Driver's side sliding door stuck shut

Hi, sorry don't have an answer for you (trying to find it), but I have the exact same problem that just happened on my 2016 Grand Caravan (only 40K miles). Both sliding doors were working fine, then one day the driver's sliding door just froze--can't open it electronically or manually. The lock is stuck in the locked position and the power door lock switch won't move that door's lock to the 'unlock' position. When you try to move the lock/unlock button/lever on that sliding door, it's stuck in the locked position--even with a bunch of force I can't move the lever to the unlocked position--I feel like I'm going to break the lever if I force it too much. So the door is basically unuseable right now... Looking for help too!

I guess I should be glad it's not just me. :-) I'll post anything I find out.

No answer, but the same just happened with our 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan. Check fuses, disconnected battery, checked gas flap, nothing I can do to unlock and open the driver side sliding door. The door lock is stuck in the locked position and I am unable to move it to the unlocked position, The lock feels spongy as if something were stuck.

We have a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. We bought it about a month ago and the left side sliding door just stopped working! It seems to be stuck in the lock position and we can’t do anything about it! Any one find an answer yet?

Same. Exact. Problem. 2013 Ram C/V (Same as Caravan).

I did find a video online showing how to replace the actuator. I am a DYI kinda guy but it looked to be a mess to fix. Check it out and let me know if anyone is successful https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HVod3qLx5F4

We have a fleet of these vehicles (2015 tradesman) and t happens. It’s not pleasant to deal with. Remove interior door panel and manually unlock door latch assembly. There can be various reasons to get jammed. The most common is the door latch/locking mechanism assembly.

So my problem seems to be the exact reverse of everyone here. Mine is a 2009 and all doors lock with the fob and the driver lock button except left rear door.

My 2016 dodge mini vans driver side sliding door will not open, as well. 37000 miles! Recall???

My 2016 same problem 40000K miles.

2012 Grand caravan. Noticed passenger sliding door not locking automatically. Key fob nor auto door locks will lock or unlock that door. I can manually lock and unlock it. When locked it prevents any auto movements. When I manually unlock it the door will open and close automatically a few times then it will cease to work again. I've tried lithium grease on all moving parts. Nothing. What I did notice was the cable that runs along the lower door track and just above/inboard on the wire bundle has less tension than the driver's side slide. I believe this cable runs to a switch telling the system open or closed. Trying to see if I can increase tension. Also, if you hear continuous clicking as if the door is trying to open or close check for blockages or a ground/short/broken wire.

My 2013 with 106k I noticed is opposite. The passenger rear door will not lock with the fob, the driver button nor manually. So basically my van is always unlocked. Hoping to find a fix on here.

I pulled both door panels off and tried swapping the control module in the center bottom of the door. Problem still persisted suggesting that's not what's causing or contributing. I will need to recheck my wires and connections.

2016 Grand Caravan G/T - Driver side sliding door lock is stuck. Happened 1 week ago. Just got and estimate at the dealership today; $1100 to fix. They said whole locking mechanism needs to be replaced. I think this is a safety issue.I vote for a recall.

How do we get dodge to do a recall

I filed a complaint with the NHTSA. There was only one other complaint for this failure previously submitted. And - one correction - my van is an R/T, not GT

2016 Grand Caravan 50K miles - got same problem - I vote for Recall too!!!!

So i was messing with my door on my 2016 dodge van trying to unlock it and get it opened i tooked the part off by the lock and if u hold the lock in the unlock position and pull the handle the door will open i put the cover back on the door with the look in the unlock postion and i am able to open and close my door with the remote until im able to get it fix apparently my actuator has a short or broken but the other motor on the bottom with the chains and everything is good..

UPDATE!! Problem resolved! - Once again: 2016 Grand Caravan R/T, 60K miles - A resourceful relative removed the door panel and necessary connections (NOTE: He took a picture before for putting it back together.) He was able to reach the latch through the access hole at the back of the door and release the latch. He found corrosion on the latch was making it stick.He rubbed off the corrosion and applied white lithium grease to the surfaces. After reassembly the door functions properly; manual, electric buttons, and remote. No new parts, and cost me a fraction of the $1100 that the dealer quoted. Paid my family member for 3 hours of his time and expertise.

