What 530 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan

The contact owned a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the front driver’s side of the vehicle near the driver’s door caught fire. The contact extinguished the fire. No fire or police report was filed. The front driver’s side of the vehicle was consumed by the fire. The contact believed the failure was due to an electrical malfunction located in the driver's door that caused the fire. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to a salvage facility. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11733269

Odometer Fraud. The contact stated that while considering purchasing a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, the odometer mileage was 101,000 but the registration information indicated that in 2022 the odometer mileage was 125,000. The vehicle was a private sale.

NHTSA ODI 11692544

Motor problems and transmission problems, so can’t use the cruise control.

NHTSA ODI 11690789

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that several months later, while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where a power steering flush was performed; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic replaced the steering pump, which seemed to correct the failure. The contact then stated that the whining sound returned without warning. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the valves inside the engine connected to the fuel injector were defective and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that after the diagnostic tests, the vehicle failed to start up after several attempts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11662837

The manufacture date is after the expiration date for example the manufacturer date is 2024/07/15 The expiration date is 2024/07/12 Both car seats that I have are this way along with the bases.

NHTSA ODI 11641518

V51 recall cause problems with power control module. Poor fuel economy Trouble starting/ restarting Engine not receiving power

NHTSA ODI 11597511

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrumental panel became inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11597035

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the engine turned over, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact became aware that the jumper ends were burned. There was no fuel entering the engine. The contact stated that the silicon on the relays needed to be replaced and the fuel pump had failed. Additionally, the driver's side window became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V813000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595037

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic as battery failure due to extended use of the fuel pump. The contact stated that the fuse had to be unplugged for the fuel pump to shut off. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584717

Dealership still cannot pinpoint exactly what is wrong but the car does not start. One time it’ll start and the next it won’t. It’s actually left me stranded in the cold because that seems to be the only time it won’t start. It’s happened to many other grand caravan owners too. No mechanic I’ve taken it to can solve the problem I’ve spent so much money replacing parts on this car.

NHTSA ODI 11583251

While the Emergency Parking Brake was activated and vehicle in Park in the driveway that is on a hill, the car began rolling down the driveway at a fast rate of speed with no one in drivers seat. 3 young kids were in car seats in the van with it running while we were outside of the vehicle speaking. All doors locked and it flew down the driveway almost flipping over at the bottom. We took the vehicle to the dealership we purchased it from on June 29, 2023 and they could not recreate the issue. No warning lights were on prior to this incident and when citizens that stopped when this happened, got in the vehicle to dislodge it from the dirt that thankfully stopped it from flipping, they verified that it still showed the E Brake as being engaged it was still in park. No police or insurance was called because there was no damage to the vehicle or children but the dealership was called. I do have video of this event but your website does not accept videos

NHTSA ODI 11542767

Vehicle randomly dies completely like no battery connected either while parked or in motion. Then after a few moments vehicle starts like nothing is wrong. No codes no warning.

NHTSA ODI 11542324

My van caught fire. Randomly after not being driven for more than 15 hours. The investigator says it is believed to be the inverter in the back drivers side panel under the cup holders which short circuited and caught fire which engulfed my entire vehicle in a mater if 40 minutes while waiting for the fire department to arrive. The van is obviously a goner. Burnt to a crisp along with all of our DeWalt power tools batteries fishing poles tackle chainsaw and 4 brand new car seats that were just purchased with the last 2 months. Along with cracking all the windows on that side of my home due to the heat from the blaze...

NHTSA ODI 11527347

The TIPM failed which caused a loss of power to the vehicle and power to the fuel pump. I was driving at approximately 60 MPH when the vehicle lost all power and the steering wheel felt locked. I was unable to turn the steering wheel as the Dodge Grand Caravan came to a quick stop as if it was out of gas. Luckily I reacted quickly and was able to avoid an accident. After approximately 10 minutes of trying to restart the vehicle and drive to a safe location the vehicle restarted. This happened again when I was driving and came to a red light at a major intersection and the vehicle stalled out as if out of gas and the steering locked. I again tried to restart the vehicle intermittently for 15 minutes; after which it finally restarted, and I was able to drive and get out of the intersection without an accident. I was lucky that this didn't cause an accident. The other times the defective TIPM and power to the fuel pump caused the vehicle to fail to start and left me stranded. I have had the vehicle diagnosed and the TIPM repair price is quite expensive. The vehicle did not have any check engine or warning lights before this occurred. I have read many similar complaints of this occurring with others driving Dodge/Chrysler vehicles. I feel that there is evidence that the TIPM and the fuel pump on the 2011 Dodge Caravan are safety concerns. Every experienced mechanic I have spoken with is aware of the common issue with the TIPM, and power to the fuel pump and vehicle. Although I avoided an accident there is a concern for everyone's safety.

