several people have complained about the same issue, is seems as if it has something to do with the front module. *tr | |||
| 01/16/2007 | 1 | ||
| When turning on the headlights, only the right headlight will light on low beams. when switching to high beams, only the left high beam will illuminate. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2008 | 120000 | 1 | |
| Headlight problem: vehicle has daytime running lights. with headlights off, driving with daytime running lights only the left headlamp is illuminated. when the headlights are turned on the low beam on the rh side illuminates, but not the left. when the headlights are switched to high beam, the lh lamp illuminates but the rh does not. internet chat discussions indicate this is a very common problem. i first noticed this problem a week ago and replaced the headlight bulbs, which did not solve the problem. i will now try a solution to improve the connections from the control module to the fuse block, as indicated by several contributors to an online discussion forum. *tr | |||
| 05/18/2007 | 64598 | 1 | |
| Headlights. the daylights have one light on and the other off. turn on the headlights and the other light goes out just opposite. pulled the fcm and cleaned the contact worked for awhile then back to the same thing. the fcm plugs into the main fuse block seems like the connection here is not a good one. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2004 | 1 | ||
| 2001 dodge grand caravan headlights do not work properly. only one side works at a time as you alternate between high beam and low beam. dealer had me spend hundreds of dollars to try and fix and still does not work. *tr | |||
| 05/14/2008 | 112000 | 1 | |
| Intermittent headlight problems. either right works or left works but not both at same time. changed front module and worked for a day and now not working again. seems to be a major problem with the 2001 dodge grand caravan. *tr | |||
| 04/06/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Headlight failure. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2003 | 45000 | ||
| 1) 1st month-the tailgate latch wouldn't open. 2) 1st year - the driver's side window would periodically freeze and not go up. they said they couldn't fix it until it stayed broken 3) 11/06/03 at 45,000 miles the lights which flash when the remote unlocks the doors, flashed & couldn't be turned off. the headlights would not work when this happened. 4)11/09/03 the headlights turned off while driving on interstate then flashed back on. it happened 4 times. total darkness @ 70 mph is frightening | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 04/14/2009 | 130000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge grand caravan. the head-lights and the speedometer intermittently fail. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the failure was contributed to the internal headlight module. the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 130,000. the current mileage was 132,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. | |||
| 06/15/2006 | 450000 | 1 | |
| Intermittant head lights. some times when driving with lights on- they go out. with in a day or 2 they come back on. this is an on going occurance. *tr | |||
| 09/02/2008 | 149000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2001 dodge caravan equipped with daytime running lights. during operation only the driver side daytime running light comes on. when headlights turned on, only passenger side headlight comes on. only one headlight works at any time. not enough light to see while driving. it is a constant issue. *tr | |||
| 03/15/2008 | 70000 | 90 | 06/01/2003 |
| When starting my car, the automatic headlights come on, however only the passenger headlight works. when i turn on the lights the passenger lights stay on and the driver side remains off. when i turn my lights onto a bright setting, the driver side lights work and the passenger side goes out. i have replaced both headlights and this still occurs. i have researched this problem online and have noticed hundreds of people experiencing the same problem. because lights are a safety issue, i strongly believe daimler-chrystler must do a safety recall and fix this problem. *tr | |||
| 07/20/2007 | |||
| Headlight is not working propely at daytime light only the left side working and at night when i tern the swich on the right head light work and the left side is now of!!! changed the bulb but the problem still | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 1 | 07/18/2004 | |
| Left headlight worked on low, right headlight worked on high. they did not work together at the same time. our dealer replaced the fcm and made several other attempts. then they installed op pdc for headlight problem that wa s listed on the workorder under labor. under parts it said fp number 55102969-ab block non 8015009 there was a forum that indicated thiswas a widespread issue. itwas costly for the owners as the dealers were plaing hit and miss on this:. ttp://www.topix.net/forum/autos/dodge-grand-caravan/tfgks9o3llh1abobm. *ak | |||