I came here looking for answers and after meeeing with it for about 10 minutes I got mine unlocked. I made sure and hit unlock on the key fob a few times. Then I sat in the backseat and held the manual lock in the unlock position and then pulled the door handle from the inside. It now works again. Good luck

Oh Dodge absolutely knows about this mess!! It’s a common issue and it is definitely a safety issue because once the locking mechanisms fail, you cannot manually unlock the door - effectively trapping anyone in the rear inside the vehicle in case of emergency! Somebody is going to have to die before Dodge fesses up to this faulty manufacturing defect! They won’t issue a recall because it’s 3 hours of labour and $600 bucks in parts to fix the issue - this is the faulty airbag scam all over again.....how many people had to die before the company’s took action! Mine have been completely faulty since 64,000 km......1.5 years old and just outside of the 60k mfr warranty. If they don’t recall this problem soon, i’ll Never ever purchase Nother dodge again.....and i’ll Tell everyone about the issue that will listen! Absolutely disgusting that they put profits before life at this company!

I hav the same issue with our 2015 72k+ miles. The driver side sliding door does not open , does not lock or unlock. Husband took it to the leader and they quoted him 1k, which is absurd. I’m hoping it can be an easy fix!

My driver side slider just encountered the same thing. This is a HUGE safety issue for passengers in the back. I have been on many sites, with the same complaints, yet no recall by Dodge. I have contacted them, with no reply. When do we initiate a class acting suit against Dodge?

write a complaint to https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/contact-us we are trying to force a recall

My 2011 company caravan has the same problem, both sliding doors stacked. I tried very hard to open them, but failed. Then the inside lights won’t go off because the sliding doors in open mode. Before I sent it to dealer to fix this, I want to have a last try. ** I wear a pair of soft running shoes, and kicked back parts of the doors, then 2 doors back to the close mode. Inside lights showing off. Magic happens: both doors open normally now. 2 minute job

I have a 2015 Dodge Grand Carvan and my driver side sliding door is stuck in lock mode. I'm not understanding what happen I have 52899miles on it. Any suggestions

Not an answer but I have the same problem with my 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan I think this is an ongoing problem and Dodge has done nothing to fix it. My driver side slider door does not open with nothing is stuck in the locked position and also believe the actuator is the problem. Will change mine and will let you know how it goes. A1 Auto has a good video on how to replace.

My 2017 70000km passenger side sliding door has the same problem, will lock and unlock manually, but not with the remote it the buttons placed on the front doors. Dreading to take it to dodge. Will try the solutions here first. Worste come, I will sell the damn piece of junk...

I have a 2016 Caravan 70k miles and I'm having same issue. driver side sliding door is stuck. It does nothing. its permanently in the locked position. I took it to the dealership and they quoted $1500 to repair it. I said screwed that, and I called dodge because that ridiculous. Not only is it piss poor that the door failed to work but now its a serious safety issue because what if there is an accident and I need to get my kids out of it and the door is stuck?? They need to fix it especially since it appears im not the only one with this problem

https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/contact-us. if you have this issue, call the hotline and file a claim

I have a 2012 caravan, passenger side sliding door will not lock and driver side sliding door stuck in locked position. I sent a complaint via NHTSA. I am now on the hunt to see how to resolve with lowest cost possible.

2016 Dodge caravan right sliding door started buzzing last night when i unlock it. I think im bout to have this issue.......... Dodge needs to recall or someone who knows a good lawyer, get a case going and bring us in.

Same thing happening to my 2017 caravan except you also can not manually unlock/lock the passenger sliding door. Absolutely ridiculous that there’s no recall yet.

I had the same problem with my drives side door in a permanent locked position. You are not able to even manually open the door. Please every this same problem file a complaint with DODGE and the NHTSA. That is the only way we may be able to get a recall here.

We just encountered the exact same problem. Drivers side sliding door is stuck in the lock position and is extremely frustrating! We have 2 young kids in the family and the loss of a door working is a huge problem for us.