NHTSA ODI 11525717

My Chrysler Van first started to experience strange electrical issues. Key FOB would not open doors, driver seat could not be adjusted without blowing a fuse, and finally it started to get almost impossible to start when the engine was cold in the morning. I took it to my trusted mechanic, and after running a diagnostic, he said they got over 300 message errors. However, since they were not a dealership, they were unable to repair my van. They said they had seen this issue before, and I needed to take it to a Chrysler dealership for repair. I took it to Chrysler, with the note from my mechanic about the 300 errors, and they said this was a WELL KNOW issue. They commented that I was lucky to be able to drive the van to their dealership, because most vans with this problem had to be towed in. They said my entire fuse box needed to be replaced, and the cost of the job would be over $1,100.00 dollars, BUT THE REAL ISSUE WOULD BE GETTING THE BOX IN THE FIRST PLACE! The service department mgr. said it took 1 customer over 9 months to have his van repaired because the part was unavailable. I placed my order on 3/28/23. As of today June 5, the part is not scheduled until June 23. In the meantime, along with the $1,100 repair, I am paying $160/month to rent a vehicle from my brother. Since this is a known issue, I believe Chrysler should have to pay: 1) $791.06 for the fuse box. 2) Half the labor costs for installation and programming - About $150. 3) Reimburse me for at least 3/4 of the cost of renting my brothers car. Having to wait MONTHS for a part that has been a problem for years is unacceptable for a major car manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI 11525240

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the battery warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to his residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the alternator was burned and needed to be replaced. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,938.

NHTSA ODI 11521320

Hi. The heater turn on and off without me touching the button to turn it on this problem is very annoying I almost had a accident due to this annoying problem. I drive a 2011 dodge grand caravan crew. This problem started 2 months believe me is very annoying problem. Need to recall this problem fix it asap. Thanks.

NHTSA ODI 11510819

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to maneuver the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that an unknown recall repair was previously performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

NHTSA ODI 11497387

New battery is dead after sitting for a week or more. Has happened several times…

NHTSA ODI 11494282

This vehicle always fails to start in the colder weather. After a review of this condition. It has been found that the fuel pump relay does not send proper signal. This relay is a part of the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM). When it fails to operate, the vehicle will experience long crank times. With its ignition switch style, as soon as you turn the key, the vehicle will continue to crank UNLESS you manually turn the switch all the way back to the off position. This condition will cause the starter motor to overheat or burn up. Eventually the vehicle may start then die. Fuel delivery is too inconsistent when colder weather arises. You can't just replace a plug-in-style replacement fuel pump relay since it is a part of the whole TIPM. This vehicle has not yet died in traffic or on the highway thank God. There is never any CEL illumination or any stored fault codes. It started doing this the first winter I bought it. This is my second year and it's only just Fall and it is acting up again. This is a KNOWN issue among these TIPMs that are on more than just this vehicle but many other Dodge/Chryslers with this same TIPM. Someone needs to take accountability for a faulty product that needs redesigned before these issues continue to affect the consumers that trust in their product. I hope that this issue is addressed and resolved before others continue to complain about vehicle faults, or even worse experience any catastrophic conditions resulting in death of consumers based on this faulty TIPM, that controls most aspects of the whole vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11491408

While driving my vehicle at highway speed (75mph), the driver's seat headrest, for lack of a more descriptive term, exploded and struck me in the back of my head. After the incident I stopped the vehicle and looked at the headrest. It appears to be spring loaded and something in the headrest failed causing it to spring forward for no reason. The headrest is now compressed and held in place with zip ties until I can find a replacement. I feel this is a safety issue due to the disorientation and headache that immediately followed the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11479815

Vehicle windows intermittently would roll down on there own and car horn would beep, than vehicle intermittently would not start engine would just shut off. Vehicle, stalls when in gear and wouldn't restart. Replaced, TIPM vehicle seemed to go back into normal operation for few minutes than TIPM faulted again. I understand, NHTSA has investigated this issue with Dodge Caravan and needing to recall faulty TIPM.

NHTSA ODI 11470200

The tipm fuel pump relay is stuck causing the fuel pump to stay on even when the vehicle is turned off and the key is not in the ignition switch. This problem is, its dangerous if I was ever to be in an accident and fuel pump will stay on according to the mechanic. Also my car battery is drained after an hour making it undrivable until I call a tow or get a jump start. It was inspected by a mechanic and the vehicle is available for inspection. No warning lamps were on or previous symptoms before 4/30/21. Only the sound of a running fuel pump when the car is completely off. Mechanic states car is known to have this issue. Recalls were made for other dodge vehicles with same part number but they failed to include the this model.

NHTSA ODI 11463235

The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road, where he successfully restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been repaired, the vehicle would fail to start intermittently, and would only start after several attempts. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE INGNITION SWITCH. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED AN IGNITION SWITCH RECALL THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN DUE TO THE MODEL YEAR. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AS IT DISPLAYED THE SAME FAILURE DETAILED IN THE RECALL NOTICE.

NHTSA ODI 11460756

Car starts intermittently especially when In colder conditions takes 3 to 4 starts , hard to start , put in neutral and starts right away ,car feels like it’s going to stall out when accelerating at times

NHTSA ODI 11451642