| 03/18/2007 | 50000 | 365 | |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge grand caravan. while driving at speeds ranging from 45 to 55 mph the headlights flickered. the failure mileage was 50000. the headlights were operating normally when using lower beams. the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. the current mileage was 55600. *ak | |||
| 10/15/2005 | 75000 | 4 | 11/18/2001 |
| Headlight problem experienced over the last 2 years. when daytime running lights are on, just the left light illuminates. when headlights are turned on, the left one goes off and the right one goes on. when brights are on, they switch - left goes on and right goes off. only one light is on at a time. i have had this in to the dealer 4 times for repair. they replaced lamps, switch, and front control module to no avail. now they say i need to replace the fuse block and body control module, at a cost of over $800.00. i am not alone in having this problem. according to the following website, over 20 others have had the very same problem: http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/dodge-grand-caravan/tfgks9o3llh1abobm. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 75000 | 2 | |
| I have a 2001 dodge grand caravan with headlight problems. when you turn the van on, the right running lamp lights. when you turn the headlights on, the left headlight lights and the right goes off. when you turn the brights on, the right headlight lights and the left goes off. i have seen on the internet a number of other caravan owners reporting this problem. *jb | |||
| 10/10/2006 | 103000 | 1 | 08/28/2002 |
| Headlights on 2001 dodge grand caravan operate erratically over the past month. when daytime running lights are on only left headlight illuminates. with headlight switch on only right headlight illuminates. when high beam is selected, only left headlight illuminates. wiring and switches have been eliminated as possible faults, control modules are suspected. internet forum at http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/dodge-grand-caravan/tfgks9o3llh1abobm suggests other are experiencing identical issues. | |||
| 09/01/2006 | 40 | 08/01/2003 | |
| Headlights flash off after 5 min. of driving. they come back on but have progressively been getting worse. flashing on and off three times then back on or continuing to flash on and off. a mechanic looked at it and can not find the problem. *nm | |||
| 08/28/2006 | 40000 | 16 | 03/25/2001 |
| 2001 dodge grand caravan - various electrical malfunctions including: headlight failure/flashing, instrument cluster light failure/flashing, traction control failure/brake pulsing, radio failure, seat belt connector failure. *jb | |||
| 05/07/2006 | 73250 | 1 | 06/15/2001 |
| I had a single headlight fail on my dodge grand caravan. it was sunday, and i had a long drive home. i had the intent of replacing the bulb the next day. as i neared my home, it became dusk. i turned on my one working headlight. as it got darker, i noticed that my working headlight was flashing on and off steadily. i tried turning the switch on and off, but the problem remained. in fact, the headlight would not turn off at all! i was in a remote area, and drove the about 30 minutes home with one headlight flashing on and off. i got home, turned off the headlight and the ignition. the headlight kept flashing on and off! the only way i got it to stop was to disconnect the battery. the next day, i bought 2 new headlamps and replaced them, which seemed to resolve the problem. a vehicle should be able to operate on a single headlight for a short period of time. this was a very unsafe situation. *jb | |||
| 04/21/2006 | 93000 | 1 | 06/01/2001 |
| While driving with headlights on the lights flicker on-off randomly. *jb | |||
| 04/21/2006 | 99000 | 2 | 08/01/2005 |
| On april 22, 2006, my 2001 dodge grand caravan was en route from wilmington, nc to warren, mi. the vehicle was being operated with the low beam headlights and also the fog lamps both in operation. without warning or any operator error, all frontal lighting was turned off. both the low beams and fog lamps failed to operate. normally, this would not be so much of a concern, but i happened to be traveling at 70 mph on a very dark location of the interstate. i quickly (within 2 seconds) cycled the headlamp switch from the full on position to the full off position and back again to the full on position. the low beam and fog lamp failure remained. during the cycling of the switch, i noticed there was a flash of light in the secondary position (parking lamp only position). i immediately returned the switch to this secondary position and pulled out the switch to enable the fog lamps (the fog lamps are operated by extending the switch towards the driver and are reset to the off position when the switch is rotated to the off position). the parking and fog lamps did operate correctly in this position. i then navigated the vehicle safely to a lower speed and out of the way of any other surrounding vehicles. in the right lane at a slower speed, i once again tried to toggle the switch to the low beam position. again, all lighting failed to operate in the full on position. i then switched back to the parking (and fog) position. i tested the hi-lo beam switch. the flash to pass feature worked and the high-beam lights were briefly turned on when the turn signal lever was pulled back. once again i toggled the light switch to see if the low or high beams would work in the full on position. there was no response from the headlamps, but the turn signal lever did cause the high beam lamps to flash on when it was held back. the headlamps returned to normal operation after the vehicle was turned off and restarted. *jb | |||
