Problems with 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I just acquired this vehicle. i understand gas 6 recalls based in the nhtsa. doors read model 2004. i called chrysler dodge dealer in hemet, california and the service receptionist stated there is nothing to do that are no recalls for this van. please help. the light engine is on. the power train kicks sometimes (drags) suddenly. and i see the 6 recalls applicable to this model

While at a stop light, another driver told us the van's tail light was smoking. we pulled around a corner and into a parking lot and found that the passenger tail light assembly was on fire with flames lapping up the side of the van. the van was turned off and the fire was extinguished. we removed the tail light assembly and found that the inside of the assembly and the wiring harness were destroyed. there is also body damage. we have had problems with the brake light bulb in the passenger side burning out frequently, and had seen evidence of overheating and some melting in the brake light connector socket in about 2010. although the lights burn out frequently, the melting had not gotten worse since then. the driver's side tail light has never exhibited a problem like this. at this time it is unknown if there is any damage or fault in the electrical system beyond the tail light assembly. a rough estimate of obvious damages is approximately $1,000 to $1,500 with repainting.

Turn signals stopped working in the front. replaced bulbs multi funtion switch and light buld sockets and still dont work

The head lights go out while driving. no warning signs, you lose all headlights. if the switch is turned on and off several times they will come back on. my lights went off while i was driving down a county highway going 55 mph. there were no street lights. it happened a total of 4 times on my 40 minute drive home through the country. very scary!

The left side running lights are not lighting when the headlight is turned on. the right side works. the left side blinker and brake light works which indicates the bulbs are good but will not light when the headlights are turned on.

Recall

He's lights flicker while driving, which makes night driving dangerous to the the annoyance of lights flickering and dimming. the dash lights are also flickering.

Power locks malfunctioning, lights go on and off on their own, driving at night dangerous. something wrong with electronic systems. work one time than they dont. now my lights want to stay on or come on randomly n i end up with dead battery. locks dangerous when you can't unlock rear door to get child out. turn signal doesn't turn off on its own. stalls after filling fuel tank. power drivers seat has stooped working properly slso, i'm short and would rather not have to sit on top of sir bag but not all of the adjustment functions are working properly. so can't tilt seat instead i have to sit on top of air bag, at a weight of 129 n under 5 feet tall i sure hope that sir bag never deploys on me

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the low beam headlights failed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was unable to be duplicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

Turn signals randomly stop working and then work again. probably 50% of the time. poses a real safety issue for myself and other drivers. especially at night when hand signals are hard to see. fuses are all good, i'm guessing a faulty switch is to blame. *tr

The headlights started going off while driving. first the fog lights started flashing on and off on their own and when i would pull on the headlight switch out to engage the fog lights, the headlights would turn off. i saw on line that many other people are having this problem with their grand caravans. *tr

Headlights would not turn on but running lights would turn on. bright headlights would only work if i held the lever pulled toward me. all other lights worked, including turning and braking lights. after research online i have found numerous other complaints that were identical to my situation. *js

This is the second time i have gone out to my car only to find that the interior cabin lights are on. the van was in my garage at the time so i know no one could have entered the vehicle. i see that dodge had a recall for there durango, but not there van in the year 2005. i purchased the van from coon rapids dodge in mpls. mn. about 3 years ago. i see by the dodge recall on the durango this could cause a fire. was there a recall on this van for this condition, and should it have been taken care of by the dealer. *tr

Headlight switch shut off lights while driving. now will leave lights on while in the off position and they will turn off but sound will beep as if they are on. this is a major safety issue and should be recalled!! *tr

Headlights went out while driving at night. had to fiddle with the on off switch repeatedly to get them to come back on. could not get issue to replicate. *tr

My van has had flickering headlights and dashboard lights. i replaced the alternator and the battery had been replaced recently as well and it is still doing it. driving home from work today it was flickering a lot and the dash board lights were flickering a lot as well. makes it hard to see driving at night. *tr

I have had the problem of having to toggle the lights to go on and off since i purchased the van used in 2009. from that point the lights would work with toggling them off. but then the problem has worsened and the head lights will not come on. this has happened ever so often. i thought i could turn on the high beams to be able to see, however the high beams won't stay on either. toggling them back and forth doesn't work anymore. i need a solution to this problem. i purchased this van for a reason. i have children....... i see that there have been other complaints about the same problem.....and that this has put families in dangerous situations.....and to a divorced woman with 2 children this would be costly to find out exactly what the problem is...... *tr

I have been having intermittent issues with my headlamps not turning on. if i jiggle the fuse box or pull the relay out they will come on. the issue has gotten progressively worse to the point that i have to manipulate the fuse box to get my headlights on at all. all other lights work. i feel very unsafe in my van since i have to pop the hood every time i need headlights and sometimes it can take several minutes before they work. as a woman it is not safe to be in a public place with my van hood up. i would like to see dodge correct this defect! *tr

