Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | ||||||
| EA04031 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 11/22/2004 | 04/07/2005 | POWER LIFTGATE LATCH | 05V134000 | |
| This investigation was opened as pe04-054 regarding reports of alleged power liftgate (plg) opening while driving.the investigation was upgraded on november 22, 2004 based on information provided by daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) in its september 17, 2004 response to pe04-054. by letter of april 5, 2005, dcc has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall of 70,235 model year (my) 2003 chrysler town & country and dodge grand caravan vehicles equipped with the plg option.dcc has identified a problem in early production my 2003 plg control modules that can prevent the plg door from latching closed in a power open/close cycle.in this condition the plg can rise (not power open) during vehicle operation.dealers will install a revised plg control module to remedy the affected vehicles.see safety recall 05v134 for details. | ||||||
| PE04054 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 07/30/2004 | 11/22/2004 | POWER LIFTGATE LATCH | ||
| This investigation was opened on july 30, 2004, based on odi consumer complaints alleging unwanted opening of the vehicle's power liftgate (plg) while driving.in daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc)'s september 17, 2004 response to odi' s information request letter, it provided additional consumer complaints and lawsuits.dcc states in part, ...the plg latch becomes stuck in a semi-closed state not allowing the plg latch to engage the striker, thus not closing the liftgate completely.in this condition the plg ajar warning light will not be illuminated and the plg can rise (not a powered open) while driving. this investigation has been upgraded to ea04-031 for further analysis. | ||||||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - LOCK | ||||||
| PE04054 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 07/30/2004 | 11/22/2004 | POWER LIFTGATE LATCH | ||
| This investigation was opened on july 30, 2004, based on odi consumer complaints alleging unwanted opening of the vehicle's power liftgate (plg) while driving.in daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc)'s september 17, 2004 response to odi' s information request letter, it provided additional consumer complaints and lawsuits.dcc states in part, ...the plg latch becomes stuck in a semi-closed state not allowing the plg latch to engage the striker, thus not closing the liftgate completely.in this condition the plg ajar warning light will not be illuminated and the plg can rise (not a powered open) while driving. this investigation has been upgraded to ea04-031 for further analysis. | ||||||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - TAILGATE - LATCH | ||||||
| EA04031 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 11/22/2004 | 04/07/2005 | POWER LIFTGATE LATCH | 05V134000 | |
| This investigation was opened as pe04-054 regarding reports of alleged power liftgate (plg) opening while driving.the investigation was upgraded on november 22, 2004 based on information provided by daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) in its september 17, 2004 response to pe04-054. by letter of april 5, 2005, dcc has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall of 70,235 model year (my) 2003 chrysler town & country and dodge grand caravan vehicles equipped with the plg option.dcc has identified a problem in early production my 2003 plg control modules that can prevent the plg door from latching closed in a power open/close cycle.in this condition the plg can rise (not power open) during vehicle operation.dealers will install a revised plg control module to remedy the affected vehicles.see safety recall 05v134 for details. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | |||
| 07/18/2010 | 75000 | ||
| I purchased the vehicle in september of 2004. the power door lock failure occurred for the 1st time 3 weeks ago. through trithe internet, i discovered that the removal and replacement of the 20amp fuse in the iod slot corrected the problem, but only one time. i discussed this at the dealer's service department and they are not aware of any such problem with the 2003 grand caravan. i certainly find that difficult to believe. i will be approaching the dealership again concerning the door locks very soon. maybe they will resolve this problem without charge since it is an inherent trouble with their automobile. | |||
| 12/31/2008 | 1 | ||
| The sensor has stopped working in my 2003 dodge grand caravan driver's side back door. this sensor allows for the door to stop if anything gets in the way of the door. one day i was carrying in my 1 year old son and all his things. i went to shut the door, thinking that everything was removed out of the way. i hadn't pulled his walk-behind toy completely out of the way. the door broke the toy. the next day my older son was getting something out of the car. he had accidentally hit the button to close the door. it didn't stop again. i pulled him out of the way before it crushed his hand. the door missed him by a couple inches. i have talked to my warranty company and also customer service through dodge and they are both saying they can't fix this issue. i don't want it to get to the point where one of my children is injured by a faulty point. this is a huge safety issue. the van was purchased used in 2008. *tr | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 08/13/2004 | 8000 | 5 | |
| Automatic door locks stopped working. the interior lights worked intermittently when door opened. consumer took vehicle to the dealer for repairs, but the problem recurred. *ak | |||
| 11/14/2003 | 3787 | 1 | 05/28/2003 |
| When using the keyless entry to open the rear tailgate, the gate locks sometimes while it is opened. when you then close it using the keypad, the door lowers and the instrument panel warning light says door is closed, but it is not really locked and can open whole driving. also happens when using overhead console switch. dodge was not concerned when i brought it for warranty and just put on repair order that they could not duplicate it although i showed them the same failure after opening and closing 3 times. *la | |||
| 10/14/2003 | 2 | 03/16/2003 | |
| On a 2003, grand, caravan just above both sliding doors on the drip rail sheet metal was raised ,and the chalking was cracked which permitted water to enter the interior sheet metal. this caused corrosion. dodge corporation stated they would only chalk it again, and would give no further warranty for corrosion other then what was offered. these were obvious stress points. also, right side door did not automatically close all the time. it cycled 3/4 of the way and opened again. driver's door if closed after using the automatic lock button would unlock when closed.*ak | |||
| 06/18/2003 | 485 | 05/28/2003 | |
| Every dodge vehicle on my street, including my brand new dodge grand caravan that i have owned for less than 3 weeks, was broken into and burglarized. apparently this vehicle is very easy to break into and now the vehicle is totally unsecured until it is repaired. *nlm | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - LOCK | |||
| 12/21/2004 | 37400 | 3 | 09/11/2003 |
| Rear hatch door not opening/closing/locking correctly. this is a daily problem. *jb | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - TAILGATE - LATCH | |||
| 02/22/2004 | 6989 | 1 | 12/25/2003 |
| Erratically, the rear tailgate does not lock properly and opens while driving. no ajar warning light shown on the dash either before or after the incidents. the mechanism sounds like it has closed but it is not because the lock in the tailgate has already closed before it has reached the latch, therefore preventing proper closure. i have duplicated this issue on several occasions with both keyless entry remote and roof console control. dealer repeatedly reports that they cannot duplicate issue, denies repair/replacement even though the tailgate has been previously replaced because of damage incurred by the tailgate popping open while driving.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2003 | 15354 | 1 | 09/19/2002 |
| While driving, the tailgate loosened and flew open. driver drove vehicle to the dealership for analysis and the mechanic told him that the timing inside of the lock mechanism was off and caused the door to lock prematurely. *ak *ph *jb | |||
| 10/12/2003 | 1200 | 5 | 05/30/2003 |
| On several occasions that the lift gate does not properly lock and opens while driving. if the rear lift is unlocked and opened using the kelsey entry, it may close the lock while its being opened and when you close using the keypad, it will appear to close and you hear the mechanism closing the door but it does not close because the lock is already closed. the warning light on the instrument panel extinguishes because it believes the door is closed. on one occasion i found myself driving down the highway with and opened back. also the interior passenger dome light turns on by itself. i have been able to duplicate this problem numerous times. *la | |||