Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||||
| SB-08-052-12 | 08/25/2012 | 10046001 | Dodge/chrysler: behavior of headlamp switch function may impact lighting systems such as overload spike of electrical systems, turning off or unanticipated illumination, flickering or dimming of exterior and/or interior light with engine | 09/24/2012 | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||||
| SB-08-052-12 | 08/25/2012 | 10046001 | Dodge/chrysler: behavior of headlamp switch function may impact lighting systems such as overload spike of electrical systems, turning off or unanticipated illumination, flickering or dimming of exterior and/or interior light with engine | 09/24/2012 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||
| EA11010 | Chrysler Group LLC | 09/06/2011 | 11/29/2012 | Loss of headlight illumination | ||
| The subject vehicle (sv) population includes my 2005-2006 vehicles built between march 2004 and december 2005 manufactured with a trw supplied headlight switch assembly (hsa).the hsa was the primary focus of the investigation; earlier and later vehicles utilized different hsas.consumers complain that the headlights in the subject vehicles do not illuminate when the hsa is turned on, or that the headlights extinguish while on (subject failure).no other driving lights are affected.the front marker, tail, and instrument lamps operate.also, the high beams can be illuminated by holding the turn signal stalk in the up position.as reported by consumers, turning the hsa off and on typically corrects the failure.initially the failures occur infrequently but they become progressively more frequent with age.chrysler has indicated its intention to offer of an extended lifetime warranty on the hsa, so that consumers with this problem can have their hsa replaced at no charge when they begin experiencing the subject failure.commencing sometime in early 2013, chrysler will send letters to sv owners notifying them of the lifetime warranty.the sv headlight system design is essentially the same as that described in ea 05-009, which involved headlight anomalies in earlier model chrysler minivans; refer to it to for additional information.the subject failure is caused by friction between the plastic cam and metal surfaces of the electrical contacts in the hsa, which results in the production of plastic particles (debris).analysis shows that debris can collect on the electrical contact that controls the headlights, resulting in an open circuit and preventing the headlights from turning on.subsequent operation of the hsa may temporarily displace the debris, at which time the headlights operate correctly.lubricant was applied to the plastic cam beginning in december 2005, reducing debris production.consequently, subsequent failure levels were lower.the report counts shown above include only those that involve the subject failure.reports involving other failure modes which were identified have not been included either because they were not safety related, or if they were safety related, because there was no defect trend.the single crash event listed in the failure report summary table above involved a deer strike allegedly due to loss of headlights in february 2006.no injuries were reported in this crash.an april 2004 non-crash incident ( | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | ||||||
| EA11010 | Chrysler Group LLC | 09/06/2011 | 11/29/2012 | Loss of headlight illumination | ||
| The subject vehicle (sv) population includes my 2005-2006 vehicles built between march 2004 and december 2005 manufactured with a trw supplied headlight switch assembly (hsa).the hsa was the primary focus of the investigation; earlier and later vehicles utilized different hsas.consumers complain that the headlights in the subject vehicles do not illuminate when the hsa is turned on, or that the headlights extinguish while on (subject failure).no other driving lights are affected.the front marker, tail, and instrument lamps operate.also, the high beams can be illuminated by holding the turn signal stalk in the up position.as reported by consumers, turning the hsa off and on typically corrects the failure.initially the failures occur infrequently but they become progressively more frequent with age.chrysler has indicated its intention to offer of an extended lifetime warranty on the hsa, so that consumers with this problem can have their hsa replaced at no charge when they begin experiencing the subject failure.commencing sometime in early 2013, chrysler will send letters to sv owners notifying them of the lifetime warranty.the sv headlight system design is essentially the same as that described in ea 05-009, which involved headlight anomalies in earlier model chrysler minivans; refer to it to for additional information.the subject failure is caused by friction between the plastic cam and metal surfaces of the electrical contacts in the hsa, which results in the production of plastic particles (debris).analysis shows that debris can collect on the electrical contact that controls the headlights, resulting in an open circuit and preventing the headlights from turning on.subsequent operation of the hsa may temporarily displace the debris, at which time the headlights operate correctly.lubricant was applied to the plastic cam beginning in december 2005, reducing debris production.consequently, subsequent failure levels were lower.the report counts shown above include only those that involve the subject failure.reports involving other failure modes which were identified have not been included either because they were not safety related, or if they were safety related, because there was no defect trend.the single crash event listed in the failure report summary table above involved a deer strike allegedly due to loss of headlights in february 2006.no injuries were reported in this crash.an april 2004 non-crash incident ( | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | ||||||
