Years affected, the mileage it usually shows up at, and what fixes it
About this problem
Power sliding doors use a motor, a cable or belt, rollers, latches and sensors to open and close. When any of those parts wear, the door can refuse to open, stop halfway, reopen after closing or fail to latch. Pinched wiring in the hinge area is a common cause, and some failures were recalled because the door could open while driving.
Across all owner complaints filed about the Dodge Grand Caravan since 2012, 922 (25.3%) describe sliding door problems, making it the most reported problem we track on the Grand Caravan. The reports cluster on the 2016, 2017 and 2018 model years, and the 2016 drew the most, with 448. It tends to show up in the middle years of ownership: half of the owners who gave a mileage were between 47,000 and 81,000 miles. 2 reports describe a crash or fire linked to it. No recall covers it, but Dodge has sent dealers service bulletins about it, listed below.
What owners report
Grand Caravan owners report the sliding doors staying locked, buzzing when the lock button is pressed, or not opening or closing with the button. The 2016 and 2017 vans drew the most reports.
How it gets fixed
The usual fix is a new door lock actuator, and sometimes a wiring repair in the door track.
Typical cost: A lock actuator costs about $250 to $500 per door.
Complaints by model year
In owners' words
"We have problems with both the rear passenger and rear driver side sliding doors on our 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan r/t. The van had about 37,000 miles on it at the time of the first incident."
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan, 37,000 miles
"My driver's side sliding door stopped working. I bought my van from a dealer at the end of july 2019 with around 40,000 miles on it. In the middle of october 2019 (around 45,000 miles) the door stopped working."
2018 Dodge Grand Caravan, 45,000 miles
"The drivers side passenger sliding door was stuck shut in the locked position for 3 months. I brought it to the dealer and they wanted to charge me almost $1000 to basically replace most of the door, this diagnosis was done while door was stuck shut."
2017 Dodge Grand Caravan, 49,000 miles
Excerpts from public owner complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lightly trimmed.
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Dodge has sent dealers 5 bulletins that mention this problem on the Grand Caravan. A bulletin tells technicians how to fix a known fault. It is not a recall, so the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty or covered by an extension.
Sliding Door Lock(s) Inoperable Warranty Extension XV1 The customer may describe one or more of the following: Either one or both of the sliding door locks do not function.
Sliding Door Lock(s) Inoperable Warranty Extension X98 The customer may describe one or more of the following: Either one or both of the sliding door locks do not function.
Warranty Bulletin D-21-15 (X98) Driver and Passenger Sliding Door Power Lock Actuators - 2015 - 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan (RT) and 2015 - 2016 Chrysler Town & Country (RT)
Rattle Noise From The Right Rear Sliding Door While Driving Over Bumps This bulletin involves modifying the rubber bumper located at the rear end of the right rear sliding door upper track.
Government investigations
Preliminary evaluation PE21016 · 2016 · opened Jul 2021, closed Jul 2022
Before you buy a Grand Caravan
- Open and close each sliding door several times with the button, the handle and the key fob.
- Listen for grinding, and watch that the door latches fully without bouncing back.
- Lock and unlock the van and check both sliding doors respond.
Questions
Which Dodge Grand Caravan years have sliding door problems?
Complaints are highest for the 2016, 2017, 2018 model years. The 2016 drew the most, with 448 reports.
At what mileage does it usually start?
Among owners who gave a mileage, the middle figure was about 61,000 miles, and half reported it between 47,000 and 81,000 miles.
How much does it cost to fix?
A lock actuator costs about $250 to $500 per door.