Mine 2016 caravan door faulted out around 40k and still have not looked into the cause Dealer replaced a transmisson at 35k and slipping again at 70k 1st time dodge buyer but never again

Everyone must file a complaint with the NHTSA. That is the only way we may be able to get a recall here. https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ That is the link. It takes about 2 minutes to fill out!

I have the same problem with my 2016 Caravan with 45000 km. Door was not used 50 times. thankfully I do not use it for children etc.. Very poor quality for Dodge. |\\\c

No answer sorry but I have the same problem with my 2012 Dodge Caravan. I did email nhtsa.webmaster@dot.gov and complain but I have not got a reply yet

2016 Dodge Grand Caravan 70,000 miles on mine. And our driver door just quit working the other day too. Seems like everyone is having the same problem. Very aggravating.

2016 Dodge Caravan 70,000 miles. About 2 months ago, the locking actuator started to go out on our passenger side sliding door. It started making the tell-tale buzzing sound, but never actually locked up before I took it to the dealership to be replaced... to the tune of over $1,100. The mechanic at the dealership even admitted that it was a well-known issue with the Caravans around the 2015-2018 models! Here we are less than 2 months later, and now our driver’s side sliding door is stuck in the locked position, and won’t open at all. This time, it never even made the buzzing sound... just locked up and stopped working. We have 4 kids, and this is a serious safety hazard! My husband did try what another user (GuruXSGH8) suggested above, and it worked... for now. I am calling the NHTSA first thing after the holiday weekend, and filing a complaint. No way am I shelling out another $1,100+ to the dealership, twice in less than 2 months, for something that should most certainly be a recall!

We have the same problem on our 2016 Doge Caravan, 60,000 miles. Last Friday the drivers side sliding door locked, we can't unlock.

And now here i am searching for the same answers as you all. This sucks

Hi everyone, mine is a 2016 Grand Caravan, 48,270. Same problem, driver side sliding door, won't open with the beeper / inside or outside handle / inside button (next to the door) or console button. Thanks God after read I don't how many reviews I decide to do something similar. I PUSH REAL HARD trying to UNLOCK the door from inside (towards the driver seat) and then hit the door button on the beeper few times (the button for the DRIVER sliding door). The door opens and close normal after I did this. However it is a safety issue that DODGE have to deal with and make a recall. I hope this less than a minute procedure can help all the people that wrote before me. Please try it before go to the dealership and spend 1,100.00, I hope you have luck like me.....

Hi Everyone, Mine is 2012 Dodge Caravan with 156,000 and my drivers side sliding door wont open at all. This just started on Sunday, June 2. I would not care so much if I can manually open it but I cant even do that. It stinks I use that door all the time. I believe if this many people are having the same issue, there should be a recall.

2016 Dodge caravan here. Same thing happened to me today 65k drivers side sliding door won’t unlock!!

Same thing here just now. Complaint sent!

Had the same issue. The way I solved is while holding the lock switch on the door on the open position I pressed on the unlock on the fob. Looks like it's working now. Hope this helps

Same issue unable to unlock except ours rattles like it's attempting to lock over and over at lightning speed. We had it fixed under warranty (2016 model) and it's only a couple months later we have the issue again. Going to have them fix under warranty again which is up soon and sell it. This piece of crap was falling apart off the lot with only a few km's on it.

I just filed a complaint too! 2016 Not So Grand Caravan. 46k. I haven't had any luck yet getting the door to open, so I could inspect the wiring harnesses. Replacing the actuator is ridiculous. I'm really hoping for a shredded wire or something.

2016 as well. Already filed my complaint. Happened around 55k miles. I’ve been driving with one door like this for months. I’ll never buy another Dodge with doors like this. We’ve bought/leased 6 Dodges and Jeeps in the last 13 years. We’ll be finding a new brand If they don’t recall this. I understand normal wear and tear, but this is a joke.

