2017 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Recalls, Complaints & Safety

The driver and passenger sliding door power lock actuator is not operating for my wife's 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan with about 44,000 miles. There is a Warranty Bulletin, number D-25-03, dated January 30, 2025 that extended the warranty to coverage to 10 years/ 100,000 miles. My wife's car should have been included in the cars with the problem and it is not included in the cars affected by the problem. Please include my wife's Dodge Grand Caravan in the recall for the extended warranty.

I am filing this complaint regarding the service department at Vaden Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. My complaint concerns a failure to properly diagnose a mechanical issue with my vehicle, misleading statements about the condition of the vehicle after repairs, and poor communication during the repair process. The vehicle is a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. Before bringing it to the dealership, the vehicle was jerking when slowing or coming to a stop. On February 19, 2026, a diagnostic scan showed code P0420 – Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1). At that time the vehicle was still drivable. On March 2, 2026, I brought the vehicle to the dealership and reported the jerking issue. I also asked that the throttle body and transmission be inspected. The dealership stated that the technician could not determine the cause of the problem but recommended maintenance repairs including tires, brakes, and rotor service. Based on their professional recommendation, I approved the repairs. On March 6, 2026, I picked up the vehicle and paid $1,416.21. I was told the vehicle passed inspection and a safety test drive. However, within approximately thirty minutes of leaving the dealership, the vehicle began jerking violently and shut off while I was driving. The vehicle had to be returned to the dealership. After the vehicle was returned, I was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. This was concerning because I had asked the dealership to check that component during the initial inspection. I was originally quoted about $2,800, and after discussions with management including Jim Fife, I paid $2,165 on March 14, 2026 for the catalytic converter repair. Despite paying a total of $3,581.21, the vehicle continued to show drivability problems. A new diagnostic scan showed codes P0420 and P219B (air-fuel ratio imbalance), suggesting the underlying issue may not have been properly diagnosed before replacing the catalytic converter. I attempted to resolve the issue.

The driver's side sliding door lock has seized up and will not let you open the door at all. It won't open with a remote or manually it is solid as a rock. The passenger side sliding door motor makes a horrible sound every time it locks or unlock. It did get stuck at one point , but then it unlocked. This is very dangerous when you have small children in car seats that you cannot get to. And because the door locks on the dodge grand caravans keep malfunctioning , you have to crawl through the back end of the vehicle , put the seats down to get to children in car seats to get them out of the vehicle. The cost to fix this is outrageous. Dodge grand caravan sliding door locks have thousands and thousands of complaints about malfunctioning, and not working. And needing to be replaced. Why are you not recalling this? This is a safety issue. Also , if this would have locked up when I was sitting in the back seat , I wouldn't have been able to get out because I am disabled. I would've been stuck in this dodge grand caravan. This is a safety issue that dodge needs to address immediately. When the door lock smell function and you can't get disabled adults out of a vehicle or small children out of a car seat that is a serious issue.

We purchased this car in 2019 at 55k miles. We had a transmission failed at 92k miles. My wife was left at a light and had to baby it home. It was replaced by a Mopar remanufactued unit that was supposed to be reinforced and have fixed parts from design flaws. A local dealership fixed it after several weeks and getting a loaned car. Next failure was 2 years later in 2023 at around 130k miles. This part was under Mopar 3 year 100k mile warranty and left my wife stranded on the road. The transmission was replaced by the local dealership this time cars were scarce and they didn't have a loaner. We had to get a rental and we're reimbursed. At 177k?miles it's happening again. I can't do this anymore. This transmission is defective and should be recalled. Timeline 92,000 miles – original transmission failed 130,000 miles – Mopar reman failed 180,000 miles – slipping, hard shifts, high RPM

The driver's side sliding door lock has seized up and will not let you open the door at all. It won't open with a remote or manually it is solid as a rock. The passenger side sliding door motor makes a horrible sound every time it locks or unlock. It did get stuck at one point , but then it unlocked. This is very dangerous when you have small children in car seats that you cannot get to. And because the door locks on the dodge grand caravans keep malfunctioning , you have to crawl through the back end of the vehicle , put the seats down to get to children in car seats to get them out of the vehicle. The cost to fix this is outrageous. Dodge grand caravan sliding door locks have thousands and thousands of complaints about malfunctioning, and not working. And needing to be replaced. Why are you not recalling this? This is a safety issue. Also , if this would have locked up when I was sitting in the back seat , I wouldn't have been able to get out because I am disabled. I would've been stuck in this dodge grand caravan. This is a safety issue that dodge needs to address immediately. When the door lock smell function and you can't get disabled adults out of a vehicle or small children out of a car seat that is a serious issue.

I believe my door actuator on the driver’s side has failed as of 2/23/26 The door will not unlock. I cannot open or close it. The court case that was open has closed as of September 2025 and the recall is no longer active.