My headlights will go out completely while i am driving. they also flash off and on while i am driving. they flash at other drivers as if i am signaling them to pull out in front of me, one time almost causing an accident in front of my daughters school. i also have incidents where i cant turn them on at all, or can't turn them off when i park and shut off my car. i will park my car and shut off the lights and when i open the door, the door chime will ring as if i have left them on. they turn themselves on in the middle of the day while i am driving even though the switch in in the off position. my parking lights and dash lights flash by themselves (at random) at all hours of the day and night. we have already replaced the headlight switch and it did not correct the problem. *js

The headlights will flicker, the same time they flicker the dash lights for the odometer will flicker as well. i've also noticed when this started the small light next to my hazard button on the dash flickers as well, even though no one is in that seat. this problem is distracting and makes it difficult to drive at night. this problem has seemed to have gotten worse since it started. i've tried running the van with and without the a/c but this did not solve the issue. *tr

Courtesy lamp socket melted needing replacement. more recently, the right rear turn signal failed. when i replaced the lamp, i noticed that both sides the socket assembly had melted. the replacement bulb is not able to function as the contacts are not able to connect. the entire assembly needs to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the headlights malfunctioned. the contact then used the fog lamps to continue driving. the contact did not contact the manufacturer or a dealer for inspection or repairs to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 117,000.

The headlights would not turn on. the parking lights would come on, but not the headlamps. turning the switch/dial turned them off, and turned on parking lights, but nothing else. the switch would turn all the way, but nothing. then the parking lights wouldn't go off at all. then i got the headlights to come on after messing with the switch for a while. the headlights came on the next day. it seems to be an intermittent problem... there are a lot of posts about this problem online. there should be a recall. this is very unsafe. *tr

The power door locks on this 2005 dodge grand caravan just stopped working. key fob sounds horn when locking, but locks do not engage. very dangerous for travel as locks do not engage when vehicle reaches 18 mph. *tr

Lights will not turn off when switch is turned off. parking lights stay on for several minutes, turn themselves back on when car is unlocked. occasionally blinks out when driving (less than 1 second blink). *tr

I got in the vehicle at night. turned on headlights and they would not come on. played with switch and they flashed on. driving down the road they went out and i had to pull over and play with the switch to get them to come back on. they are now, 2 weeks later, at the point that i cannot drive at night. they will not stay on, flash on then go off within a few seconds. after doing research i have found this to be a very common problem with this make and model. very dangerous! *tr

The headlights went out by themselves during night highway driving at ~64mph! this was an extremely dangerous situation as i had my wife and 3 children in the van. completely unacceptable. i had to pull off the highway during heavy traffic, and cycle the headlight switch 6-10 times to get the headlights to illuminate again. even after that, they would intermittently go out/come on for the duration of out trip home. this is a serious vehicle safety issue. *tr

Headlamp switch is failing. it causes the headlamps to only work intermittently at times. very dangerous at night time. i think should be a recall. *tr

Headlight failure to come on. side lamps, tail lights etc. worked but headlights would not work except by holding the multifunction switch in the "flash high" position. multifunction switch has been replaced twice after similar failures since the original problem. problem reoccurred 7/27/12 with no warning. vehicle is unsafe to drive unless you can be sure to be home before dark as the on board computer diagnostics are no help in diagnosing the issue so it's a game of russian roulette on whether the lights will work when you get in. *js

Park lamps do not work. replaced fuses, relay and bulbs. *tr

The vehicle shuts off and all the dash lights and every thing shuts down. *tr

Following the advise of many whom have posted on the following website; http://autoforum.classifieds1000.com/dodge-grand_caravan/2005_dodge_grand_caravan_random_headlamp_issue?pg=3. i am also experiencing problems with my dodge grand caravan. i am currently experiencing problems with the headlights; they shut down by themselves while i am driving. i have also experiences problems with the brakes lights, power windows and the passenger sliding doors. i cannot use the sliding door behind the driver side. it had been permanently shut for the last 3 years, since the last visit to the dodge dealership in miami, florida. they did a dreadful job. *tr

Headlights will randomly decide not to come on, or go off after car has been running. parking lights, brake lights and directionals con't to work. turning the lamp switch on and off a few times does not work. this has happen approximately 4 or 5 times over the last two months. most recently on june 29 @ 10pm, had been driving on the highway with no incident. off the highway stopped at a convenience store, after turning car back on and driving a few feet, on an unlit road the headlights went off, had to pull off to the side and shut car off and then restart, this is the only way they seem to come back on, the switch is not effective. *tr

For no reason the headlights turned off regardless of the light switch position, while driving down the highway, very scary and very dangerous, please issue a recall before someone gets hurt!! *tt i have visited many forums and most say its is the switch but some say its the main grounding post located under the battery box. and it is always an 05 town and country or grand caravan. thanks.

