Dodge Grand Caravan Complaints (2017)

414 consumer complaints on file.

#11695715October 26, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The lock actuators on my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan sliding passenger doors are both frozen, so the doors are not able to be opened at all. The doors for the backseat are unusable, and passengers must climb in through the back hatch door of the van. My car began smoking from the engine (visible from the hood), and I had to pull my vehicle over. My children were unable to exit the vehicle in a swift manner, because they had to leave through the rear hatch of the vehicle instead of opening the doors next to their seats. This is extremely unsafe and seems to be a widespread safety risk with this vehicle. The company issued an extended warranty in 2025, but because my vehicle was purchased in 2018 and I commuted to my job, my vehicle is over the 100,000 mile qualifier now. It wasn't at 100,000 miles when the doors seized up. Dodge/Chrysler should recall this lock actuator part, because passenger safely should come first. An extended warranty that excludes drivers now over 100,000 miles is not acceptable. This defect could have caused my children to become trapped in a burning vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695198October 23, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
I purchased the vehicle on 9/15/2025 at approximately 103,900 miles. Around 10/6/25 at approximately 103,982 miles the driver side sliding door actuator has failed causing the door to get stuck in the lock position and creating a safety hazard. I reached out to Dodge today and spoke with a representative by the name of Lynn and they've declined to repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685161September 4, 2025
ENGINE
The engine began stalling and reving while driving. It is at the shop with an estimate of 2500.00 to 4000.00 to repair due to faulty cylinder #2. Researching this, we are not the first to have issues. As stated by my repair place, it’s a ticking time bomb waiting for it to cause a serious major incident and possible injuries. Vehicle is less than 8 years old and less than 100,000 miles
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682592August 23, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I first had this happen months ago and now I found another place to post about it. The locking and unlocking motor on the passenger sliding door is making a horrible noise and buzzing sound. This happens every time you lock or unlock it. It also happens when it locks automatically when you drive. It is horribly loud that it wakes up the baby and toddler every time. My mechanic has looked at it and knew exactly what was wrong right away. The motor is just and needs replaced. He said it's very common for the dodge motor in the sliding doors to need replacing. He's shocked it hasn't been recalled yet. He's also had many people have kids locked in the vans due to the motor basically burning out. He said it definitely needs replaced and should've been recalled by now. Also be prepared to climb over seats to get the baby and toddler out when they finally stop working all together. The fact that my small mechanics shop has seen many issues with the locking motor definitely tells me dodge isn't putting safety first at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678427August 5, 2025
SEATS
SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED RANDOMLY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR CAUSE FOR THIS. IT JUST DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE. THIS WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEAD REST. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT AT THE TIME.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677223July 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that upon reversing and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle lost motive power. The contact turned off the vehicle, and four bystanders assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle into a parking spot. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that an unknown computer software chip needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V524000(Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 115,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677269July 30, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The driver's side sliding door on this minivan became stuck shut. I had to remove my disabled son through the open window. Not being able to remove him quickly in an emergency because the door has become sealed shut is unacceptable. I cannot believe there is no manual override. I was able to solve this issue by forcing the unlock lever while pressing 'unlock' on the keyfob. However, the main reason I write this complaint, numerous people on various forums report an actuator shorting out in their doors causing this issue, meaning they cannot open the door, by any means, without this actuator being repaired. I cannot for the life of me believe that a system was engineered to not have a simple manual override on a car door. This is beyond me how this got cleared by any sort of regulatory body. If that actuator gets cooked in a fire, I guess the occupants of the car will too.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677284July 30, 2025
SEATS
The headrest on the driver’s seat burst open and deployed while waiting in a parking lot.. A very loud and awful exploded to the back of my head and ringing of the ears.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676537July 28, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle: 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan Component/System: Sliding door lock actuator Is the part available for inspection upon request? Yes Description of the Issue: The sliding door lock actuator failed, causing the door to remain locked at all times. The door cannot be opened manually or using the power door controls. This renders the door completely inoperable. Safety Risk: This is a significant safety hazard. In the event of an emergency, passengers—especially children seated in the rear—cannot exit the vehicle through this door. It severely limits evacuation routes and could result in injury or death if occupants are trapped during an accident or fire. Has the issue been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? Not yet. Issue is ongoing and appointment is pending. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms before the failure? No warning lamps or messages appeared. The door simply stopped responding to manual or power lock/unlock commands. When did the issue occur? June 2025. The door has remained inoperable since. Assessment: Based on consumer forums and other reports, this appears to be a known and widespread issue with this model, likely caused by a defective actuator design.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676443July 27, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SUSPENSION