Just filed my complaint, was exactly as previous complaints and charged labor for diagnosing. First I was told it was covered, then I was told it was not covered and then I was told the amt. it would take to correct the problem. Seems widespread to activate a recall. You cannot open the door in the event of an accident, that IS the problem.

My girlfriends 2016 Dodge Gd. Caravan driver side slide door is stuck too! Should not be happening on a vehicle fairly new. Any door NOT opening on a vehicle is a big problem. With two young children in middle row, this is a huge safety issue and definitely a lawsuit in the horizon!

Just replaced the lock actuator on the passenger side sliding door of my 2016 Dodge Caravan. It was buzzing, and found out using the web that it had to be replaced. Door was giving locking/unlocking issues too, like the ones described above. Checked out the Youtube video, Joe, the "Fake Mechanic", and followed his method. A lot of work, but door works flawlessly with a replacement actuator bought from Rock Auto for $17 + shipping. I took the original actuator apart to discover the internal plastic worm gear had worn a groove in it. Not a very robust design, and it's a piece of junk, made in China no less. That's the problem.

I have the same problem with my 2017 Grand caravan. First the passenger sliding door won't lock except manually. That happened around 60k miles. Then the driver's sliding door wouldn't unlock or open. I filed a claim with nhtsa. I then got it open by following a suggestion on here. I manually pushed the button toward unlock and hit the unlock button on my key fob at the same time. It finally unlocked and I was able to open the door.

Same problem, 2016 Chrysler T+C, driver side sliding door won't unlock. Oddly enough, I had a 2009 Dodge Journey, same door wouldn't lock.

Last tuesday my passengers sliding door made a noise when I unlocked the door. Brought it to the dealer. Paid $1100 to have it repaired. Thursday morning I went to open the drivers sliding door. Nothing. It’s stuck in the locked position. So here I am back at the dealer getting that one replaced. Not very happy right now with Dodge.

My 2017 Grand Caravan with 77,000 plus miles on it also had the driver sliding passenger door lock stopped working and was stuck in the locked position. I read every single complaint here and saw the reply about holding the door lock inside in the open position while you hit the unlock on the key fob, and it worked to unlock the door. But when I locked the doors again it was the same thing. I hope I don't have to do the double lock action if an emergency comes up...

I have a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan and I have the same issue, the sliding door behind the driver’s seat is locked shut; it doesn’t unlock with the key or manually. I’m taking it in tomorrow since I need the oil changed and it should be still under warranty; hopefully they can fix it/unlock it without charging me a kidney.

For some reason after unlocking my sliding door manually with the assistance of the key FOB my sliding door now works with just the FOB, though I do hear a electrical winding noise when the door locks.

Is. So easy to fix it

Same issue here, 2016 dodge GC 70k+ miles. I had my infant in her car seat and could not get her out. Had to unload the toddler and the groceries, before I could crawl in and unbuckle her in 100 degree weather. Definitely an unsafe situation... can’t believe how many have the same story and still no recall.

Same problem here driver side sliding door stuck... This is the worst!

Same issue here, 2016 Dodge GC 50K miles. One random day the door stopped operating and the latch wont turn even manually. My other door makes a noise when I use the FOB key to unlock/lock the door, I am afraid the same issue might happen to the passenger rear door as well. I was told it's not covered under the warranty, this is absolutely bizarre. I have filied an complain with NHTSA, here is the quick link to start your own complain: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ . Merely complaining here won't help, we also need to take it a step further and file as many complains as possible for this serious safety issue. There must be a recall!

My mechanic couldn't get my side door open on my 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. It was locked shut also. After reading some of the comments here I decided to push hard on the inside lock lever to unlock it and at the same time push my remote control lock unlock. This started it working correctly. I've tried it several times and it works great. At least it will open the door now if something needs to be replaced by the mechanic.

I currently have most of the panel of my 2017 caravan passenger sliding door off and can’t get it open. I’m going to try the method described above but it seems as if this a big problem. Ironically enough i am a mechanic and my wife works for our local Dodge dealership. If I find any more info I will share with you all

I have a 2016 & my sliding passenger side door made a buzz noise & now won’t unlock or open. I’ve tried the fob trick & nothing. I agree this is a huge safety issue. It should work manually! Guess this is my last Dodge. I’ll watch this thread in case someone finds another fix. I’m also submitting my complaint tonight. This should be a recall, it’s a safety problem.