Sometimes, my headlights won't turn on when i start the vehicle (the dashboards lights are still on when this happens). i usually solve the problem by switching the light switch on and off. the problem not only is fixed that way, but it goes away for months at a time and is quite random and mysterious. i am just concerned about the lights frying or suddenly turning off while the car is moving because i work evenings and often commute on the highway. not only that, but after doing some research it appears quite a few people have this problem. it seems to be a known, mysterious glitch with dodge caravans from the same year. i get regular oil changes, always pass inspections, and the mechanics never find major issues with the battery, engine, or the headlights themselves. and they usually tell you that the car needs to be present in their shop while the problem is happening, which due to the random, intermittent nature of the problem is nigh impossible to do. it's a very strange problem, but there must be some cause if so many people driving similar cars have had similar complaints. *tr

The headlights on my 2005 dodge grand caravan would not turn on. only my parking lights would turn on. after several dozen attempts at turning on the low-beam headlights they would finally turn on. this is not the first time this has happened. the headlights on my dodge grand caravan have also failed at night while i have been driving. fortunately, i was only a couple miles from home. the lighting system in this vehicle is not reliable and i would hope the government would examine this matter closely. *tr

2005 dodge grand caravan headlight switch will not turn the lights on. you have to keep turning the switch to make it turn on. as you are going down the road at night the lights will flash or they will just turn off. *tr

My head lights turned off on me after night fall. i had to continually turn them on and off several times before they began to work again. then as i headed home, they flashed on and off. the brights will not stay on either. if i need to run with the brights on when the regular head lights don??t work, i have to continually hold the brights in the forward on position. if they headlight work properly, then the bright work properly as well. my fog lamp go on and off all by themselves and i flicker and flash all down the road. the chrysler dealership here said it is a common problem and in their experience it is the switch at $100 just for the part. labor is more. if it is so common, then where is the recall? i have had so many problems with this van since i purchased it. sticking gas pedal, shuttering breaks, and the abs light. all these were huge repair cost out of my pocket. i recently put over $4000 in repair to this van. right now i cannot afford a $100 part plus labor. recall please! *tr

No interior lights or dashboard light or back wipers or heating control. *tr

Headlights only work sporadically. at times, they won't turn on at all (running lights and rear lights still work) and it often takes several tries to get them turned on. holding the lever activates the high beams, which still work. early this morning, they simply failed while i was driving down a busy road in the dark. extremely unsafe. research indicates a recurring problem with the switch as my exact issue has been detailed by many, many individuals. as big as a safety issue as this is, it's hard to imagine how this hasn't spawned a recall.

Dash board lights and interior lights went out came on again for five minutes and went back out. *tr

While driving the headlight began to flicker and dim almost to where the light would completely go out. *tr

Sometime when i was driving, my headlights turned off mysteriously. now i cannot get my lowbeams to turn on. high beams, parking lights, fog lights all work. may be an issue with the switch. i believe there is currently an open investigation regarding this issue. *tr

The headlights will go on and off at any time. this happens while driving or while parked for the night. i have replaced the headlight switch on three occasions, first only the switch, next the switch and battery, and then finally the switch and alternator. each repair lasts for a few months then the problem returns. this is a very unsafe condition as it happens at night driving. as this is an intermittent issue i cannot get a true diagnosis. *tr

Headlights either will not turn on or go out while driving. parking and tail lights not effected. flipping switch on and off will sometimes work. updated ivoq 10/19/11. *jb *tr

Turn signal intermittently fails to work at all. worse, left signal will be selected, but right signal will be delivered. sometimes, signal works correctly. dangerous. wipers work very unpredicatably, or not at all. will not come on, then will not go off. will run very fast or very slow, and won't adjust. *tr

Throughout the life of the vehicle the fog lights have randomly cycled on and off while driving with the headlights on. however last summer the main headlights started randomly shutting off while driving at night in addition to the fog lights cycling on and off despite the switch for the foglights being off. this is extremely unsafe. usually toggling the switch on and off can get the headlights to turn back on. recently i was unable to get them to come back on for approximately 1/2 mile. i was in a well lit area at the time, but this is still a safety issue. sometimes after i turn off the headlights and shut off the vehicle they cycle on and off several times, but i have been lucky they have no stayed on and drained my battery. i searched for the issue online to see if there was a resolution and found numerous complaints on various sites for this same issue in the 2005 grand caravan as well as the issue i have with the power door locks that is resolved by removing the iod fuse and putting it back in. there seems to be a significant electrical problem in this vehicle that has gone unaddressed. *tr

Exterior lights fail to turn on. this is an intermittent issue and have taken it in before, but they said that they can't fix it unless it is happening when i bring it in. convenient that they are not open at night when i turn on my lights. *tr

The whoe brake cover on the left rear fell of on july 4th 2009. i have not had it replaced yet as i could not afford it, but have been using red tape. yesterday, july10th while coming oof the freeway the other cover fell off. this time i saw it and went back for it. it seems these are only glued on. have there been other complaints of this happening to these vans? it is so expensive to replace. *tt

Driving down the road. headlights went off and could not get them to come back on by turning on the headlight switch. how can i be expected to drive in the dark without headlights?