Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at his residence, a fire started from the drivers side tail light. The tail light, the rear bumper, and part of the rear seat were melted, additionally the rear windshield shattered. The fire department was called and they extinguished the fire using chemical powder and water. The fire marshal wrote an incident report. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact did not take the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
It started out as the van would not start almost everytime I got ready to leave and would have someone jump my battery, and it would start right back up. after a few weeks of having to do this, i had help jumping my battery once again but this time my wind shield wipers wouldnt shut off resulting in me having to take the fuse out and back in when it rains. when this happened the what i believe is called the "multi functional shift " (the stick on the left side of steering wheel that controls my wipers, wiper fluid, turn signals, bright lights, etc.) completely stopped working with no sign of it having problems previously. Along with that the stereo keeps flickering and switching channels on its own. Lastly, when i am pumping gas, i can barely pull up the trigger without the pump shutting off like as if my tank was full. …
While driving on major (multi-lane) city street (40 mph) the vehicle began to slow, steering became difficult and a single amber caution for the traction control was illuminated. Tachometer indicated 0 RPM. After pulling over, the vehicle was restarted and driven without further issue. Recall on the ignition switch was addressed in 2009. Unexpected engine shutdown could have significantly reduced safety margins in heavy traffic. No third party inspected vehicle after incident. Owner notes that key fob does not have anything hanging of it that could aggravate unwanted movement of ignition switch
While driving all electrical systems fail, warning lights flash on and off, power steering and brakes fail, all lights go out. If I do not pull over and turn the car off as soon as it starts, I will stall out in the middle of the road. This has been happening for months and every mechanic I take my car to states everything tests fine.
On 10 October 2022 @ 21:05 hours, I was driving home (to Waconia) from Academy College (Bloomington, MN). Upon entering I35 W North entrance ramp, I had engaged my left turn signal; looking in my driver-side mirror as I merged, I seen the headlights behind me & proceeded to accelerate on the freeway. I was partially in the lane when I heard a horn & wheels screeching to my left. I was close enough to the shoulder & quickly turned sharp then the vehicle blew by me, barely colliding with my vehicle. (I stayed steady & did box breathing as I tried to calm myself). The next day I was driving my van and when I used my left turn signal, I noticed on my instrument panel it was not reflecting my turn signal light, so when I had the near collision the night before, they did not see my turn signal light! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving 30 MPH, the contact smelled an abnormal odor and noticed smoke coming from the automatic window buttons. The contact stated that the driver's door caught on fire and was extinguished by the fire department. Neither a fire nor a police report was filed. The fire department indicated that it was an electrical fire. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Tl contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while at a stop, smoke started to emit from the driver's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 11V139000 (electrical system) however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 71,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. In addition, the vehicle failed to stop when the brake pedal was depressed and crashed into a pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V373000 (air bags, electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Had my 2009 Dodge Caravan's recalls repaired finally when parts were available in July 2015. Had the van tuned up and drove to florida with the false sense of security that the van would not stall while driving. My whole family made it to florida, but then the van stalled 3 times while driving at low speeds again! We were so afraid we would be stuck. I did not do it any more while on vacation and then did drive home safely. We had our children in the van and was very afraid that this could happen on the freeway. It is now November and the van continues to lose complete power while driving at least 2 times a week. It has happened at low speeds in the city. My children are afraid to ride in the van. I contacted Chrysler/Dodge who stated since I had the recalls repaired it is my responsibility to find out what is wrong with the van. …
Returning home from vacation while exiting interstate to merge with oncoming traffic at approx 60/65 MPH I tapped the brake to disengage the cruise control and the vehicle to accelerate rapidly. I applied the brakes with all my force but it continued to accelerate. I was finally able to get it to the side of the road put it into park and shut the engine off., in a few minutes I restarted the motor and the car seemed OK. We drove a short way and stopped at a hotel for the night. The next morning as we started home the vents suddenly began to blow out very hot air . Neither the heat, air or fans were on. After pushing the HVAC buttons no ne of which were lighted the air suddenly stopped. I turned the air back on in a few minutes and everything worked. We drove to our dealer hendersonville cdrj and got an appt for this fri morning. The man didn't seem to have any idea of the problem. …
Related recalls
Electrical system › Wiring
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2009 Dodge grand caravan and Chrysler town & country passenger vehicles manufactured from February 2007 through September 2009. Some of the vehicles May have been built with an improperly routed wire harness that May have a condition where the lower sliding door hinge bracket…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on November 15, 2010. Owners May contact Chrysler toll-free at 1-800-853-1403.
Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
Chrysler is recalling 6,138 my 2009 town and country and Dodge grand caravan vehicles. Unused electrical connectors for the blind spot detection system May become corroded and could short circuit, which can cause a variety of conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will seal the power circuit at the subject connector and replace the fuse for this circuit if necessary free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2009. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
In a letter dated August 21, 2014, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged failures associated with the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) installed in Chrysler SUV?s, trucks, and vans beginning in the 2007 model year.
Electrical complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 334 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, 61% of the model year's 544 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-235 (wiring, Jun 3, 2010); NHTSA recall 09V-046 (fuses and circuit breakers, Feb 5, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.