| EA11010 | Chrysler Group LLC | 09/06/2011 | 11/29/2012 | Loss of headlight illumination | ||
| The subject vehicle (sv) population includes my 2005-2006 vehicles built between march 2004 and december 2005 manufactured with a trw supplied headlight switch assembly (hsa).the hsa was the primary focus of the investigation; earlier and later vehicles utilized different hsas.consumers complain that the headlights in the subject vehicles do not illuminate when the hsa is turned on, or that the headlights extinguish while on (subject failure).no other driving lights are affected.the front marker, tail, and instrument lamps operate.also, the high beams can be illuminated by holding the turn signal stalk in the up position.as reported by consumers, turning the hsa off and on typically corrects the failure.initially the failures occur infrequently but they become progressively more frequent with age.chrysler has indicated its intention to offer of an extended lifetime warranty on the hsa, so that consumers with this problem can have their hsa replaced at no charge when they begin experiencing the subject failure.commencing sometime in early 2013, chrysler will send letters to sv owners notifying them of the lifetime warranty.the sv headlight system design is essentially the same as that described in ea 05-009, which involved headlight anomalies in earlier model chrysler minivans; refer to it to for additional information.the subject failure is caused by friction between the plastic cam and metal surfaces of the electrical contacts in the hsa, which results in the production of plastic particles (debris).analysis shows that debris can collect on the electrical contact that controls the headlights, resulting in an open circuit and preventing the headlights from turning on.subsequent operation of the hsa may temporarily displace the debris, at which time the headlights operate correctly.lubricant was applied to the plastic cam beginning in december 2005, reducing debris production.consequently, subsequent failure levels were lower.the report counts shown above include only those that involve the subject failure.reports involving other failure modes which were identified have not been included either because they were not safety related, or if they were safety related, because there was no defect trend.the single crash event listed in the failure report summary table above involved a deer strike allegedly due to loss of headlights in february 2006.no injuries were reported in this crash.an april 2004 non-crash incident ( | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 11/12/2012 | 158000 | 1 | |
| We were driving along and the headlamps randomly turned off for no apparent reason. we jiggled the switch and they came back on. this now happens frequently. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2012 | 158000 | ||
| We were driving along and the headlamps randomly turned off for no apparent reason. we jiggled the switch and thery camp back on. this now happens frequently | |||
| 07/08/2011 | 100100 | 1 | |
| Headlights spontaneously extinguish while operating the vehicle on an intermittent basis. initial activation of the headlight switch sporadically fails to activate headlights, or activation is delayed by several seconds. toggling the switch will occasionally return function to the headlights. these incidents occur daily. *tr | |||
| 07/08/2011 | 100100 | ||
| Headlights spontaneously extinguish while operating the vehicle on an intermittent basis. initial activation of the headlight switch sporadically fails to activate headlights, or activation is delayed by several seconds. toggling the switch will occasionally return function to the headlights. these incidents occur daily. | |||
| 03/14/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the headlights would not illuminate. in addition, the headlights would unexpectedly stop illuminating at night and would not begin functioning again for a few hours. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 03/14/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that when trying to operate her headlights they would not turn on. also when driving at night the headlights would turn off in their own and would not turn back on til hours later. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and they advised her that they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 12/13/2011 | |||
| When i got to work and went to turn the headlights off. the lights shut off but it kept dinging like they were still on. i turned the switch on then off again and it still kept dinging and the smaller headlights came on and didnt shut off after i had shut off lights. i had to go back and do the same thing with the light switch and then they finally shut off. this has happened on several other occations. | |||
| 08/30/2011 | 78000 | ||
| The sliding passenger door locks no longer lock automatically lock while driving. they have to be locked manually. this is a safety issue. with children in the back seat, they can now open the doors while the car is moving if an adult forgets to lock them. the lift gate in the back no longer chimes when opening. this is a safety issue. someone can get whacked with the door, not kowing that it is about to open. the parking lights stay on or come on spontaneously after the headlights have been turned off. this is a problem. very easy for the owner to come out in the morning to a dead battery and a car that won't start. some owners have reported the headlights cutting out while driving, a serious safety issue. | |||
| 03/04/2011 | |||
