Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Dodge Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My wife, 2 young sons, and I went out to spend the afternoon running errands. When we left our home, the door locks worked with the keyless entry system as well as with the switches inside the car. After making our second stop of the afternoon, my wife noticed that the door locks were no longer functioning. They failed to work via key chain, switch, or speedometer override (when car reaches 20 MPH). Compounding the issue, the Caravan only has one outside door lock, which means the car can only be manually unlocked at the driver side door. The remaining doors must be unlocked from the inside. This means that someone must climb throughout the vehicle's interior to let other passengers in. …
2005 Dodge Caravan has approximately 65,00 miles and the automatic door locks stopped working. The remote would cause the lights to flash and the horn to sound as if the doors locked but they did not. The door lock buttons inside the van did not work, nor did they lock automatically when reaching 20mph. I did a scan of the OBD ii connector and no fault codes came up. So I figured it was something simple like a fuse. I checked the fuse/relay and it was good. As soon as I replaced the fuse they started working again. I took it to a dealer for a recall on the front impact sensors which I had to make an appointment for. I asked the dealer about the door locks and they said to bring it in when they are not working, so they could check it out (for a diagnostics charge of $120). The service guy did state that it probably needed a "software update". …
Failure of electrical system on 2005 Dodge Caravan, namely power door lock failure, including with key fob, switch on inside of vehicle and automatic locking mechanism. Can be remedied by disconnecting battery and reconnecting or removing fuse and replacing. This only helps for up to 2 days. Bought my van used at 115,000 miles, but every complaint I have read started at 40,000 miles. More than 40 complaints on one website alone. Widespread problem among this model. My almost 2 year old son was able to open the door and climb out of the van on his own. Thankfully we were stopped and parked. Could have been a tragedy had we been in motion, and if I did not keep him securely fastened in his car seat until the vehicle stops. This was after resetting the battery for about the 20th time in the less than one year since I purchased my van. …
Hi I already have a complaint in your system the # is 10332386 . The problem is the doors will not open or lock when I press the remote. This has been going on since May. It stopped and came back again since the date of my first complaint. It has happen at least 5 times including today that I am having the same problem. The plugs from the battery have to be removed and put on again and then it works. I have no clue how long this process will work before I have to either invest in a new sensor to solve the problem. I was hoping you could help me find out if I am covered for this either in a recall or warranty. It started with my car mileage at 49,000 and now I'm up to 52,000 and it's still happening. Can you please let me know if the dealer will tell you some thing different as you are the NHTSA? …
I have a 2005 Dodge Caravan. My power locks and sliding side door stopped working. Could not lock/unlock doors with key entry nor the lock switch inside. Also, I could not open/close the side sliding door with key entry nor with switch inside the van. Had to manually lock/unlock doors throughout the van. On one website, I found 42 people with the same complaint about the power locks that go back for a two year period (March 2007 to May 2009). I have done what they suggest, which is to either disconnect the battery for 5 minutes, remove the #20 iod fuse for 5 seconds, or pay to have Dodge update the software for the computer in the vehicle. I did the second choice. If all goes as it was stated on the website, the problem with the power locks will occur again. All but about 5 people have had recurring problems with their power locks. …
2005 Dodge Caravan-power door locks and drivers automatic window purchased vehicle in aug. 08. Verified unit was not flood vehicle/wrecked. Upon test drive noticed the automatic door lock did not work nor did the drivers window go up an down. Notified the car dealership they said it was a fuse, they replaced and door locks worked as did the driver window. Less that a month later with no problem with the lock or window went to make the afternoon mail run to the post office and noticed the drivers window and automatic lock no longer worked but had worked at lunch the same day. After looking on the internet I see many issues concerning this vehicle. Dealer said to bring the unit in for repair of 150.00 but after talking with another person with this problem they went that route and still had door and window failure. Door look failure I guess I could live with but .
The power door locks stopped working. The only way to lock or unlock the car is with the key, and there's no keyhole except on the driver's door. Dealer fixed it once: $89. Second time, he charged $400 for a new body module. Each time it stopped working again after about three months. He fixed it once more without charge, then said $89 each time thereafter. Another mechanic went over the wiring all the way to each door and found no problem. I have stopped paying for the fixes. I have tried the unhooking the battery and unplugging the fuse tricks but they don't work. So I drive without power locks and deal with the nuisance of manual locks. (the electric window motor on the driver side also failed - another $400 bill. This is my ninth Chrysler product but from now on I wouldn't take one if they gave it to me).
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Caravan. While driving approximately 18 MPH the contact noticed the automatic door lock failed and would not lock the doors automatically. The door fob also would not lock the doors when the lock button was engaged; however, the horn would blow. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact stated after disconnecting the iod fuse and later reconnecting it the automatic door lock function would activate. After two days, the automatic door lock would failed again. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000. Updated 09/27/11 the consumer contacted the dealer and was informed there was no recall and therefore, he would have to pay for the repairs himself. Updated 10/31/11 updated 3/30/12
1. Electric door locks stopped working suddenly from both the key control pad and interior switches. The sliding side door also did not operate 2. It is persistent since it has happened. The lights blink so you think there is no problem. As a result you have to use the key and manually open or lock all the doors. Safety concerns with a minivan designed to haul around families, security concerns with theft/vandalism and entering the vehicle, securing property while leaving. Pulled the iod fuse and replaced after 1 minute as described in the below link. It seems like a common problem with over 150 documented complaints (under 2 separate titles) http://www.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Caravan/2005/electrical/power_door_locks_quit_working.shtml. I plan to bring it to a Dodge the dealer.
I bought this vehicle 2 months ago., already have problems with sway bar bushings., I already fixed at my expense.., the biggest concern is that the locks quit working., browsing on the net I found several complaints., I did already contact Dodge but they are doing nothing so far. This on my appreciation is a safety matter ., since the doors can not be open with the remote., no even from inside using the buttons., the only door that has a key use for is the one for the driver., what can some one do is you have to get inside the car for any given urgency., but the only entry will be the driver's side???? Please refer to these sites for such complaints please help us thanks. Http://www.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Caravan/2005/electrical/index.shtml.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2005 Dodge Caravan?
NHTSA has 203 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2005 Dodge Caravan, 38% of the model year's 537 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Dodge Caravan door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2005 Dodge Caravan, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Dodge Caravan door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.