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2017 Dodge Grand Caravan complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2017 record →

Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Feb 2, 2022120,000 milesAZ

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that both the driver’s and passenger’s side sliding door locks would remain stuck in the locked position. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Structure › Body
Filed Jan 27, 2022TX

Door lock actuator and latch failed rendering sliding doors in operable. In the even of a crash this can result in fatalities from not being able to exit the vehicle.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jan 26, 202259,943 milesAZ

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the rear passenger's sliding door would not open as needed. Additionally, the front driver's side window would not roll up as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for the passenger's side sliding door and diagnosed that the door actuator was positioned upside down. The vehicle was repaired, however, there was an abnormal buzzing sound coming from the passenger's side door. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, who diagnosed that the door actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic for the front driver's side window and diagnosed with a faulty window regulator. The window regulator was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the X98 (Sliding Door Actuator) Extended Warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 59,943.

Electrical System
Filed Jan 18, 2022MO

Rear sliding door is stuck shut and will jot open with any power buttons nor manually. This poses a safety hazard should there be an emergency.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jan 13, 202290,000 milesMO

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that after driving to her residence and parking the vehicle, she attempted to unlock the rear passenger’s sliding doors however, the doors failed to unlock. The contact attempted to use the key fob as well as manually attempting to unlock the doors however, the doors failed to open. The contact stated that the rear seat passengers climbed into the front of the vehicle to exit the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

Structure › Body
Filed Jan 4, 2022TX

I purchased the vehicle in February 2019 and within a year the passenger-side sliding door would not unlock and would not open. Through research, I learned it was the actuator that had gone out in the door. In November of 2021, the driver-side sliding door started making a grinding noise every time the doors were locked, indicating the actuator on that door was about to go out as well. Not having access to open the back doors of a minivan negates the benefits of driving a van, plus can cause a serious safety concern if individuals aren't able to exit the vehicle if needed.

Structure › Body
Filed Dec 30, 2021IL

The driver side passenger door is stuck on lock, it will not open from outside or inside or with the fob, this creates a safety issue for removing my children in case of an accident or being able to get to them in case of an emergency.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 10, 2021AK

The sliding door drivers side has malfunctioned. Stuck in lock position. Cannot unlock or lock. The door is stuck closed. I’ve tried everything to try to open it. Will not open. Passengers cannot get out. I presume it’s the acutater that I cannot afford to get fixed. This is a safety issue.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Electronic Lock/Latch Actuator
Filed Dec 8, 202160,000 milesPA

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side sliding door would not open manually or electronically. Additionally, the door failed to lock securely. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rod in the door was loose and needed to be replaced. The rod clips were replaced however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 6, 2021FL

Rear door makes a buzzing sound when door is unlocked. Door also does not seem to function properly when closing and opening.

Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 27, 2021NY

The sliding door on the passenger side stopped working and will not open manually or with the buttons on the remote or the buttons in the car.

Electrical System
Filed Nov 19, 2021WI

The passenger side electronic locks stopped working and will not allow the doors to open. Passengers could be trapped in car and unable to be removed from inside

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 14, 2021TX

Since I purchased my 2017 Dodge Caravan, a piece of the door panel came off while driving down the road. The rear air cuts in and out. The horn cuts in and out. The driver side sliding door will stick shut and not open and when it does open it makes a loud buzzing sound every time the door opens or locks. Now at 110,000 miles, the car not starting, then starting but acting like its about to die. Battery and alternator both tested good and we are being told it is probably a faulty computer system.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Electronic Lock/Latch Actuator
Filed Nov 8, 202164,000 milesNJ

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the driver's side rear sliding door would not unlock or open. The door lever was inoperable. The dealer was made aware of the failure and the contact was on his way to have the vehicle diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for diagnosis. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 3, 2021UT

Our drivers side back sliding door lock mares a loud buzzing sound but doesn’t lock. This is a huge safety issue as my 3year child sits by that door and could potentially open the door. There has been no warning signs. Our van is only 4 years old it should be having expensive issues like this.

