2009 Dodge Grand Caravan Fuel system Problems

Car will crank but not start. Can cannot be started intermittently which could be dangerous considering location of vehicle, adverse weather conditions, etc. There are no warning lamps or messages related to the problem. This is a known problem with other Chrysler models and model years. TIMP fuel pump relay has failed. Bypassing the fuel pump relay will allow car to start. See attached file of Vertical Vissions' bypass solutions to this problem.

NHTSA ID

11679016

Incident

Apr 5, 2023

It started out as the van would not start almost everytime I got ready to leave and would have someone jump my battery, and it would start right back up. after a few weeks of having to do this, i had help jumping my battery once again but this time my wind shield wipers wouldnt shut off resulting in me having to take the fuse out and back in when it rains. when this happened the what i believe is called the "multi functional shift " (the stick on the left side of steering wheel that controls my wipers, wiper fluid, turn signals, bright lights, etc.) completely stopped working with no sign of it having problems previously. Along with that the stereo keeps flickering and switching channels on its own. Lastly, when i am pumping gas, i can barely pull up the trigger without the pump shutting off like as if my tank was full. This has all happened in the last 6 or 7 months or so and has not yet been investigated.

NHTSA ID

11511690

Incident

Jul 1, 2022

MY VAN STALLS WHEN DECELERATING FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO OFF RAMP YIELD. I HAVE TAKEN TO MECHANICS AND DEALER AND SPENT TOO MUCH MONEY ON NOT GETTING THE PROBLEM FIXED. I DID SOME RESEARCHED AND NOTICED ON THE FORUMS THAT THIS IS AN EXISTING PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT RESULTING IN A VEHICLE RECALL . THE PROBLEM LOOKS LIKE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TIPM FUEL RELAY. MY VAN ONLY HAS 142,000 MILES ON IT , THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE HANDLED BY THE AUTO MAKER, NOT HAVING CUSTOMERS SPEND NEEDLESS MONEY ON DEALER RECOMMENDED FIXES THAT DO NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I JUST SPENT OVER 700 TO HAVE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPAIRS OF THROTTLE BODY SERVICE AND TUNE UP AND THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WHY IS IT THAT AS A CONSUMER I NEED TO DO MY OWN DIAGNOSIS WHEN PROBLEM HAPPENED JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND AFTER DEALER RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM! NOW MY SON IS LEAVING IN 3 DAYS FOR SCHOOL WITH THE VEHICLE AND I NEED TO FIND A REPAIR SHOP TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF YOU AS THE CAR COMPANY TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A KNOWN ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11252891

Incident

Aug 31, 2019

Mileage

142,000 mi

WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED THE CAR WILL NOT START. I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY OVER 15 TIMES IN ORDER FOR THE VAN TO CATCH AND START, THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. ALSO, WHEN THE DVD PLAYER IS IN THE UP POSITION ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON IN THE DASH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CUT ON AND NONE OF THE DIALS WORK ON THE SPEED, GAS AND THERMOSTAT INDICATORS. THE DVD PROBLEMS OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND ON THE ROAD OPERATING. THE IGNITION PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU GO TO START THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11222905

Incident

May 18, 2019

Mileage

106,000 mi

VEHICLE STALLED ON TOLL ROAD AND BYPASS. IT FINALLY DIED AND I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED TWICE. FIRST TIME WAS $600.00. SECOND TIME, MECHANIC DID IT FOR FREE. MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT IT'S THE TIPM OR TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE.

NHTSA ID

11002058

Incident

Jun 26, 2017

Mileage

50,000 mi

WAS PARKING UNDER A TREE ABOUT 6-8 FEET FROM TREE WHEN STILL HAVING FOOT ON BRAKE THE CAR ACCELERATED AND SLAMMED INTO THE TREE. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLORE.

