2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Electrical Problems

Your car has experienced multiple serious electrical problems over time, including malfunctioning radiator fans, power windows, heating, air conditioning, radio, and wipers. You've noticed sparking from the vehicle and wires catching fire, along with the engine overheating. The issue may involve the power control module or wiring harness. Repair will require a complete electrical system inspection and replacement of damaged wiring harness components and modules.

Your vehicle stalled without warning while driving at 20 mph and wouldn't restart even after replacing the battery. A mechanic found the PCM (powertrain control module) needed replacement, but after installing it, the horn started blaring continuously. The dealer diagnosed that the clock spring (which controls horn and steering wheel functions) also needs to be replaced to fix the horn issue.

Your instrument panel intermittently goes dark while driving, and when this happens, your windshield wipers turn on by themselves, wiper fluid sprays, and all the lights stop working. When the panel comes back on, the airbag warning light stays lit. This has occurred every couple of weeks for six months, and both your battery and alternator have tested fine. The issue appears to be an electrical problem causing multiple systems to malfunction at once, likely requiring diagnosis of the electrical connections and control modules.

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON ROAD TOTALLY CUT OUT, WOULD NOT RE START, AFTER SOME 20 MINUTES RESTARTED, DECIDED TO DRIVE ON THRUWAY BACK TO MECHANIC, WOULD RUN FOR A SHORT TIME THEN CUT OUT AGAIN. GIVEN TO CHRYSLER DODGE DEALER, UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM, COULD NOT FIX.. REPLACED ECM MODULE REPLACE OEM MODULE NO BETTER. OWN MECHANIC REPLACED A WIRE, AT LEAST IT RUN BUT NOW CUTS OUT IN CAR WASH, PUDDLES, SLUSH. CHRYSLER STILL HAVE NO IDEA, EXCEPT THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO IGNITION KEY WORKS ONLY WHEN TAPPED WITH A HAMMER AND TURN, APPARENTLY THIS IS ALSO A COMMON FAULT. *TR

MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HORN STOPPED WORKING WAS TOLD BY DEALER IT WAS THE CLOCK SPRINGS BUT ITS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY GOING 75MPH AND EVERYTHING DIED. NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES! LUCKILY WE WERE IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE AND WERE ABLE TO BARLEY ABLE TO MAKE IT OF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT OR HITTING ANYONE. IN 110 DEGREE WEATHER, WE SAT WITH OUR 4 SMALL CHILDREN WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. AND THEN FOR SOMEONE TO PICK US UP. WE DON'T' EVEN KNOW HOW THE TOW TRUCK WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE WITHOUT GETTING HIT, IT WAS THAT CLOSE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NOTHING STARTED AND AFTER 3 SHOPS, FINALLY FOUND IT WAS THE COMPUTER, TOOK THE PART OUT AND ITS MESSED UP AND WE WERE TOLD NOT ONLY BY ALL 3 SHOPS, BUT BY ALL THE PARTS PLACES THAT ITS COMMON IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE! MY KIDS NOT ONLY ARE AFRAID TO GET IN THE CAR, BUT I HAVE HAD TO START TAKING SOMETHING FOR ANXIETY, I AM SO AFRAID TO DRIVE ANY CAR NOW, AFRAID OF THAT HAPPENING AGAIN. IT WAS TERRIFYING GOING THAT SPEED AND LOSING ALL POWER AND CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT HEADLAMP STOPPED WORKING. IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER, AND HAS CONTINUED TO TURN ON AND OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HIGH BEAMS WORK OK. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH TWO DIFFERENT BULBS. WHEN THE IGNITION IS OFF, I CAN TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS, BUT THE LEFT LIGHT HAS A SLIGHT DELAY TURNING ON. WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION ON, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. I CANNOT FIND ANY RELAYS OR FUSES FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. TWO MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM, AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE WEB, BUT I CAN'T FIND ANY SOLUTIONS. *TR

2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT, THE HEAD LIGHTS AND DASH WILL DIM FOR A QUICK SECOND. THIS HAPPENS WHEN ITS COLD OUT SIDE AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS DOWN SHIFTING WHEN BRAKING. I HAVE HAD THE BATTER AND ALTERNATOR TEST AND RECEIVED PASSING RESULTS. ONCE THE ENGINE AND TRANNY IS WARMED UP THERE IS NOT PROBLEM. HAVE DONE A INTERNET SEARCH THAT REVEALED SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THIS ON THE 02 MODELS BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING ON GETTING IT REPAIRED. *TR

2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING FOR NO APPARENT REASON CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND INJURY TO MY WIFE. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES BECAME INOPERABLE AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY STALL AND HESITATE WHEN DRIVING 25 MPH AND UP. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE MOMENTARILY BEFORE THE FAILURE WOULD REPEAT ITSELF. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE INSULATION ON THE WIRING HARNESS HAD SHORTENED AND BURNED OUT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 12/21/10*BF THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMIATED AS WELL. UPDATED 12/29/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLES EXTERIOR LIGHTING SYSTEM FAILED WHICH ALSO DECREASED THE VISIBILITY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AT NIGHT, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON, WHEN THE CONTACT TRIED TO TURN ON THE LOW BEAMS. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL WAS ACTIVATED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL CAME ON INSTEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL UNIT HIMSELF, AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS OIL IN THE ELECTRICAL UNIT. THE CONTACT RETAINED THE ELECTRICAL UNIT FOR EXAMINATION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AFTER THE ELECTRICAL UNIT WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 119,000.