Seized sliding door latch. In an emergency we cannot exit threw the door. There was a recall on the door lock latch. Dealer will not repair do to the mileage.

I am writing to formally request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review and consider an investigation into a potential safety-related defect affecting 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. My vehicle recently experienced a failure of the engine oil filter housing, which cracked and leaked oil and required an expensive repair. According to the repair facility, Pro Auto Service, this failure is not isolated. I was advised that the shop has repaired a significant number of identical failures over the past year, to the extent that replacement parts have at times been difficult to obtain. The repair facility also indicated that many similar failures have occurred in recent weeks, coinciding with extreme cold weather conditions. The oil filter housing is a critical engine component responsible for maintaining proper oil circulation and pressure. Failure of this component can lead to oil loss, reduced lubrication, engine damage, or potential engine shutdown if not immediately addressed. Because this defect directly impacts engine operation, it presents a powertrain-related safety concern. Based on the frequency of reported failures, the consistency across the same model year, and the apparent correlation with cold weather conditions, this issue appears to be the result of a design or material defect rather than normal wear and tear. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter for possible investigation and recall consideration to protect vehicle owners from unexpected engine failure and costly repairs. Thank you for your attention to this concern and for your continued commitment to vehicle safety.

Both of my sliding passenger doors have become stuck closed due to failed lock actuators. (The doors do not open when placed in the "manual" option either. They cannot be opened in any way.) This happened a few years ago, but my vehicle was past the original warranty period for any repairs, and there were no recalls existing. Last spring (2025), I received notification of an extended warranty period to have this problem fixed. The issue is that my vehicle was not eligible because by that point it was over 100,000 miles. Doors not opening renders the vehicle unusable or unsafe for any passengers besides the front seat passenger. I bought my Dodge Grand Caravan to be a family car, and I can only have one child ride safely with me. In the event of a wreck, passengers would be trapped in the vehicle. I have submitted this concern before, and I have written to the warranty company associated with Dodge. Dodge recognizes this is a common safety problem with the vehicles, as evidenced by the extended warranty for this issue. However, this is not a warranty concern; it is a recall concern due to safety.

On December 29, 2025, my wife put her van in park, turned off the vehicle and proceeded to exit the vehicle. The drive is on an incline after exiting the vehicle it began to roll backwards. She was caught in the door and attempted to press the brake to no effect. She was drug about fifty feet before separating from the vehicle. The vehicle then rolled down a steep embankment and continued another hundred feet or so where it struck a building. Upon entering the vehicle, the gear shift was in the park position and the engine was turned off. The vehicle sustained over $5,000 in body damage from the impact to the building. And an unknown amount of damage to the steering and exhaust system from rolling down the embankment.

Crash 1 injured

My engine has begun the "Pentastar tick", which is surprisingly well-known, but not recalled. This is a serious safety issue because it can cause engine failure, which would cause an accident. Dodge has known about this problem for years, but refuses to fix it. I cannot afford to replace the engine and my van is sitting at the dealership, as of today. Please make them fix this! Why is there not a recall on these engines!?! Thankfully, there was no accident and I had the vehicle towed to the dealership, only to be told they are aware of it and I'm looking at $3,000-5,000 to "fix" it. However, the replacement parts would be the same as the original parts, so it's just going to keep happening. They are willfully and knowingly endangering families by not fixing this!

Check engine light codes match possible recall for vehicle now I'm having the same issues

The Flex Plate comes loose and rattles really loud. Needs to get repaired so that it doesnt break loose and starter falls out. This is a well known issue with this type of vehicle and costs a couple thousand to get fixed. Dodge dealership said this happens a lot with their vans.

The lock actuators on my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan sliding passenger doors are both frozen, so the doors are not able to be opened at all. The doors for the backseat are unusable, and passengers must climb in through the back hatch door of the van. My car began smoking from the engine (visible from the hood), and I had to pull my vehicle over. My children were unable to exit the vehicle in a swift manner, because they had to leave through the rear hatch of the vehicle instead of opening the doors next to their seats. This is extremely unsafe and seems to be a widespread safety risk with this vehicle. The company issued an extended warranty in 2025, but because my vehicle was purchased in 2018 and I commuted to my job, my vehicle is over the 100,000 mile qualifier now. It wasn't at 100,000 miles when the doors seized up. Dodge/Chrysler should recall this lock actuator part, because passenger safely should come first. An extended warranty that excludes drivers now over 100,000 miles is not acceptable. This defect could have caused my children to become trapped in a burning vehicle.

I purchased the vehicle on 9/15/2025 at approximately 103,900 miles. Around 10/6/25 at approximately 103,982 miles the driver side sliding door actuator has failed causing the door to get stuck in the lock position and creating a safety hazard. I reached out to Dodge today and spoke with a representative by the name of Lynn and they've declined to repair.