| 02/26/2006 | 44501 | 1 | 06/06/2001 |
| Headlight malfunction on 2001 dodge grand caravan unrelated to a bulb failure. *jb | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 53000 | 5 | 02/01/2001 |
| 2001 dodge grand caravan. similar to other complaints in the database about headlights going off while driving and then after 1 or 2 seconds coming back on again. happens while driving at any speed, also sometimes while stopped. took to dealer and was told that they could not find anything wrong. this has happened approximately 5 times over the past 2 months, the date i entered is the most recent occurrence. *jb | |||
| 10/24/2005 | 1 | 10/17/2005 | |
| Dt: the contact stated the headlights flickered on and off while on low beams. he was unsure whether it would happen with the high beams on. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, and they replaced the multifunction switch. this did not correct the problem. the vehicle is currently at the dealership for repairs. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 80000 | 1 | 09/01/2002 |
| Headlight malfunction. 1 daytime running light comes on. when i turn on headlights, the one that is on during daytime running light operation turns off, and other light turns on. when i switch lights into high beam mode, the lights reverse to the way they operate while in daytime running light operation. i've already invested $200 into the diagnosis of this problem. the repair shop replaced the light switch and turn signal switch which did not correct issue. shop spent two days checking all connections, leads and ground and they can not diagnose the cause of the problem. *jb | |||
| 07/05/2005 | 65000 | 10 | 06/30/2002 |
| Over the last 4 months (march 05 - july 05), my 2001 dodge grand caravan has experienced intermittant headlamp failure. this happens when the vehicle is in motion. the lights flicker off/on for several cycles. this does not seem to be related to weather or engine rpm. to date, the lights have eventually stayed on and this has not yet made the vehicle unoperable. dealer does not have any idea what the problem could be and will just start trying things....am planning to take this to dealer within the next month. i have filed a complaint with daimlerchrysler. the date listed below is the most recent occurance...but this has been a problem for several months. | |||
| 04/23/2005 | 52350 | 50 | 08/15/2001 |
| I have a 2001 dodge grand caravan that has a problem with the headlights flickering and go off while the minivan is moving. i noticed you are investigating this same matter with chrysler and that many others are having the same problem. any help would be appreciated. thanks. *jb | |||
| 12/12/2004 | 3 | 05/16/2003 | |
| While driving lights go out on my 2001 dodge minivan, i have been on the telephone with local dealer and diambler chrysler with no answers other than that to the dealer for testing. this could be costly and we are planning a trip with night driving involved and wanted information as to what area is being investigated to tell my local dealer as in a matter of seconds with light failure an accident could occur. any help will be appreciated as i got nothing from the mfg. *jb | |||
| 10/16/2004 | 62000 | 15 | 07/19/2002 |
| When driving the vehicle with the headlights on, they will, for no apparent reason, shut off. happens regardless of speed i am driving or road conditions. these outtages are intermittant and there is no pattern to when they will occur. losing headlights at night on dark country roads in my area is a serious safety hazard. took vehicle to dealer who said there was a fatal error showing on a computer module. spent $600 to replace computer module and the problem still recurred. vehicle is now at dealer waiting for a backordered headlight switch. dealer has no idea when the switch will come in. they ordered the same switch for another vehicle 2 months ago and it still has not come in. *ak | |||
| 11/09/2004 | 35000 | 2 | |
| The headlights and dashboard lights go off by themselves. vehicle was taken to the dealer on numerous occasions and no defects found. *ak | |||
| 09/18/2001 | 1830 | 5 | |
| While driving at any speed air bag light stayed on. dealer examined the vehicle, and found that the clockspring was defective. clockspring was replaced four times. also, dashboard lights and headlights came and off whenever they wanted to.*ak | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 38000 | 15 | 02/01/2002 |