2016 town and country at 40k miles the passenger sliding door on the drivers side has become unresponsive for no apparent reason. 8/5/19 Since caravans and town and country are pretty much the same van Dodge/Chrysler I think this must be the same issue.

It's working now. 2012 Grand Caravan passenger sliding door locked and will not open. I tried what has been suggested, pressing unlock on fob while forcing the manual lock switch but no luck so I took off the door liner following a Youtube video and tried again. Now I have access to the linkage system and can exert more force avoiding the linkage from bending. Again, pressing the unlock on fob and forcing the linkage it finally engages. Unfortunately the issue comes back as soon as it is relocked. I get the feeling like linkage is binding up in the actuator area which is hidden completely within the door. I sprayed some lube (wd40 chain lube) into the linkage opening hoping to get the right spot then worked linkage back and forth untill I could feel it loosen up. Now the lock mechanism works without problem.

MY 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan doors are working but every time I press the unlock button or anyone opens a door a short buzzing noise comes from the right rear passenger door...it's like an alarm or something....any ideas?

It's the lock solenoid going bad

The buzzing is from the lock actuator. This is an electro-mechanical device that has a small motor in it, and when energized, it moves a small plastic toggle arm attached to a long steel link. The other end of the link is attached to the locking mechanism in the inside door latch. The problem is the internal workings of the actuator, a brass pinion gear driving a plastic worm gear. The brass gear wears down the plastic worm gear, and makes that buzzing noise as it spins and can no longer fully engage. A very cheap and bad design.Unfortunately if you can't replace this yourself (Joe the Fake Mechanic's YouTube), you are looking at a $800 -$1100 repair bill from a dealer if out of warranty. If you do get it fixed, demand the old actuator, take it apart & show them what a piece of junk this is. Maybe get a break on the repair bill. BTW, this took me about 5 hrs of labour to DIY, never done this before, so ask the dealer as to how many hours of labour they are going to charge. New actuator cost me $17 USD.

Called my local Chrysler Jeep dealer, who said they typically get a windshield glass repair company to do this actuator replacement job because the teardown involves door glass (I asked if the glass guy had done this repair before and they said yes, many times). Dealer said the labor charge would about $150 Canadian. The part alone with tax is about C$1000 from the dealer. I bought a $50 version of the actuator at RockAuto and they agreed to install it for C$170 all in. In the end the dealer's mechanic decided to do it because the glass guy they normally used for this job was closed on the day I arrived. The mechanic looked up the Chrysler tech repair video and did the job in about 2.5 hours. It involved removing the entire door from the vehicle(!). Sounds like he did it the hard way. Anyway 2 weeks later it still works fine (though I don't expect a 3rd party part to last all that long). So I suggest anyone facing a ridiculous estimate look up a competent company handling door glass repair to see if they have experience in this repair.

We are having the same issue with our 2015 Dodge Caravan. We’ve got two girls in the car seats and cannot get one out through that door. We have to crawl in to buckle and unbuckle her. Thanks for the tips. We will give it a try.

2014 dodge grand caravan R/T, started with buzzing noise. holding the lock in the unlock position worked for me. you will know if you did it right when you hear a click. i think this happens when someone holds it in the unlock position and you try locking the door with key fob. i'm willing to bet that the reverse of that is also true (lock position, unlock with key fob). if this doesnt work then there might be some other issue with it.

I just had the same problem with my 2014 Dodge caravan. The driver side door will not open with key, button, or manually. The locking button is stuck and will not move either forward or backward. I am going to try some of the solutions from this post. I also, filed a complaint on the website provided.