Structure › Body
Filed Oct 28, 2021MN

The Driver side sliding door does not open, and the passenger side sliding door does not lock. Both pose a danger in the event of an emergency or can cause an emergency when a passenger opens door in moving vehicle. The stow and go seats in second row do not always latch and can begin closing when a passenger is sitting on the seat.

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 28, 2021PA

The rear passenger driver side door of my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan is stuck in the "locked" position. It will not open automatically when I press any of the buttons and I cannot manually open because it is stuck in the locked position. I called my Dodge dealer today, October 28th, and they said they would have to diagnose the problem and the earliest diagnostic appointment they have is December 7th! I told them it is a safety issue and I have kids that sit in the back and need to be able to get out in case of an emergency, so is there any way they can just get it "unstuck" so I can manually do it. I don't care if they can't get it to work automatically, but physically so we can open and close it. He said "no"! It sounds like an "actuator problem", but without diagnosing, there is nothing they can really do. So now I am stuck with what I consider a very unsafe vehicle and they're not too concerned about it. Is there anything you can do to help me with this problem?

Power Train
Filed Oct 27, 2021KY

While coming out of a curve I stepped on the throttle but the car didn’t respond. It acted like the transmission had failed. I then swerved to the shoulder so we wouldn’t be rear ended but a semi which was following us. I put the vehicle in park and turned it off. When I restarted the vehicle it wouldn’t come out of 1st gear. I have since had the vehicle inspected and was told the tans axle pump was bad which is a known recall for the previous 2 years. But can’t find out if the 2017 is part of the recall. The vehicle on has 88,000 miles on it so the transmission shouldn’t have any issue.

Power Train
Filed Oct 20, 2021KY

While driving the car will not shift through the gears. No warning lights came on and all fluids are at proper levels. Vehicle is making a whining noise.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 14, 2021NM

The door lock actuator on the sliding drivers side door is making a loud buzzing sound when the doors are locked and unlocked. The door lock actuator on the passenger side sliding door has quit working.

Air Bags
Filed Oct 5, 2021TX

Airbag light came on and will not go off. Two separate cases. P066DD code causes check engine light to come on from ti.e to time.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 20, 2021NY

The right door electric lock actuator makes bussing noise when you unlock the door.This seems to be a common problem with many vans . I have 65000 Klms on the vehicle from my research it will cost around $600 to fix . I am concerned that eventually the lock will fail and compromise my vehicle. From what I have seen you need to take the door totally apart to get to the actuator. I find it very odd that all the vans have the same actuator go faulty passenger side

Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Sep 10, 202164,760 milesPA

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated that the rear driver’s and passenger’s side sliding doors would not unlock with the fob key or manually. The contact stated that the sliding doors appeared that the latches were stuck in locked position. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,760.

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 6, 2021MO

Driver side rear automatic sliding door will not unlock automatically or manually inside or outside the vehicle

Structure › Body
Filed Sep 3, 2021PA

The rear passenger side door will not unlock or open. upon searching for possible solutions, I found that this is not an uncommon issue. This is an issue as if there is an accident, the door will not unlock or open to evacuate.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 2, 2021AR

We just bought a 2017 Grand Caravan from a dealer. The door makes a loud buzzing sound when you use the lock or try to open the door. After research, it seems to be the lock actuator and is happening to many people. If the locking mechanism is malfunctioning, that is a safety concern. Especially when you have children in the car often. The doors also stall and jam when opening and closing and get stuck. Since they aren't manual, but electric this causes a problem.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 25, 2021VA

Engine/Transmission: Transmission was replaced by Manufacture. P/T Not shifting into gear properly. Hard shifting into gear. Slow start climbing incline in hills, speeds up drastically when the car is starting to decline, knocking noise. Dash lights, odometer, and warning lights come on and off without warning. The car has to be turned on and off to make the odometer, dash lights and warning lights rest and work. Safety: 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan will suddenly stop while driving at 65--70 mph in traffic without notice. The vehicle is unable to be physically moved out of the drive gear or any gear. The vehicle has been inspected by Doge dealership and found nothing wrong several times. Transmission light is on. No warning lamps, or messages to tell the driver the vehicle will suddenly stop at a high rate of speed or any speed. All of the gauges including lights will turn off without any warning while driving at any speed. There is a burning smell. Started from 2019 to present date.