ELECTRICAL COMPONENT IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT THAT CONTROLS THE HEATER SMELLS OF BURNING AND WHEN HEAT IS TURNED ON SMOKE BLOWS OUT THE HEAT VENTS, ALSO CAUSING THE HEAT TO GO OUT. WHEN THE WIRES WERE CHECKED THEY WERE ALL MELTED FROM BURNING. *TR

NIGHT DRIVING, HEAD LIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS JUST GO OUT, COME BACK ON AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS. *TR

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE. DOOR LOCKS AND SLIDING DOOR PROBLEMS, AUTOMATIC REAR DOOR QUITE OPENING, TIRE SYSTEM RECALIBRATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT THE BIGGEST SAFETY PROBLEM IS THE BLINKERS QUITE WORKING OR EVEN WORSE, IF YOU PUT THE RIGHT BLINKER ON, THE LEFT SIGNAL STARTS BLINKING. *TR

OCT 17 2007 MY VAN STARTED ACTING LIKE THIS. THE VAN WILL NOT START BUT EVERYTHING WORKED THAT NEEDING THE BATTERY. WHEN DROVE FOR 2SEC THE VAN JUST LOST ALL POWER AND WOULD NOT START. I CHECKED THE BATTERY, FUSES, AND RELAYS. I HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP AND THEY CAN NOT FINED OUT. THEY WAS THINKING THE COMPUTER AND KEYS NEED TO REDONE. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER OFF ON MY 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 68,000 MILES. THIS ORIGINALLY HAPPENED ON VACATION WITH MY FAMILY OF 5 IN THE CAR ON A HIGHWAY IN TENNESSEE. WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OFF I REACHED FORWARD TO TOUCH THE SWITCH AND THEY CAME BACK ON. 3 WEEKS WENT BY WITHOUT ANOTHER INCIDENT. NOW ALMOST DAILY THE LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND COME BACK ON WHEN I TOUCH THE SWITCH. THIS HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. *NM

MY PASSENGER AND DRIVER POWER WINDOWS STOP WORKING, SOMETIMES FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. IN ADDITION, THE IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN FROM IT'S LOCKED POSITION (STEERING WHEEL IS "NOT" LOCKED) *JB

ALL POWER ACCESSORIES INCLUDING PW, PL, LIGHTER, RADIO, AND ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS, SHUT-OFF AND USUALLY AFTER A MINUTE TURN BACK ON AND THE VEHICLE JERKS INTO GEAR AT LOW SPEEDS AND SLAMS INTO GEAR AT HIGH SPEEDS, TAKING THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE FROM 100K TO 60K IN A MILLISECOND. *NM

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE ALL THE GAUGES WORK. AFTER ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES ALL THE GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. *JB AS OF 10/22/04, THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN WORSE. AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL PARTS IN THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING. THERE WOULD BE NO BLINKER. ALL GAUGES IN THE DASH DID NOT COME ON, THE ELECTRICAL PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND THE HATCH STOPPED WORKING. *SC

2003 DODGE CARAVAN HAD INTERMITTENT FAILURE TO START. WOULD START 5-15 MINUTES AFTER NOT CRANKING. ENGINE DIED WHILE IDLING AND WOULD NOT START. CHECKED BATTERY AND IT WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE STARTED NEXT DAY AFTER BEING TOWED. PROBLEM TRACED TO CHAFED INSULATION ON WIRING HARNESS. CORRECTED INSULATION AND VEHICLE STARTED. ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT RESTART IN NEUTRAL. COASTED AND PARKED VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START. TWO MINUTES LATER VEHICLE STARTED. TRACED PROBLEM TO IGNITION SWITCH OR COMPUTER. CURRENTLY IN PROCESS OF REPLACING IGNITION SWITCH. ENGINE DYING IN TRAFFIC AND REFUSING TO START IS MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. INCIDENTS OCCURRED 10/31/04 THROUGH 11/9/04.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR WHICH WAS NORMAL. *AK

CONSUMER LOSS ALL LIGHTING AND HORN WHEN THE BATTERY DIED. *PH DEALER PULLED THE FUSE OUT, BUT BATTERY DIED EVERY TWO DAYS AND VEHICLE HAS NO HORN FOR 6 WEEKS. CONSUMER ALSO LOST ALL LIGHTS AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH. LIGHTS BELLS WAS FIXED BY DEALER BUT STILL NO REMEDY WITH THE BATTERY. *LA