1996 Dodge Grand Caravan Lights Problems

MILKY HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS. DISTANCE AND CLARITY GREATLY AFFECTED. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE A PLASTIC AND THEY HAVE CLOUDED OVER SO THAT VERY LITTLE LIGHT PENETRATES. SAFETY HAZARD AT NIGHT DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY. *JB

! STATE ANNUAL CAR INSPECTION 2. FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY PLASTIC COVER FADED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT LIGHT TO PASS INSPECTION. THIS I BELIEVE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AS IT IS COMMON ON ALL DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (1996) AND NEON CARS. THIS DEFECT IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER. IT IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY DEFECT AFFECTING MANY CHRYSLER VEHICLES. 3. THE PART QUOTED FROM THE DEALER WAS #281.00 PLUS TAX AND INSTALLATION I WAS TOLD BY MY AUTO MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MAY 1996 DODGE CARAVAN VEHICLES. I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHER VEHICLES PRODUCED BY CHRYSLER THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING ALL REPAIRS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS LENS FOGGED UP, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE DURING NIGHT HOURS. AK THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE THAT THIS WAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH DODGE PER DODGE DEALERS. THE ENTIRE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINS ABOUT A HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. THE LENS IS NOT GIVING OFF ENOUGH LIGHT WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT THE LENS IS FILLED WITH CONDENSATION, AND LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT BEING PROJECTED DURING NIGHT DRIVING.*AK

THE VEHICLE DIDN'T PASS THE STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE OF POOR LIGHTING. THE HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COST WAS $300 EACH PLUS LABOR. *AK THE OUTSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT LENSES WERE COVERED WITH FROSTED LIKE COVERING OVER THE LENSES. THIS ALSO CUT THE VISIBILITY AT NIGHT TO AN UNSAFE LIGHTING. *SC *JB

HEADLIGHTS HAVE STEADILY BECOME FOGGED/ DISCOLORED. BELIEVE THIS IS CAUSED BY SOME KIND OF OXIDATION OF THE MATERIAL FROM BEING EXPOSED TO THE SUN AND OTHER ELEMENTS. REPLACED ONE HEADLIGHT WITH USED PARTIALLY CLEAR UNIT 2 YEARS AGO. IT TO NOW IS FOGGED TO THE POINT I CAN DRIVE WITH MY HIGH BEAMS ON AND NO ONE KNOWS IT. MY CARAVAN HEADLIGHTS ON BRIGHT ARE CONSIDERABLY LESS BRIGHT THAN MY 10 YR OLD CIVIC ON NORMAL SETTING. LUCKILY I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT FROM THIS INADEQUACY BUT ONLY BECAUSE I DRIVE AROUND WITH MY HIGH BEAMS ON TO HELP PROJECT SOME LIGHT ON THE ROAD DUE TO THESE DEFECTIVE LENSES.