Seats
Filed Aug 23, 2021PA

Passenger front seat headrest deployed while vehicle was parked. No collision occurred to initiate this. I see this is a huge issue online with to s of caravan owners. This really should be recalled before someone gets really hurt if sitting in one of these seats and it occurs without reason!

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 15, 2021IL

My right slider door will not lock with the fob or manually leaving my car unlocked at all times. I have not taken the vehicle to the dealer yet as I just learned of this problem today. There was no indication or lights on before this problem occurred.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 15, 2021AZ

The driver side rear sliding door does not open manually or by the buttons. The door is stuck closed and this is a huge safety issue. My 10 year old sits by this door and could be trapped inside. This is not ok.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 9, 202158,667 milesNC

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and electrical functions. The vehicle was able to be restarted and functionality was restored. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V139000 (Electrical System) however, the Vin was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure and confirmed that the Vin was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 58,667.

Engine
Filed Aug 9, 202178,400 milesCA

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that after having an oil change, the check engine warning light illuminated continuously. In addition, the rear passenger’s side door failed to open from the inside or outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed a tune-up. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,400.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 9, 2021MO

My rear driver side door stopped opening. One day (without any cause) the door would not open or unlock. When I turned off the electric sliding feature, the door would not open manually either. For about 7 months (beginning of 2021) the driver side sliding door has been inoperable. When I researched the problem, I saw that this is a common issue with the vehicle. It is unsafe. I have 4 children who are passengers in this minivan. My decision to purchase this vehicle was based solely on the fact that I needed to transport children. In the event that we are in a collision, I'm afraid I will not be able to get to my children from that entire side of the vehicle. Due to the safety features of back seat windows that do not go down all the way, children would also not be able to escape the vehicle this way. There were no warning lights or signs about this issue. I would give permission for this vehicle's door to be inspected regarding this problem. I have not yet gotten a quote from a dealership to fix the problem, but I have read many other consumer quotes online. This should not be my expense to bear.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Lock
Filed Aug 8, 2021OH

When car is stopped, turn off key, open door then I hear a loud BUZZ. Only lasts a second or so. But believe it has to do with the POWER LOCKS. I see many complaints online like this

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Aug 2, 2021MN

The Contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear door failed to unlatch while using the key fob. Additionally, the contact was unable to unlatch the door manually from the inside or the outside. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was not available.

Structure › Body
Filed Jul 30, 2021FL

Driver side sliding door stuck in lock position. Will not open manually or with fob. Can not open door lock from inside. There were no signs this issue was going to happen. One day it works, next day it doesn’t. From what I’ve seen, this is an on going problem which needs to be addressed. This can be a huge safety problem in a accident.

Structure › Body
Filed Jul 29, 2021CA

Drivers side rear sliding door will not open. Completely stuck shut and will not unlock manually or electronically. My child was stuck inside until I could open the other door.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 28, 2021FL

Both sliding door locks on my Dodge Caravan are not working. The driver’s sliding door will not lock with the key fob or with the button inside the car. On the passanger’s sliding door side, the door is stuck in the unlocked position. The key fob or the button inside the car will not unlock it. Also, it I manually lock the drivers side sliding door, it will not unlock with the key fob or inside button. This is dangerous Bc I’m driving around in an unlocked car. Also I’m leaving my car unlocked. I have 4 young children. I have seen many, many complaints of this online. It is a common issue with the 2017 Dodge Caravan. I have called Dodge and they did not deny that they knew about this. I got a quote from the dodge dealership. The lock actuators need to be replaced. I have the quote and it’s $1,800 to fix. This should be recalled!

