Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Sept 2015-my engine shut off while driving at 25mph and the horn and wipers went crazy. I was able to pull car to side of road safely. Feb 2016- took van in for recall for new key fab. The following week the car went crazy when I pushed unlock button to get into the vehicle using the new key fab. Horn went off, wipers squirting fluid and doors locked on me except for the rear hatch. Took into dealer they changed the clock spring. March 2016- vehicle went crazy again (horn, wipers, doors) I got into vehicle through rear hatch, unlocked hood, turned key to start to see if I could unlock, car started. I tried to turn off and engine kept going without key in ignition. I got out disconnected battery cable and the vehicle. Was still going crazy and the engine was still running for about 10 minutes. I took vehicle into dealer they first stated it needed new battery cables.. …
I was driving on a busy main city road at night, traveling around 35 MPH when my van shut off and the wipers and horn went crazy. I lost all power steering and brakes. Headlights also cut out. I struggled to get to the side of the road and into a parking lot. The front wipers stopped when I turned the key off, but the back wiper and horn continued for about 10 min. I did not have tools to disconnect the battery. Suddenly there was a flash of all the lights in the car and everything seemed to be back to normal with the exception of the check engine light appearing on the dash. I was able to restart the vehicle and drive another half mile to my home. This is the first time this has happened while driving, that I have lost all engine power and steering, it is not the first time the van has acted out. …
While parked in driveway, the horn started blowing erratically, headlights were on, and front and rear windshield wipers and washers operating. Door locks would not respond to remote. After s short period of trying to unlock the doors with the remote, they either responded to the remote or unlocked by themselves. At that point I attempted to turn the ignition on and start the vehicle. I started it and then turned it off but that did not stop the horn, wipers, etc. A few seconds after shutting the ignition off, everything stopped. Front and rear wipers did not return to park position until I manually turned them on and off. I started the engine again and had a check engine light with error codes related to the TCM, transmission control module. In addition, while driving, the heater blower motor intermittently stops working. …
While my vehicle was parked at a campground, I click my key fob to unlock the door and the rear windshield wiper started going off. Tried to start the vehicle and it would not start, no lights nothing completely dead. The wiper eventually stopped. A few hours later, still parked with no keys in it, the windshield wiper fluid and wipers started after I clicked the unlock button on the key fob again. The fluid kept shooting until it ran out of fluid. Then a few hours later with again no keys in it or key fob use the horn began blaring. Then the lights and wipers went off as well. Finally I was able to get the battery disconnected and it stopped. I reconnected the battery two hours later only to roll up my windows and the horn immediately started going off. I had it towed to the dealership down the street and I am now waiting on the results. …
My van was one year old (2009) when it first activated the horn (off and on making a weird warbling half honk sound) and wipers/spray while driving down the highway on a highway switch ramp at 65 MPH. It lasted about a minute and then stopped. We were on a trip so we asked when we got back to the arkansas dealership. They told us it was likely corrosion (on a brand new car that was driven in normal circumstances). They said it wasn't covered under warranty and we didn't have proof. It repeated about once every 6 months or more. Now (about once a month)the battery dies randomly and the horn/wipers/etc go off randomly while it's just sitting there and driving down the road. I've had to jump it 5 times without any warning. I've double verified that the alternator/battery are in great shape. Really Dodge ! A brand new car and you couldn't help us!
Frequently will not start-have to raise hood & smack top of black box & then it will start, will go "crazy" while parked with no keys in ignition-horn honks, lights flash on & off, wipers go & fluid sprays-again have to smack box to make it stop. Between 5/2/16 & 5/18/16, while driving down the road, four times the motor has shut itself off, horn has begun honking, wipers go, fluid sprays, running lights go off. ** it twice on 5/18/16! Thank god, was going slowly down a side street-again had to raise hood, smack on top of that black box-fuses and sensors must be in there-and it stopped acting crazy and restarted. My husband has been driving it as I refuse to!! Very surprised and concerned that there has not been recall as this seems to be a very frequent issue with these vans-wish I had never bought mine!
All the electronics in my car started going crazy. My windshield wipers (both FWD and aft) started, while the washer fluid was being dispensed, the car horn was blaring, and the electronic door locks were very rapidly being cycled. While driving on the highway the car stalled. Luckily, I was able to pull over to the side of the road without being hit or causing an accident. The Dodge dealership diagnosed it as a bad totally intergrated power module (TIPM) and replaced it. Apparently, it distributes electrical power to all the systems in the vehicle. So, when the car stalled it was due to power being cut off to the fuel pump. I could have easily been killed, due to the sudden loss of engine power or another electrical component such as the air bag, brake, or traction system could have been affected.
While driving the van at 65 MPH while on rt.23 on my way to findlay, ohio, the windshield wipers cycled a couple times, the gauges went to zero, the radio turned off and the warning alarm went off a couple times. This occured twice while I was driving to findlay and twice on my way back home. Each time, the van continued to run. At the time both hands were on the steering wheel. I know the date because I was headed to my son's soccer game at the university of findlay. It was a very un-nerving experience. On other dates the wipers have run by themselves and even sprayed windshield cleaner for a brief period. I have noticed that other people have reported the same behavior on their vans. I wanted to make sure my experience was noted. It appears the situation can become much worse.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving various speeds, the horn started to honk without warning. In addition, the windshield wipers and washer fluid activated independently, the air conditioning unit turned off independently, and the transmission failed to shift as intended. The contact was able to turn off and restart the vehicle. The vehicle operated as intended for approximately ten minutes before the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code or duplicate the failures. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 159,654.
The instrument panel randomly lights up with all warning lights and chimes going off simultaneously, the windshield wipers activating and headlights flashing. Stopping the car, turning it off and on doesn't reset the problem, but it randomly goes away and doesn't happen again for two weeks or a month. It happens when the vehicle is stopped or in motion, while the vehicle is running. I see an open NHTSA investigation matching this on my vehicle, for a tipmodule
Window & Wiper complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, 4% of the model year's 1,293 complaints. The component named most often is rear window wiper/washer (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, though it has 8 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 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.