Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Dodge Caravan submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS RETAINED WATER AND CAUSED THEM TO APPEAR FOGGY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS NEEDING NEW HEAD LIGHTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 175,000, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.*AK
THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVER HAS TURNED OPAQUE AND HAS REDUCED THE OUTPUT OF THE HEADLIGHTS BY APPROXIMATELY 50%. DUE TO THE REDUCTION OF HEADLIGHT OUTPUT I HAVE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR AT NIGHT DUE THE LOW OUTPUT. I HAVE TRIED TO USE AUTO CLEANSERS BUT THE HAVE NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE..I THINK THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC LENSES SHOULD BE REPLACED. *JB
THE HEADLIGHTS PRODUCE A THICK FILM. AS A RESULT, THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE THROUGH COMPLETELY. *AK *JB
HEADLIGHTS ARE CLOUDED OVER. IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT, EVEN WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS ARE ON. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT.*AK
THE HEADLIGHTS LENS DEVELOPED A DISCOLORATION THAT REDUCED THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATION. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO PASS STATE INSPECTION. THE STATE INSPECTOR CHARGED CONSUMER $155.00 TO CLEAN THE LENS. THE CAUSE OF THE DISCOLORATION WAS DUE TO THE TYPE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL BEING USED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DURING NIGHT HOURS, INTERMITTENTLY THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM
CONSUMER STATED WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD. *AK THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PLASTIC ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT WAS CLOUDED DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE HEAD LAMPS. *NM
NO ACCIDENTS YET. HEADLIGHTS HAVE FOGGY COATING ON THEM, WHICH WE HAVE LOW LIGHT VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. ALSO, WHEN FILLING UP TANK WITH GAS IT RUNS OUT WHEN COMPLETELY FULL. *LA
PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS ON 1996 DODGE CARAVAN HAVE DETERIORATED LEAVING A HAZY COVERING. ILLUMINATION OF THE ROAD BY THE HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR DRIVING. *NLM
THE HEADLIGHTS ON OUR 1996 CARAVAN ARE THE TYPE WITH A CLEAR PLASTIC OR GLASS COVER OVER THE BULBS. OVER TIME, THE CLEAR COVERING HAS BECOME VERY CLOUDY TO THE POINT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE WELL ENOUGH TO SAFELY SEE AT NIGHT. THE LIGHTS ARE NOT DAMAGED, THE LENSES ARE JUST NOT AT ALL CLEAR ANYMORE. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE THE HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT BUT OUR LOCAL DODGE DEALER TELLS US THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE CLOUDY LENS. THEY SAY THE ONLY REPAIR OPTION IS TO REPLACE THE LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. OUR VEHICLE WARRANTY IS LONG SINCE EXPIRED BUT I DO NOT SEE THIS ISSUE AS ONE OF WARRANTY BUT RATHER SAFETY. ANY REASONABLE PERSON SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT THE HEADLIGHTS ON A VEHICLE TO ILLUMINATE A SAFE PATH AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED IN SERVICE. I'VE CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND THEY SAY IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND DISAGREE WITH MY SAFETY COMPLAINT.*AK
AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. VEHICLES' HEAD LIGHT GETS DEBRIS ON THEM WHICH RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
THERE IS A PLASTIC LENS THAT COVERS HEADLIGHTS. IT HAS DETERIORATED AND IS BLOCKING THE HEAD LIGHT. CONTACTED DEALER.*A
HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE BURNING FROM INSIDE AND CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
HEADLIGHT COVERS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC. THEN, MATERIAL DEVELOPS A NON REMOVEABLE FILM THAT DULLS HEADLIGHT COVERS. CONSUMER IS NO LONGER ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE AT NIGHT, LIGHTS ARE NO LONGER BRIGHT ENOUGH.*AK *JB
TAILLIGHT HOUSING MOLDED CONTACTS FAILED, BRAKE LIGHT FAILS, FIXED PROBLEM BY DRILLING HOLES IN HOUSING AND SOLDERING JUMPER WIRE
HEADLIGHTS HAVE A GLARE. LIGHTS ARE DIMMED LIKE A FILM IS OVER THEM. ALSO, IT IS HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL. *AK
DURING THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL TURN ON RANDOMLY AND STOP WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INTERACTION. IT HAPPENED TODAY AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. IT HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS AND EVEN STANDING STILL IN PARK. IT HAPPENED LAST WEEKEND AS I WAS PASSING A TRUCK ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 70MPH. WHEN IT OCCURS IT DISTRACTS ME FROM MY DRIVING AND SOMETIMES STARTLES ME. THE TURN SIGNAL/WIPER MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE LAST TIME IT WAS REPLACED WAS ON 08/13/97 BY LANDMARK DODGE, INC., 6823 MT. ZION BLVD, MORROW, GA 30260, TEL:770/968-4900 UNDER INVOICE #DOCS22788.
WHILE DRIVING, POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AND ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 52-2482-587. *SLC
NO SUMMARY
WHILE DRIVING WOULD USE THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. TURN SIGNALS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES WOULD TURN OFF OR ON BY ITSELF. *AK
TURN SIGNALS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY IN HOT/HUMID WEATHER. SOMETIMES WOULD NOT WORK WITH INDICATOR TURNED ON. HAD CHANGED THE FUSES EACH TIME PROBLEM HAPPENED. ALSO, SLIDING DOOR LOCK DOES NOT REGULARLY RELEASE WITH THE LOCK/UNLOCK SWITCH. FURTHER, IT IS UNRELIABLE WITH THE MANUAL LOCK/BOTTON. THE HEADLIGHTS, IN HOT/HUMID WEATHER MAY OR MAY NOT GO OFF WHEN SWITCH IS TURNED OFF. BEEN IN CONTACT WITH DEALERSHIP. *AK
LIGHT SWITCH HAS SHORTED OUT, CAUSING BATTERY TO DIE. WHEN BATTERY IS CHARGED WITH JUMPER CABLES AND VEHICLE IS STARTED, SMOKE FROM LIGHT SWITCH FILLS CAB. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHICH SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.*AK
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION ON TWO OCCASIONS, CAUSING TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. *MJS
WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITHOUT KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, WINDSHILD WIPERS WOULD OPERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. *AK DEALER REPLACED MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. THEY SAID IF NOT REPLACED COULD EITHER DRAIN BATTERY OR CAUSE WIRES TO MELT CAUSING FIRE. *YH
MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE FRONT AND REAR WINDSHILED WIPER TO COME ON SPORADICALLY. NLM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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