Transmission
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674747July 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Door lock actuator on passenger sliding door beginning to make noise before it likely will fail and not automatically lock door as vehicle accelerates. This is a recall item on the two prior years of this same vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670992July 3, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and shift the vehicle into park(P); however, the vehicle was stuck in reverse(R), and failed to shift to neutral(N). The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P1602 (PCM not Programmed) and P0606 (Error with PCM) were retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669654June 27, 2025
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side headrest unexpectedly deployed. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that caused the headrest to deploy. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,244.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669453June 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Driver side sliding door lock jammed shut! No way to use the door causing safety issue in an emergency. Lock will not release. There was no warning signs and dealer cannot get my car in for another month. Passenger side sliding door has done this intermittently.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668238June 20, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
Beginning at about 75,000 miles (1st lock actuator), my lock actuators seized and rendered the backseat passenger doors unusable. The second lock actuator on the passenger side followed at about 95,000 miles. This is extremely unsafe, because if I have my children as passengers, they must climb in through the back hatch of the minivan. In addition, passengers cannot exit the vehicle from their seats in case of a wreck. Dodge has issued an extended warranty recently, but I am not eligible because my vehicle is now over 100,000 miles. (It was under 100,000 miles at the time of malfunction, but there was no extended warranty or recall at the time.) This common issue with the Dodge Grand Caravan is extremely unsafe, and all defective lock actuators should be replaced/repaired as part of a recall. A warranty that excludes certain users is unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666965June 14, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Power door is broke and won’t open. There was a notice sent out about it but no repairs appeared
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663876May 30, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:ELECTRONIC LOCK/LATCH ACTUATOR
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his children attempted to exit the vehicle through the passenger's side and driver's side sliding doors; however, both sliding doors failed to open. The contact's children exited the vehicle though the front passenger's side and driver's side doors. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to schedule an appointment for inspection. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Chrysler Warranty Extension: X98 (Driver and Passenger Sliding Door Power Lock Actuators). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663546May 28, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The door lock actuators on BOTH sliding doors do not work properly. about 3 years ago the drivers side door lock actuator stopped unlocking and could not be used. about 7 or 8 months later, it suddenly unlocked but now makes a loud buzzing sound every time it locks. Then about a year later, the passenger side door stopped unlocking and has remained locked for many months now leaving that door unusable. if there were an emergency or accident where the drivers side could not be accessed, passengers in the back of the vehicle would not be able to exit the car safely without climbing over seats. We also are concerned that the drivers side door will fail again and the rear of the vehicle would no longer be accessible. This is a known issue through the manufacturer that they refuse to recall or repair. There is even a current class action lawsuit for this make and model. several similar makes and models through the manufacturer have been affected by this issue for many years. We have not had this inspected by anyone, we bought new door actuator mechanisms but have not replaced them ourselves yet. every indication is this is a difficult and lengthy repair at home and costly if done through an auto repair shop or dealership. With such a well known issue, this should have been investigated, resolved and corrected by the manufacturer and notices for recalls released to the public. This is completely unacceptable that the safety of passengers in these cars are not important to the manufacturer!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662807May 23, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My driver's side rear sliding door will not open or unlock. The locking mechanism inside the door panel is seized up and will not release the lock, so the door cannot be opened. This is unsafe because I now only have one door that passengers can exit from the back and if something were to happen to the other back door, people could be trapped. I regularly transport my nieces that are [XXX] , [XXX] , and [XXX] and it makes it very difficult to reach them and if there were an accident on the right side of the car we would not be able to reach them from the left and they would not be able to get out due to the fact that they are in car seats and would need to be taken out by an adult. I have received documentation that states this is a known issue for my Year, Make, and Model, and there is apparently a class action lawsuit about it, but based on the mileage of my car, I won't qualify to have it fixed. I was just made aware that this is a known issue and the car had 70,000 miles on it when I bought it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11660913May 14, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the passenger's side sliding door failed to close properly. The contact had to force the door closed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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