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 1999 Dodge Caravan submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY SUSPENSION BOTTOMS OUT ON ME NO MATTER WHERE I AM AT. MY FRONT SEATS WILL NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH AT DUE TO THE HANDLE MECHANISM BREAKING. MY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES DO NOT PUT OUT THE RIGHT BEAM OF LIGHT THE IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO SEE PROPERLY AT NIGHT. I NEED YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER PLEASE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND FOR NO KNOWN REASON. DODGE TOLD US THAT IT WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING IN THE DASH THAT CAUSED THE COMPUTER TO SHUT DOWN. THE TECHNICIANS INSISTED THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT COULD NOT BE REPLICATED ON DEMAND. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN PERIODICALLY, MOST RECENTLY IN JANUARY 2014, WHEN THE COMPUTER WENT OUT, SHUTTING DOWN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE WHEELS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTINUED FORWARD, WHICH PUSHED THE VEHICLE INTO A CURB, FLATTENING TWO TIRES AND DAMAGING THOSE RESPECTIVE RIMS. ALTHOUGH NO ONE WAS INJURED, HAD THERE BEEN A VEHICLE NEXT TO THE VAN, AS OPPOSED TO A HIGH CURB, THE DEFECT IN THE VEHICLES WIRING AND COMPUTER WOULD HAVE CAUSED A COLLISION. THERE IS NEVER ANY WARNING PRIOR TO THE ELECTRICAL AND INSTRUMENT PANEL GOING OUT. THERE IS NO KNOWN TRIGGER THAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM. IT IS NOT TRIGGERED BY GOING OVER A BUMP, DRIVING AT ANY PARTICULAR SPEED, STOPPING OR ACCELERATING. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS, BECAUSE A WITNESS (WHO HAPPENED TO BE A POLICE OFFICER) TO THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT ADVISED US THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND COMMON ISSUE IN DODGE CARAVANS BUILT IN THE LATE 1990S/EARLY 2000S. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE CARAVAN. ON APRIL 24, 2008, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL ILLUMINATED, AND THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VEHICLE INCREASED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COOL. HE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE HOME. THE DEALER INSTRUCTED HIM TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO BE DIAGNOSED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN DRIVING CONDITION AND NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE HIMSELF. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,929. UPDATED 07/07/08.*LJ THE FAN RELAY SWITCH WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. THE HEADLIGHT HAD CONDENSATION ON THEINSIDE. UPDATED
MY 1999 DODGE CARAVAN HAS PLASTIC HEADLIGHTS COVERS. THE LEFT SIDE IS SO BAD IT HAS REDUCED THE OUT PUT BY HALF. I HAD A ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED THE RIGHT PLASTIC ON TO BE REPLACED. SO I BELIEVE ANY ONE WHO HAS NOT REPLACED THESE EXPENSIVE COVERS HAS LOST THERE OUT PUT OF THESE & NOT KNOW IT BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT COMPARE IT AGAINST A GOOD ONE. *NM
PLASTIC COVER ON HEADLIGHTS DETERIORATED. THIS AFFECTED THE LIGHT BULB. THE DRIVER HAS DIFFICULTY SEEING THE ROAD AT NIGHT.*AK *TC
THE HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. *AK
THE HEADLIGHTS LENS DEVELOPED A CLOUDY DISCOLORATION WHICH REDUCED THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATION. THIS RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE PARTS WERE $260.00 PER HEADLIGHT. *AK THE REPORTS STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN ALL CARAVANS. *SC *JB
THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENS DEVELOPED AN OPAQUE COLOR THAT REDUCED THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATION. TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK *JB
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED. IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME AND THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME. THIS TIME THE REPAIR WILL NOT BE FREE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT DO ANYMORE THAN REPLACE A SWITCH. AFTER 4 FAILURES, THE LIGHTS ARE STILL OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY. *PH DODGE APPROVED A NEW SWITCH AT NO COST AND HAD BEEN MADE AVAILABLE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO BUT A LOCAL DEALER INSTALLED AN OLD SWITCH IN 2000, 2001, AND 2002. *SCC *JB
SEAL AROUND WINDSHIELD IS LEAKING, CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTS IN VEHICLE. DEALER CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK THE WATER DROPS ONTO THE COMPUTER CONTROL AND CAUSES ALL INSTRUMENTS TO WORK IRRADICALLY ON THE DASH BOARD. CONSUMER FEELS THE MAIN CONTROLS SHOULD BE SHIELDED FROM WINDSHIELD LEAKS. ALSO, THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WENT OUT. *JG
THE VEHICLES HEAD LIGHTS SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS ARE ENGAGED. *YH
HEADLIGHTS, AS DESIGNED AND AS CHECKED FOR ALIGNMENT BY THE DEALER, ARE AIMED TOO LOW AND DO NOT COVER ENOUGH AREA IN FRONT OF VEHICLE FOR SAFE OPERATION. DRIVER HAS TO USE HIGH BEAMS IN LOCAL DRIVING, WITH CONSTANT NEED TO DIM FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC, WHERE OTHER CARS CAN USE ONLY LOW BEAMS. IN COUNTRY, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, EVEN HIGH BEAMS DO NOT ILLUMINATE FAR ENOUGH.
UPPER BRAKE LIGHT ON NEW DODGE VEHICLES FLASHES WHEN ENGAGED. THIS IS THE ONLY MANUFACTURER I'VE NOTICED THAT OFFERS THIS, AND IT DOES DRAW MY EYE TO IT, BUT AS MORE OF A DISTRACTION THAN INFORMATION. I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS BANNED.
AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH, AFFECTING VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
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
Data on this page last refreshed .