NHTSA ID

10725581

Incident

Jun 14, 2015

Mileage

85,838 mi

WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE DIED, FUEL GAUGE INFORMED ME THAT TANK WAS 1/2 FULL AND LOST ALL POWER WAS LEFT STRANDED DO TOO NO GAS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10695261

Incident

Feb 17, 2015

Mileage

56,806 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED OF 40 ON STRAIGHT ROAD ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLS OUT CAUSING STEERING TO FAIL CREATING NEED FOR SUDDEN STOP BEFORE TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. HAPPENS WITH WARNING. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN 3 MONTHS THIS HAS HAPPENED. CALLED DODGE DEALER AND CHRYSLER CORPORATE AND THEY SAY THERE IS A RECALL THAT IS SIMILAR FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT NO PART AVAILABLE AND NO ESTIMATE WHEN. THEY ADVISE USING FOB WITHOUT KEYS ATTACHED. THIS LAST OCCURRENCE OCCURRED WITH NO KEYS ATTACHED, ONLY THE FOB IN THE IGNITION, SO THEIR WORK AROUND DOES NOT WORK. NOTE THE ONLY WAY WE EVEN KNOW IT HAS STALLED IT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING, UNTIL WE CAN GET IT STOPPED AND REALIZE THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. THERE IS NO OTHER WARNING ITS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. TIME BETWEEN THE THREE OCCURRENCES WERE EARLY DEC 2014 FOR FIRST OCCURRENCE, 1 WEEK LATER FOR SECOND OCCURRENCE, 2.5 MONTHS LATER FOR 3RD OCCURRENCE. A FIX IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY FOR THIS AND IT SEEMS THIS "RECALL WITHOUT A FIX" IS JUST SITTING THERE INDEFINITELY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10691814

Incident

Feb 28, 2015

Mileage

86,000 mi

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD, AND AFTER I START DRIVING, IF I DO NO HAVE MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE WILL JUST DIE. WHEN IT DOES, THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS GO ON AND THE STEERING BECOMES COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. I MUST QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND START IT AGAIN. IT CAN HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE WARMS UP. IT CAN JUST HAPPEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER AND ANOTHER AUTO REPAIR PLACE AND NEITHER CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. THIS HAPPENS QUIT OFTEN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10637957

Incident

Jun 9, 2014

Mileage

87,000 mi

WHILE I WAS DRIVING A CAR SLOWLY IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE GROCERY STORE, IT STOPPED RUNNING, SHUTTING IT OFF COMPLETELY. HAD TO RESTART IT, BUT IT DIDN'T TURN ON THE TIMELY MANNER. PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR DOWN A FEW TIMES, AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN. HTTP://WWW.JUSTANSWER.COM/DODGE/4JW86-DODGE-CARAVAN-SXT-NEW-2010-DODGE-CARAVAN-SXT-VEHICLE-WILL.HTML : I FOUND THE IDENTICAL CASE FROM THE WEBSITE, IT MUST BE RECALLED TO FIX THIS ISSUE. OTHERWISE, IT IS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10604925

Incident

Jun 19, 2014

Mileage

37,012 mi

VEHICLE WHILE BOTH DRIVING ON ROAD AND IN PARK STALLS. IT GIVENS NO NOTICE OR WARNING THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AT LEAST 10 TIMES I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS "MOVED" FROM THE "RUN" POSITION TO "ACCESSORY," BY ITSELF. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS BUT EACH HAS SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND AN ISSUE NO CODES HAVE BEEN COMING UP IN THE COMPUTER. I EVEN HAD IT STALL IN THE DEALER WHEN I PICKED IT UP YET THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN IT STALLS THE STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY HARD TO MOVE. I HAVE 3 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR WHEN IT STALLS ON MAIN ROADS IT IS VERY FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS TRYING TO CONTROL THE CAR, PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK AND GET IT TO START OR TRY TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE TO RESTART IT! I HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER-DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE, SERVICE MANAGERS ETC ALL TO NO AVAIL. I ASKED THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGERS IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WASN'T ANY....I SEE ON NHTSA WEBSITE THERE IS ONE BUT IT IS FOR 2010 AND UP BUT THE 2009 VEHICLES ALSO HAVE THE SAME STALL PROBLEM! REPORT RECEIPT DATE: MAR 01, 2011 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V139000 COMPONENT(S): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM *TR

NHTSA ID

10503121

Incident

Feb 1, 2012

Mileage

24,000 mi

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION OF MY 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. I PASSED A TRUCK THAT WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35 MPH. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESUME AN APPROPRIATE SPEED BY RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR I REALIZED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO LITTLE EFFECT AND EVENTUALLY REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BY SHUTTING THE IGNITION OFF. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A DODGE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS COMMON AND ALL IT REQUIRED WAS ROUTINE MAINTANCE. DODGE DID NOT SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CHARGED ME FOR THE SERVICE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *LN

NHTSA ID

10379799

Incident

Jan 18, 2011

Mileage

34,000 mi