| Press down on turn signal stalk and the right turn signal comes on. press up on turn signal stalk and left blinker comes on. sometimes neither turn signal will work at all when turn signal stalk is pushed up or down. | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 72000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the opposite turn signal would illuminate when he attempted to operate the turn signals. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the clock spring was replaced. the contact was also informed this was a widespread failure among this vehicle. the failure mileage was 72,000 and the current mileage was 77,000. sm. | |||
| 12/06/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Intermittent headlight failure on 2006 dodge grand caravan. upon turning on headlights, they occasionally don't work. they intermittently fail completely while driving without notice or provocation resulting in a very dangerous situation. there are numerous complaints of this well known problem concerning other years of these vehichles on internet forums. there are no known reasons for the problem. i've asked my mechanic and a dodge dealer and they both say it's a well known problem without any answers. | |||
| 10/31/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Approximately 10 times over the last 3 yrs. the headlights on my van have malfunctioned. about 6 of those 10 times the problem was that i couldn't get the light to turn on. the other times, i couldn't get them to turn off. when the lights were not working the only way to see was to manually hold the lever to turn the brights on and drive with one hand on the wheel and the other on the lever. as far as the lights not turning off, i had to manipulate the switch by turning it off and on and pulling it out to the fog light position as well as bang on the dash to get the lights to turn off. | |||
| 01/25/2010 | 62000 | ||
| The headlights on my 2006 dodge caravan have been intermittent on a half dozen occasions since i purchased it new. in all instances, by jiggling (turning on/off) the switch, i have gotten the lights back on. the last incident was on 01/25/2010 coming home in a snowy (white out) conditions in iowa and my lights went out completely. i was able to get them back on in a relatively short period of time, but could not see the road, etc., because of the snowy white out conditions. could very well have resulted in an accident of major injury. i see many posts on the internet related to this same problem on various dodge/chrysler mini vans of various years.*cw | |||
| 06/25/2007 | 19000 | 1 | |
| Headlights on my 2006 dodge grand caravan have been intermittent on various occasions. when you turn the switch on, headlights do not always activate. no injuries, no accidents, but could cause a potential accident by not being able to see, or to be seen. once the problem was recognized, in each instance, by playing with the switch, the lights eventually would come on. first instance was probably in 2007, latest in 2009 on a couple of different occasions. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2008 | 35410 | 1 | |
| 2006 dodge grand caravan has intermittent issues with headlights not functioning properly (will not turn on, or may go off while driving, or may flicker while driving). these are serious safety issues because it is intermittent and driver can not always tell if lights are out while driving. car is used frequently and problems occur at least once a day. dodge service recommended replacing front control module and power distribution module ($900 parts and labor) but could not promise this would correct the issue so no repairs have been made to date. *tr | |||
| 05/07/2009 | 54500 | 1 | |
| Turn signal switch signals the opposite direction chosen frequently usually when turning right. *tr | |||
| 06/24/2007 | 86450 | 1 | |
| Occasionally, maybe five or six times in the last year, i would turn the headlights on in my 2006 dodge grand caravan and they would not turn on. i could turn them off then on again and they would stay on. last night, they turned on the first time i tried. i had been on the road approximately one hour when they went out on me. i turned the on/off switch a few times and they came back on. after 3-4 minutes they went off again, so again i turned the switch off and on and they came back on. they went out again and i found they would stay on if i held the high beam lever down. after about 5 minutes i released the high beam lever and the headlights stayed on for the next 20 minutes until i got home. i will not be driving this vehicle again at night until i can get it fixed. the problem is that 99% of the time, the lights operate correctly. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 01/29/2007 | 5 | 06/03/2005 | |
| On november 20th, a module (part number 5144579-ac) was replaced in the vehicle due to intermittent headlights. january 8th, the vehicle was returned because the headlights failed to operate during operation. the service department was unable to find a problem. today, january 29th, the headlights failed three times during vehicle operation and twice the high-beam headlight switched to low-beam without any prompting from the vehicle operator. *nm | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - SWITCH | |||
| 10/24/2007 | 38500 | 1 | 12/26/2006 |
| The turn signal switch on this vehicle does not work properly. many times, when it is switched on, the opposite turn signal turns on (ie. the switch is flipped to make a right turn, but the left signal lights). sometimes it will come on for the proper direction, but then all of a sudden starts flashing to the other side. sometimes the signal turns on properly but then just stops doing anything, even though the switch is still on. and yet other times, the turn signal does not turn on at all. this has been happening over the last month or so, but is getting progressively worse. the vehicle is less than 2 years old, but because the vehicle is 2000 miles out of warranty, dodge is not willing to repair this without a charge. *tr | |||