What 583 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan

The contact owns a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, unoccupied, and turned off at the residence, she noticed that sparks and flames were coming from the overhead console. The flames then spread to the front driver's and passenger's side seats. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The fire department filed a report, which determined that the fire was caused by an electrical wiring failure. The vehicle remained at the residence. The insurance company was not made aware of the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.

NHTSA ODI 11648781

I GOT AN OIL CHANGE AND AN INSPECTION THE INSPECTION REPORT WAS GOOD, NO MAJOR MECHANICAL ISSUES. ONLY RECOMMENDATION WAS A POWER STEERING FLUSH NEXT TIME I CAME IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE. I DROVE THE VAN HOME 1/2 MILE AWAY. I PARKED THE VAN. I SAW LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT SMELLED LIKE BURNT RUBBER. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE BACK TO SHOP 1/4 MILE AWAY. THE VAN LOST ALL POWER AT A STOP SIGN. I SAW MORE DARKER SMOKE COMING OUT. I GOT OUT OF THE VAN IMMEDIATELY. WITHIN 2 MINUTES THE VANS FRONT END WAS IN FLAMES.

NHTSA ODI 11348929

WELL MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VAN ON THE EXPRESSWAY WAY LAST YEAR VAN JUST SHUTS OFF. IT WOULDNT START SO I PUT MY JUMPER CABLES ON IT AND IT FIRED RIGHT UP A FEW DAYS LATER WE WENT TO KMART IN THEIR FOR ONLY A GOOD 20 MINUTES THE DRIVE ALONE WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND HALF COME OUT AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD ONCE AGING. GO FIGURE THIS WAS WHEN KMART STOPPED SELLING BIGGER BATTERIES. SO I WALKED OVER TO AUTOZONE AND BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED IT AND IT STARTED UP. WHILE WE GOT HOME THEN HAD TO LEAVE AGING TO GO GET THE KIDS FROM SCHOOL THE BATTERY WAS DEAD KNOW WHEN I SAY DEAD THROUGH ALL OF THIS I MEAN THEIR WAS ENOUGH POWER TO HAVE THE VAN DOORS OPEN AND LIGHTS ON BUT NOT ENOUGH POWER TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER TILL IT CLICKS. SO HOOKED UP TO MY TRUCK JUMPED IT.SEEM TO DRIVE FINE SO WE WENT BACK TO AUTOZONE AND THEY CHANGED IT OUT WITH THE WARRANTY AND TESTED IT THEY SAID IT WAS A GOOD BATTERY BUT TO BE ON SAFE SIDE. WELL I STARTED TO DRIVE THE VAN I HAD TO GET JUMPED 4 TIMES BEFORE I STARTED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHEN IT WAS WARM OUT THE BATTERY WOULD LAST BUT ON THE COLD NIGHTS THE BATTERY WOULD STILL DIE. SO ONE DAY I SAID SREW IT I WENT TO DRIVE IT AND IT JUST WOULD START BELIEVE IT OR NOT I ONLY TOOK OFF THE AIR FILTER THINKING MAYBE IT CLOGGED WHILE I DID THAT AND TRIED STARTING IT IT BACK FIRED OUT THROUGH THE INTAKE CAUSING A FIRE ON THE AIR FILTER BOX PUT IT OUT SAID HELL WITH IT IT'S GOING TO THE DODGE DEALER IN WILKESBORO NC I PAID 1,700 TO HAVE THE TIPM REPLACED THEY SAID THAT'S WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT SO I SAID OKAY. HERE IT IS A YEAR LATER AND NOW I AM GETTING A LITTLE UPSET AROUND THE SAME TIME IT WENT OUT LAST YEAR AND MY VAN IS STARTING TO GIVE ME THE SAME ISSUES SO I AM GOING TO HOPE THAT IT ISNT THAT BUT JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE THIS IS FOR LAST YEAR AND IF I HAVE TO PAY THAT PRICE AGING YES I'LL BE MAKING A NEW COMPLAINT TO

NHTSA ODI 11309421

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE AND NOTICED FLAMES EMANATING FROM THE VEHICLE DOOR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V234000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 10924130

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE CONTACT CALLED 911 WHEN THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED ON THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP THE FOLLOWING DAY, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 05/10/17*LJ CAR WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE SHOP AND THE MECHANIC WAS CONVINCED THERE WAS DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE RECALL AND DOOR FIRE. UPDATED 9/5/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 10923906

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 10917337

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE DOOR PANEL STARTED MELTING AND SMOKE FILLED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF, AND THE FUSE WAS DISCONNECTED. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED AND THERE WERE NO FLAMES. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V234000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE DRIVER DOOR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 10874538

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V234000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10706072

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED BURNING FUMES COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V234000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 10670129

AT 11:30 PM THE CAR ENGINE STARTED (THE KEYS WERE IN THE HOUSE),HORN WAS BLOWING, HEAD LIGHTS WERE ON, WIPERS GOING AT FULL SPEED FOUR WAY FLASHER GOING THERE WAS A RED GLOW UNDER THE CAR AND SMOKE WAS BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE CAR AND THE DOORS WERE LOCKED. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A KEY FROM THE FOB AND UNLOCK THE DOORS,AND UNLATCH THE HOOD SO WE COULD OPEN THE HOOD. ALL THE WIRES, ALTERNATOR, FUSE BOX AND BATTERY WERE CHERRY RED. USING SOME CLIPPERS WE WERE ABLE TO CUT THE BATTERY CABLE AND EVERY THING STOPPED WE COOLED THINGS DOWN WITH SOME SNOW.ALL THIS ONLY 3 FT. FROM OUR HOUSE DODGE ESTIMATED ABOUT $1800.00 TO FIX WHAT COULD BE SEEN AND MOST LIKELY MORE WOULD SHOW UP LATER. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL ON THIS CAR. MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH DISABLED AND I NEED A VAN TO CARRY MY WHEEL CHAIR WHEN I GO TO THE DOCTOR,ETC.WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THE CAR AND STILL MAKE PAYMENTS I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE AND OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT THEY SAY IT IS OUR PROBLEM. I HOPE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10577014

I WAS DRIVING FROM ONE DESTINATION TO THE OTHER AND WHEN I GOT TO MY OTHER DESTINATION I SMELLED SMOKE. I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICE THE CIGARETTE PORT WHICH WAS EMPTY WAS SMOKING, I PULLED MY GERBER OUT AND PULLED THE PORT OUT AND THERE WAS A FIRE. I ALERTED A CO WORKER AND THEY GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WE MANAGED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. BUT CONSOLE IS COMPLETELY GONE. THIS ALL HAPPENED WITHIN 15 MINUTES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10573994