I RECENTLY REPORTED THE FOLLOWING DEFECT TO DODGE: "THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES ON MY 1996 GRAND CARAVAN HAVE BECOME FOGGED OVER. I'VE NOTICED REDUCED NIGHT VISIBILITY AS A RESULT. I'VE NOTICED THE SAME DEGRADATION IN HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES ON OTHER CARAVANS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL DEALER WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM BUT SAID DODGE HADN'T ISSUED ANY RECALL AS OF YET. THIS LOSS OF CLARITY IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY MATERIAL WILL LEAD TO NIGHT TIME ACCIDENTS IF NOT CORRECTED. IS DODGE AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND IF SO ARE THERE PLANS TO CORRECT THIS MANUFACTURING SHORTCOMING IN THE SAME MANNER YOU CORRECTED THE RECENT CLOCKSPRING DEFECT?". DODGE REPLIED: "THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECENT E-MAIL TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER MOTORS CORPORATION REGARDING THE HEADLIGHTS ON YOUR 1996 GRAND CARAVAN." THERE ARE NO INCOMPLETE RECALLS OR PENDING RECALLS INVOLVING YOUR VEHICLE FOR THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE DESCRIBED. YOUR CONCERNS, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE, ARE UNDERSTANDABLE. HOWEVER, YOUR REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER MUST BE DECLINED, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAS EXCEEDED THE TIME OR MILEAGE LIMITATIONS OF THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AT THE TIME THE EXPENSE WAS INCURRED. ALTHOUGH A MORE FAVORABLE REPLY COULD NOT BE PROVIDED, SHARING YOUR CONCERNS WITH US IS APPRECIATED. SINCERELY, NICOLE KALISH SENIOR STAFF REPRESENTATIVE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER I FEEL THE RESPONSE IS IN ADEQUATE AND DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THERE ARE SEVERAL INDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FOR THE CARAVAN LISTED ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE. I AM CERTAIN AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH OF ALL CHRYSLER MINIVAN PRODUCTS WOULD FIND NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS. THIS MATERAIL DEFECT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND CORRECTED. IT WILL, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY, KILL OR INJURY INNOCENT PEOPLE DUE TO REDUCED NIGHT LIGHTING CAPABILITY.

THE CLEAR LENSES HAVE BECOME CLOUDY WITH AGE AND GREATLY REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT REACHES OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR MAKING NIGHT DRIVING DIFFICULT.*AK

THE DOME LIGHTS DO NOT WORK THEN THE DOORS ARE OPENED. NLM

TURN SIGNALS FAIL TO OPERATE. DEALER CANT FIND PROBLEM OR DUPLICATE PROBLEM. ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAFFIS AND NEED TO SIGNAL A TURN. VERY HAZARDOUS.*AK

I HAVE BEEN HAVING ALL KINDS OF TROUBLES WITH THE RADIO SINCE I BOUGHT IT,,,, NO BIG DEAL,,, UNTILL TODAY WHEN COMING HOME FROM MY PARENTS SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CONTROL. *AK

LEFT AND RIGHT TURNING SIGNALS DO NOT WORK, CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO TURN OFF A BUSY STREET WITH OTHER CARS BEHIND. *AK THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES, WHEN THE SIGNAL FAILED THE FOURTH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE FLASHERS, THE TURN SIGNALS WORK FINE NOW. *NLM

THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE WIPER TO COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. NLM

THE TURN SIGNAL IS AN INTERMITTANT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN WITH THE VAN SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. THEY JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN WON'T WORK. NO LIGHTS, NO FLASH, NO NOTHING. THEN FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THEY DECIDE TO WORK. WE JUST BOUGHT A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING AND MY WIFE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. HER DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE SEBRINGS TURN SIGNAL EITHER. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE ONLY BECAUSE, DURING A RAIN STORM I COULD NOT SIGNAL OTHER DRIVERS OF MY INTENT TO CHANGE LANES BEFORE I GOT TO MY EXIT. THIS WAS NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. AND YES, YOU GUESSED IT, THE NEXT DAY THEY WORKED FINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER.

WHILE DRIVING SPEED CONTROL ACTIVATED WITHOUT MANUAL OPERATION. AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED, AND HEADLIGHTS COULD NOT BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF.PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF DRIVER. DEALER HAS REPLACED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, AND THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. *AK

THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC COVER HAS BECOME "FOGGY" ON THE OUTSIDE WHICH IS DISTORTING THE ACTUAL HEADLIGHT COVERAGE. *AK

MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH, WIPER MOTOR FAILED, BOTH CAUSING WIPERS TO FAIL.

MASTER SWITCH FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED.

DOOR AJAR LIGHT OVER SENSITIVE.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BOTH INTERIOR/EXTERIOR TURN SIGNALS WILL FUNCTION WHEN SWITCH IS ENGAGED. AREA DEALER NOT ABLE TO CORRECT FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.

BLINKER NOT VISIBLE ON DASHBOARD WHILE ENGAGED.