The engine began stalling and reving while driving. It is at the shop with an estimate of 2500.00 to 4000.00 to repair due to faulty cylinder #2. Researching this, we are not the first to have issues. As stated by my repair place, it’s a ticking time bomb waiting for it to cause a serious major incident and possible injuries. Vehicle is less than 8 years old and less than 100,000 miles

I first had this happen months ago and now I found another place to post about it. The locking and unlocking motor on the passenger sliding door is making a horrible noise and buzzing sound. This happens every time you lock or unlock it. It also happens when it locks automatically when you drive. It is horribly loud that it wakes up the baby and toddler every time. My mechanic has looked at it and knew exactly what was wrong right away. The motor is just and needs replaced. He said it's very common for the dodge motor in the sliding doors to need replacing. He's shocked it hasn't been recalled yet. He's also had many people have kids locked in the vans due to the motor basically burning out. He said it definitely needs replaced and should've been recalled by now. Also be prepared to climb over seats to get the baby and toddler out when they finally stop working all together. The fact that my small mechanics shop has seen many issues with the locking motor definitely tells me dodge isn't putting safety first at all.

SEAT HEADREST EXPLODED RANDOMLY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR CAUSE FOR THIS. IT JUST DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE. THIS WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEAD REST. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT AT THE TIME.

The headrest on the driver’s seat burst open and deployed while waiting in a parking lot.. A very loud and awful exploded to the back of my head and ringing of the ears.

The driver's side sliding door on this minivan became stuck shut. I had to remove my disabled son through the open window. Not being able to remove him quickly in an emergency because the door has become sealed shut is unacceptable. I cannot believe there is no manual override. I was able to solve this issue by forcing the unlock lever while pressing 'unlock' on the keyfob. However, the main reason I write this complaint, numerous people on various forums report an actuator shorting out in their doors causing this issue, meaning they cannot open the door, by any means, without this actuator being repaired. I cannot for the life of me believe that a system was engineered to not have a simple manual override on a car door. This is beyond me how this got cleared by any sort of regulatory body. If that actuator gets cooked in a fire, I guess the occupants of the car will too.

The contact owns 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that upon reversing and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle lost motive power. The contact turned off the vehicle, and four bystanders assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle into a parking spot. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that an unknown computer software chip needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V524000(Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 115,000.

The driver's side sliding door on this minivan became stuck shut. I had to remove my disabled son through the open window. Not being able to remove him quickly in an emergency because the door has become sealed shut is unacceptable. I cannot believe there is no manual override. I was able to solve this issue by forcing the unlock lever while pressing 'unlock' on the keyfob. However, the main reason I write this complaint, numerous people on various forums report an actuator shorting out in their doors causing this issue, meaning they cannot open the door, by any means, without this actuator being repaired. I cannot for the life of me believe that a system was engineered to not have a simple manual override on a car door. This is beyond me how this got cleared by any sort of regulatory body. If that actuator gets cooked in a fire, I guess the occupants of the car will too.

Vehicle: 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan Component/System: Sliding door lock actuator Is the part available for inspection upon request? Yes Description of the Issue: The sliding door lock actuator failed, causing the door to remain locked at all times. The door cannot be opened manually or using the power door controls. This renders the door completely inoperable. Safety Risk: This is a significant safety hazard. In the event of an emergency, passengers—especially children seated in the rear—cannot exit the vehicle through this door. It severely limits evacuation routes and could result in injury or death if occupants are trapped during an accident or fire. Has the issue been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? Not yet. Issue is ongoing and appointment is pending. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms before the failure? No warning lamps or messages appeared. The door simply stopped responding to manual or power lock/unlock commands. When did the issue occur? June 2025. The door has remained inoperable since. Assessment: Based on consumer forums and other reports, this appears to be a known and widespread issue with this model, likely caused by a defective actuator design.

Transmission

Door lock actuator on passenger sliding door beginning to make noise before it likely will fail and not automatically lock door as vehicle accelerates. This is a recall item on the two prior years of this same vehicle.

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and shift the vehicle into park(P); however, the vehicle was stuck in reverse(R), and failed to shift to neutral(N). The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P1602 (PCM not Programmed) and P0606 (Error with PCM) were retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side headrest unexpectedly deployed. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that caused the headrest to deploy. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,244.

Driver side sliding door lock jammed shut! No way to use the door causing safety issue in an emergency. Lock will not release. There was no warning signs and dealer cannot get my car in for another month. Passenger side sliding door has done this intermittently.