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 26, 2021CA

The vehicle passage side sliding door will not open. I called the dealer and they said about $3000 dollars to repair the problem with the door. If there is a accident it will slow for the person the passage side to get out of the vehicle. Before the warranty ran out I had the car in the shop twice about the door slowly opening.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 19, 2021AZ

Passenger side sliding door actuator stopped working and is stuck in the locked position preventing opening of the door from the outside or inside or with the key fob. Door will not open at all which is a huge safety risk in case of emergencies and someone needs to get inside or out of the vehicle quickly. No inspection has been done except by me though I have seen hundreds of others complaining of the same issue with this make and model. No warnings or messages for this either. This needs to be a recall fix for obvious safety reasons.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 16, 2021TX

Rear driver's side sliding door will not open. It is stuck in the locked position. Research shows this is a common problem with the 2017 and other years of Dodge Grand Caravan. This is a safety issue for anyone sitting in that rear passenger seat, as that door will not open from the inside. In the event of an accident blocking the rear passenger side door, anyone in the rear would have to climb up to the front to exit. There is no check engine light. I have not yet taken it to a dealer, because it is not warranty work and I cannot afford to have it fixed.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 15, 2021WA

Driver’s side sliding door is stuck shut and will not unlock with key FOB, the unlock buttons on the passenger and driver side doors, and also will not unlock manually. Tried opening the door with automatically with key FOB button, the button located by the rearview mirror, and also opening it manually from the inside and outside, but door does not open. It was functioning properly the day before, and there were no warning signs ahead of time that there was going to be an issue with the locking mechanism. Safety concern since this could potentially happen to the other sliding door, and if in an emergency back passengers have no immediate access to an exit.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 8, 2021GA

The rear sliding door on the driver side is stuck in the locked position and cannot be opened either manually or electronically.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 7, 2021MI

There is a loud buzzing sound coming from the passenger sliding door whenever the vehicle is locked or unlocked. Door actuator is failing.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 17, 2021KS

I have a 2017 vehicle with approximately 75,000 miles. The cylinder head on cylinder 2 is faulty and needs to be replaced. This is approximately a $3000 fix that is being repaired right now. My mechanic told me that this part and/or previous generations of this vehicle have been recalled due to faulty parts. They also encouraged me to file this complaint.

Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Jun 11, 202170,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while attempting to enter the vehicle, the driver’s side sliding door failed to unlock and open electronically. The contact attempted to manually unlock the door but the door failed to open. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there would be an out-of-pocket cost to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Seats
Filed Jun 1, 202154,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that a bolt connected to the front passenger seat had come loose causing the seat belt to become detached from the front passenger seat. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 54,000.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed May 28, 2021OK

I was sitting in my van, with it running at Sonic, and i started smelling a terrible smell. I thought the smell was coming form outside so I rolled up the windows and the van started filling up with smoke. My daughter looked at the back seat and noticed the back charger, USB, 12 volt area was the source of smoke and we got out immediately, saw that it was on fire from the inside, it could be seen through the charger, the usb ports, and the 12 volt plug because there was nothing plugged in. My daughter threw a pop on it to put it out and we called my husband to come help us. He pulled the cover off and all of the wires were melted all of the way down the inside of the panel. I have seen recalls for previous year models for this same type of occurrence, but not for this year model. I am thankful my other children and grandson were not in the car in the backseats where the fire started. This area is on the gas tank side as well and that was a scary thought as i was supposed to travel tomorrow in this van.

Electrical System
Filed May 18, 2021MD

The drivers side rear passenger sliding door is stuck in lock mode. The locking mechanism is stuck shut and cannot be unlocked either manually or with the remote unlock button. Therefore the door is stuck closed and can not open. It’s dangerous that any backseat passenger cannot exit the vehicle through that door if they need to. Also, the passenger side door does not lock or unlock with the remote; it only locks and unlocks when the locking mechanism on the door is pushed manually. When the alarm is turned on with the remote, pulling this door open manually sets off the alarm when the door is pulled open. There were no warning lights or indicators set off prior to these issues. These issues manifested in September 2020.

Structure › Body
Filed May 10, 202170,000 milesDE

DRIVERS SIDE PASSANGER DOOR IS STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION AND WON'T OPEN OR UNLOCK

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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