If you haven't figured it out ....I have a 2013 Chrysler Town and country touring L and the passenger sliding door is stuck closed and is locked ...will not unlock .....it's the actuator for the locking mechanism.....to unlock my door they wanna charge me $650 in parts and labor...ugh

Same problem with the driver's side sliding door on my 2011 Dodge Caravan Crew. I finally tried something someone else suggested by pushing the unlock button REAL hard on the inside of the sliding door while pushing the open sliding door button on the key fob and the door works normally now. I'm still worried about it getting stuck again. Total safety issue!!

I have a 2016 Grand Caravan with the same problem...The driver side slider is stuck in the locked position...It worked fine earlier today but now nothing I do will unlock it...I agree with others that Dodge should issue a recall

I had this problem 2 weeks after the passenger side slider went bad. It got me thinking. The passenger side had a stripped gear in the actuator. Something had to bind it to cause it to strip. Then my driver side door got stuck locked. I'm thinking that the lock mechanism at the back of the door is getting dirty or corroded and causing the extra friction causing these issues. I would suggest oiling the mechanism every few months with some white lithium grease to prevent a reoccurance.

I have a somewhat different problem with the sliding door, driver's side. I can open and close it from the overhead switch but not from the one on the door column or the remote. I can open it manually and pull it shut. There is no problem with the lock.Perhaps the lock problem will some later. Any ideas?

I have the same problem with my 2016 GC. Both sliding doors are giving trouble locking and unlocking!

Just got the call from the dealer that it will be $1600 to fix the door. How is this not a recall???!!! Total safety hazard. If the passenger side of the vehicle were hit how would I quickly get the kids out of the car?

I have a 2016 grand caravan that the drivers side door will not budge, problem is lock actuator motor, $400 part from dodge, $80 from dorman. I did figure a way to open, if you stand outside drivers door and force lock slide toward front end it feels like it will break but gives instead and you can pull outside handle at same time and it will manually open. It’s a lot easier to repair now, still a 4 hour job.

I've owned 6 of these dodge vans. I've replaced 3 sliding door lock actuators. The dealer wants $550 for the part, but you can buy it online for under $20. It's a pain to change and takes me about half a day Saturday.

Had the same issue. Was already getting angry and about trying to remove the side cover, and tried everything. Then I a last try and really angry as GuruS8DCY wrote: Push manual lock on ‚open position‘ and with the remote open/close. And look there, it works again. Just push the open manual lock with some good force.

2016 Dodge Caravan - same issue with drivers side pax door. Just tried the trick described above - push HARD on the door lock switch on inside of door and use fob to open it. Worked like a charm! Will still file a complaint - needs a recall.

Desha, Burlington, NC I have a 2015 dodge grand caravan with right at 60,000 miles and I have the same problem that happened a few weeks ago. I had opened it earlier that day when my daughters friend got in the van and later on went to open it to let her out and it wouldn't open and hasn;t worked since. I will try that trick and see what response I get from it.

I'm amazed at these stories of cars only about 3 years old having this problem! I started having the same problem with my 2008 Town and Country, with about 150K miles, about a year ago (in late 2018). The driver side sliding door is stuck in the closed and locked position. Neither the key fob, nor the interior buttons, nor the manual controls will unlock or open it. In fact, trying the fob or buttons doesn't even produce a "click" sound; like it's not even trying, or there is a broken circuit. Yes, I checked the fuses. I will be filing a complaint with the NHTSA.

Having the same issue and filed a complaint with NHTSA. First started with the passenger side back sliding door making a buzzing noise when unlocking it but door never jammed, has been like this for about a year now. Then a couple days ago my driver's side back sliding door is jammed shut and in lock position. Can't even open it manually its completely jammed shut. Have tried what others have said by unlocking it from the inside while pushing the unlock on my key but nothing. This is so unsafe especially for my children.

My 2017 Dodge Caravan's passenger sliding door is stuck in the lock position, just like the complaints about the driver's sliding door. It costs $650 -$1000 to fix!!! Why haven't anyone put in a complaint to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Association (www.nhtsa.gov)? This is a safety hazard for anyone sitting in the back. It SHOULD be a recall!!!!

@bevvy , I and others have filed complaints with the NHTSA. So far, all I've gotten is an acknowledgement of my complaint.

I, too, have filed and received the same run around. What else can be done because I am willing to do it.