Beginning at about 75,000 miles (1st lock actuator), my lock actuators seized and rendered the backseat passenger doors unusable. The second lock actuator on the passenger side followed at about 95,000 miles. This is extremely unsafe, because if I have my children as passengers, they must climb in through the back hatch of the minivan. In addition, passengers cannot exit the vehicle from their seats in case of a wreck. Dodge has issued an extended warranty recently, but I am not eligible because my vehicle is now over 100,000 miles. (It was under 100,000 miles at the time of malfunction, but there was no extended warranty or recall at the time.) This common issue with the Dodge Grand Caravan is extremely unsafe, and all defective lock actuators should be replaced/repaired as part of a recall. A warranty that excludes certain users is unsafe.

Power door is broke and won’t open. There was a notice sent out about it but no repairs appeared

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his children attempted to exit the vehicle through the passenger's side and driver's side sliding doors; however, both sliding doors failed to open. The contact's children exited the vehicle though the front passenger's side and driver's side doors. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to schedule an appointment for inspection. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Chrysler Warranty Extension: X98 (Driver and Passenger Sliding Door Power Lock Actuators). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

The door lock actuators on BOTH sliding doors do not work properly. about 3 years ago the drivers side door lock actuator stopped unlocking and could not be used. about 7 or 8 months later, it suddenly unlocked but now makes a loud buzzing sound every time it locks. Then about a year later, the passenger side door stopped unlocking and has remained locked for many months now leaving that door unusable. if there were an emergency or accident where the drivers side could not be accessed, passengers in the back of the vehicle would not be able to exit the car safely without climbing over seats. We also are concerned that the drivers side door will fail again and the rear of the vehicle would no longer be accessible. This is a known issue through the manufacturer that they refuse to recall or repair. There is even a current class action lawsuit for this make and model. several similar makes and models through the manufacturer have been affected by this issue for many years. We have not had this inspected by anyone, we bought new door actuator mechanisms but have not replaced them ourselves yet. every indication is this is a difficult and lengthy repair at home and costly if done through an auto repair shop or dealership. With such a well known issue, this should have been investigated, resolved and corrected by the manufacturer and notices for recalls released to the public. This is completely unacceptable that the safety of passengers in these cars are not important to the manufacturer!

My driver's side rear sliding door will not open or unlock. The locking mechanism inside the door panel is seized up and will not release the lock, so the door cannot be opened. This is unsafe because I now only have one door that passengers can exit from the back and if something were to happen to the other back door, people could be trapped. I regularly transport my nieces that are [XXX] , [XXX] , and [XXX] and it makes it very difficult to reach them and if there were an accident on the right side of the car we would not be able to reach them from the left and they would not be able to get out due to the fact that they are in car seats and would need to be taken out by an adult. I have received documentation that states this is a known issue for my Year, Make, and Model, and there is apparently a class action lawsuit about it, but based on the mileage of my car, I won't qualify to have it fixed. I was just made aware that this is a known issue and the car had 70,000 miles on it when I bought it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the passenger's side sliding door failed to close properly. The contact had to force the door closed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

The vehicle has cut off twice since purchased two days ago while turning. No warning signs I almost hit a sign and another car. There's no way to control the car once the power stops.

I noticed some shifting issues, and some power loss along with an oil leak and the vehicle is not getting enough lubrication. The vehicle is only at 114010 miles and according to the dealership a new engine is needed. A new engine oil cooler was replaced however not the hoses and the problem still exists.

The rear sliding door lock actuator on the passenger stopped working. The door will not open or unlock.

A few weeks ago, our passenger side rear sliding door stopped locking. Yesterday when I unlocked the doors, a very loud noise came from the door. It has happened every time I have unlocked the doors since & it scares my kids every time. I assumed the issue was with the locking mechanism, also known as the actuator. Upon doing some more research I found that MOPAR had actually issued an extended warranty on this part but my VIN is not included in the extended warranty.

The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop on an incline or on a leveled roadway, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle jerked intermittently while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to Triple A, where the radiator was replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Oil Change" was displayed while there was sufficient oil in the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,500.

My rear passenger sliding door lock is stuck in the unlock position. My concern is my van is at all times unlocked. Also since it won’t lock at all even when I’m driving is that anyone could approach my van while I’m at a light or a parking lot and get inside. My biggest fear is that since it won’t lock it will just pop open one day while I’m driving. My grandchildren or my dogs could be severely injured if this happened. I’ve read online about this being an issue with the Dodge GCV. People suggested writing to you and try to get a recall done for this issue. The dealer wants around $1100 to fix problem. I don’t have that kind of money to spend. My other issue is if I disconnect the cable so I can lock the door is what if my passengers or animals need to get out of back of van in a emergency their going to be trapped back there. Also unrelated to the lock issues. My van is having a hard time shifting and has cut out multiple times on me. And when I turn on my blinkers it turns on the wipers. So possible electrical issue there.