| Headlights will go off and flicker. sometimes stay out for about 2 seconds, and then will eventually come back on. nothing i do will make them come back on. i have to wait for them to come back on on their own accord. it happens at varying speeds - any where from 15 mph to 65 mph. it doesn't matter if the road is smooth or not, or what the weather conditions are. i've reported it to diamler/chrysler with no results. they simply stated there have been no outstanding recalls on my vehicle. headlights going out on their own in the middle of the night while driving is an extreme safety hazard, not to mention i could get a ticket for driving without my headlights. i would like this situation looked into. thank you.*ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | |||
| 10/31/2004 | 60000 | 1 | |
| When driving at night the dimmer was inoperable. consumer contacted the dealer. consumer was told that dealer did not have the parts to repair the vehicle. *ak the consumer stated that the dimmer switch has not worked for 3 months. the consumer stated at night she can not see how fast she is going. *tc | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 08/25/2004 | 30153 | 3 | 07/13/2001 |
| Since 8/25/04 30153 miles i have had light switch problems. first it was the interior lights that would turn on and off all the time. dealer said switch was working normal.(it was like an old radio volume switch that made noise, if you kept moving the switch it would bet better for a while and then start up again)then 2/14/06 41931 miles my headlights started to flicker when i had the lights on (the headlight and dimmer are all in one unit) and the dealer did tsb 08-005-04 (which doesn't even apply to my vehicle) and charged me $41.50. finally on 9/7/06 46022 miles it started again and i drove right down so the dealer could actually see it while it happened and they did witness the problem and made an appointment. of course the tech. that witnessed it was on vacation when it went in for the appt. and they couldn't duplicate the problem again, after speaking with the dealership they replaced the switch and charged me $100 for my deductible which should have been covered under my regular warranty if they fixed it right in the first place back in 2004 or even in 2006 the 2nd time it was in and also paid the $100 for other warranty work. *nm | |||
| 04/21/2006 | 99000 | 2 | 08/01/2005 |
| On april 22, 2006, my 2001 dodge grand caravan was en route from wilmington, nc to warren, mi. the vehicle was being operated with the low beam headlights and also the fog lamps both in operation. without warning or any operator error, all frontal lighting was turned off. both the low beams and fog lamps failed to operate. normally, this would not be so much of a concern, but i happened to be traveling at 70 mph on a very dark location of the interstate. i quickly (within 2 seconds) cycled the headlamp switch from the full on position to the full off position and back again to the full on position. the low beam and fog lamp failure remained. during the cycling of the switch, i noticed there was a flash of light in the secondary position (parking lamp only position). i immediately returned the switch to this secondary position and pulled out the switch to enable the fog lamps (the fog lamps are operated by extending the switch towards the driver and are reset to the off position when the switch is rotated to the off position). the parking and fog lamps did operate correctly in this position. i then navigated the vehicle safely to a lower speed and out of the way of any other surrounding vehicles. in the right lane at a slower speed, i once again tried to toggle the switch to the low beam position. again, all lighting failed to operate in the full on position. i then switched back to the parking (and fog) position. i tested the hi-lo beam switch. the flash to pass feature worked and the high-beam lights were briefly turned on when the turn signal lever was pulled back. once again i toggled the light switch to see if the low or high beams would work in the full on position. there was no response from the headlamps, but the turn signal lever did cause the high beam lamps to flash on when it was held back. the headlamps returned to normal operation after the vehicle was turned off and restarted. *jb | |||
| 10/19/2005 | 1 | 07/25/2001 | |
| Last wednesday morning on my way to work about 4am, while passing a semi on the freeway, my headlights went out for about 4-5 seconds. they came back on and have operated without a problem since. i purchased the minvan new, (ordered it), and it has given me troublefree miles since it's inception on the roads in michigan, as expected by a daimlerchrysler minivan. there was a cause for concern on this single issue only, and as i did call the dealer about it, it was simply suggested that i get it in for them to look at it. what good is that when it has occured only once...............so far. just wanted it on the record without getting tossed or sidelined. thank you kindly. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 1 | |||
| When the right turn signal was activated, the left signal came on instead and vice versa. *jb | |||