Take panel off the door. Pull the rod that is connected to the door lock toward the rear of the van. That will release it and the door will work fine.

2012 Dodge Grand Caravan SE. 199K miles. Yesterday morning I opened the driver side sliding passenger door to put a bag in. Shut it normally. Drove less than 5 mins home and went to open the sliding door and it wouldn’t open. It stayed stuck. My kids car seat is on that side so I had to put kid in from the other side, which is a huge pain!! Ironically the NIGHT before this happened, my hubby was asking me if I would like to trade it in for something newer. I guess the van is giving us more reasons to let it go. I have 3 little kids and use this van for carpool rides too. Not really a good time to be dealing with this right now.

Same problem, 2013 rear drivers side door won't unlock or open. We did not ever hear any buzzing or unusual sounds, and no problems at all until today.

So I have tried all of these ideas on opening my door on the driver's side and the one when you hold the unlock button on your key and then push the actual lock forward all while the main button is in manual lock, actually did work for a couple days. Then it jammed again and wouldn't open anymore. Now I found if you hold the actual lock forward and try opening it from the outside manually (at the same time) it will open....but I have to do this Everytime I unlock that side door. Ugh!

Same problem here. Just died today. Our passenger door stopped locking a while ago but now the driver side won't open, close, or do anything. Annoying! I am down for recall vote. Where do we vote?

You can file a complaint with the NHTSA here: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

I have put in a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. And there are many more complaints about the default mechanisms of the faulty doors. We all should press NHTSA at nhtsa.gov to put in a recall for this defect. It is a safety hazard and should have been recalled years ago, no matter the year of the vehicle.

Same issue now with my 2012 caravan! This is not the first door issue we’ve had. I can’t believe there has been no recall.

I just read everything on here, mine (2015 Dodge Grand Caravan) started with the noise and eventually just stopped and can't open. I went on the NHTSA and there is only one complaint listed and no recall. I cannot believe this. Going to try everything suggested. Time for inspection and won't pass without this door working properly!!

Update!! I did try the unlocking of the fob, while trying to manually unlock it & it worked!!!! Still making the noise, but it is opening & closing!! Thank you to everyone for their suggestions and input!! I am still going to file a complaint & I suggest the same for everyone else because we need more complaints before we are heard and it should most definitely be a recall!

Filed my complaint. Please do the same!!

Just filed my complaint. Everyone, please do the same and maybe we can get results.

Please say where you are filing your complaint too. I filed mines at NHYSA.gov. This is a hazardous manufacturers defect and the government agency is NOT taking this seriously. For years the 'stuck door' has been malfunctioning and yet no recall. We ALL have to put t his government agency on blast!!!

This is where I filed mine. https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ This should totally be a recall!!! If it wasn't for this site, I would not have known what to do!! Thank God for Google!

I have filed my complaint twice. sick of it all. Need results now.

I have a 2007 Grand Caravan I use for my mail route. I had this same problem and someone suggested the lock actuator. As someone above stated, 1Aauto has a great video on replacing it. I got both actuators, they are interchangeable with just a screw and switch the arm that comes with it for the driver's side. I got both for $45ish from Amazon. Took me about 45 minutes to switch it out, but mind you I kept coming inside to rewatch the video to make sure I was doing it right. Sliding door now locks and unlocks and the door will open.

Just submitted my complaint per the link up the thread. We were quoted $1300 from Dodge, while we were already paying $1600 on some bogus electronic repair. I’m never buying dodge again and am so frustrated that they don’t care enough about families to recall this properly.

No answer if not the same question that everybody has. What to do about this issue. I have a 2015 grand caravan and just started to have the same problem. Maybe each one of us should write a letter to Dodge and complain about the problem stating that, if not resolved, they will be loosing a lot of customers because, for once, we won’t buy another one of their vehicles and second that we will advise anybody that we know to not do it either, making this information well known thru every social media available to man. I will write my letter this weekend. Polite but to the point. Anybody else?

I just had this to happen to my driver side front and rear door. I have a 2018 58k miles. