Headlight Switch problems of the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan - part 2

Our head lights would not come on. After turning the switch on and off several times they would come on. Now when driving down the highway they will start going on and off then completely go off. I have to travel a lot at night for my work. If you pull the dimmer/wiper switch toward you and hold it the high beam will come on but will not stay on. Now I am afraid to go any where after dark. Have called several Dodge garages service departments and when ask if they think replacing the switch could fix the problem they tell you, well you can bring it in and we can try that but can't guarantee that will fix your problem. Why should we pay to replace something that they don't know what the problem is. We believe that Dodge should have recall since there is so many of the same problems with other owners evidently there is a defect in the switching of the headlights and this is a serious problem.

Head lights won't work. Park lights work ok when switch is moved to the headlight position. Have 100,125 miles just paid it off now this. This is a safety issue as it is intermittent right now but can't rely on it working all the time.

The headlights on my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan won't come on sometimes when I turn the switch and once they have even gone out on me while I was driving down the road. If I turn the switch back to off and then on again they will come on but this is a problem that makes me worry. Now I'm on edge when I drive at night wondering when it's going to happen again. Last night for the first time my lights went from bright to dim on their own. They just changed while I was driving down the road. I have not had this looked at yet. The van isn't under warranty anymore and we know it's going to cost a fortune just to have it looked at.

While driving down the road the headlights turned off. I almost crashed because of it. I had the headlight switch replaced and it fixed the problem. I do have the old switch.

I own a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan which I bought used in 2005. The headlights have been going off intermittently since aprox. 4 months after I bought it. The dealers shop said they couldn't find anything wrong. The issue is very random with problem not occurring for 2-3 months at a time, then multiple times, then won't occur again for a couple of weeks. If I turn the light switch off when I park, sometimes the parking lights won't turn off or will randomly come on. Two nights ago, the light switch was completely off and the headlights briefly came back on before shutting off. There is nothing that seems to trigger the problem. To resolve it while driving, I have to turn the light switch on and off several times before the lights will come back on. This has happened numerous times while I've been driving at night. I contacted the customer service at Dodge they recommended I take it in when the problem is occurring- unfortunately, it doesn't happen all the time and I only know of it happening at night and they're closed. It's becoming more of an issue since I have 2 teenaged children that drive it with my 2 yr old in the car. I researched the issue online and there are numerous other people with the same problem. This vehicle needs to be recalled.

The headlights and parking lights started to randomly turn on and off. Now the parking lights won't go off and the headlights will not go on. No matter how many times I flip the switch. This is awful and dangerous, as I can't drive at night. The windshield wipers also will not turn on. This is ridiculous and I can't find any help.

Purchased 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan used in oct, 2005. Vehicle had approx. 9000 miles on odometer. Four months later the headlights would only work intermittently. Mileage was approx 13,500 miles. Dealer replaced dashboard switch under warranty. Approx. One year later headlight problem returned. . . Very intermittent. . So continued driving. Another year later, driving at night, on vacation, 2000 miles from home, headlights went out. Switching light switch on-off numerous times fixed lights temporarily. Lost lights several times that night. Texas dealer diagnosed bad switch. Replaced at approx 52800 miles. Paid for this repair. One year later switch again inop. Mileage approx 67700 miles. Lights will not work at all. Cannot drive car at night. This makes three times in three and a half years of ownership that headlights become inoperative. Internet search brings up hundreds of others with similar complaints. Dealer says no reported problems with caravan headlights and car is out of warranty. Owner responsibility. This car has documented problem with headlights. Something not right here.

The headlights went off while driving down the road. Finally came back on after turning switch off and on while using the dimmer switch at the same time. This has happened several times over the last 3 years.

While driving at night, headlights go off. Sometimes will come on after a few seconds and sometimes after turning switch off and on. Sometimes the lights do not come back on until the car is shut off and restarted. This is not safe when you are traveling 55 mph with or without other cars on the road.

Headlights turn off intermittently during operation. This is very disconcerting and dangerous. Driver must flip the light switch multiple times to bring the lights back on. The frequency of this problem has increased recently. I feel that the vehicle is unsafe and unreliable. Recently, the headlights would not come back on and we had to drive home using the fog lamps.

Headlight switch goes off intermittently, you have to turn the headlights off and back on. This has happened several times. There is no set condition for this to happen, it just does it when it feels like it. I've had it happen around town and on the interstate while driving.

When using the switch the headlights will not come on. Sometimes either need to turn off the engine and restart and then turn switch on again or turn headlight switch off and on several times before the headlights will come on.

This is a re-occurring issue. The first time it happened I had just reached around 50,000 miles (I guessed at the date). Then it happens off and on over the course of time. The most recent occurence was 6/23/2012 (I now have over 100000 miles). When driving at night, the headlights flicker dim, then bright, then they go out entirely. I must turn the switch off and on several times before the lights come back on. Three times I have had my children in the car. I have taken the van into the service shop, but have been told I was just imagining the issue. When I insisted I was not imaging it, I was told that maybe I never turned on the lights in the first place. Not once has Dodge service acknowleged that there could be an issue. The service guy did offer to take my van and drive it personally for a week to see if he could get it to happen. I didn't think it appropriate that he add several hundred miles for his amusement.

The 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan has a serious headlight safety issue. Sometimes when you switch to the on position, the headlights are off. I have reported to Dodge in November 2006 (reference number: 15635986). They asked me to have the dealer to fix it. But the dealer was unable to find the problem because it only happened in rare cases. I knew it happened about 10 times these years. But perhaps sometimes I drove it without knowing the headlights were actually off.

Automatic light switch is defective, lights come on at night and run battery down. This is a 2005 caravan and only 41000 miles on it. The fuel pump went out today. We were driving down the street and it just died in the middle of the road, almost got us run over. At over $25000 you expect a car to last longer than 10 months. I will not buy another one! the dealer said after 36000 miles its not covered. That's bull!. Now its gonna cost us $500 or more to fix just the fuel pump, not the defective lights. This van is a lemon!!!!!!!!!.

I purchased my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan sxt new in 2005. From the time it was new I have had problems with the headlights. In the beginning they would randomly turn off while driving at night. I took it to the dealership and was told that my headlights worked for them and since they could not duplicate the problem, they couldn't diagnose and repair it, and that I needed to bring it in while it is happening (it happens at night-there are no dealerships open!). Of course after the warranty ran out, I am constantly having problems. They still go off at random while driving at night, and they rarely turn on when the switch is turned off, and sometimes stay on when the switch is turned off, or they do turn off then turn themselves back on while the car is parked. Sometimes I have to sit and turn the switch on and off repeatedly (so much that my wrist hurt)before they will come on, this has taken up to 15 minutes (while in a dark parking lot). I contacted Dodge again and was told that my car was out of warranty. I know this is a manufacturer defect, as it began when the car was new. But, Dodge doesn't care. In my daily commute to and from work I am on I-35 where there is construction going on, with narrow lanes and concrete walls and no shoulder to pull off onto, my headlights turning off and not coming back on can get me killed. I don't know what else to do. I called Chrysler assistance 800 # and was told that my complaint was denied because of the mileage and warranty being out. I argued that the problem began when the car was new, so they should fix it. It has been escalated to a supervisor, and I am awaiting their denial at this time. While searching the internet for a possible cause/fix I found numerous people with the same vehicle and the same complaints. Minivans are regularly purchased by families with children (as was mine). These vehicles need to be recalled and repaired before someone gets injured or killed. I believe that Chrysler will not help voluntarily.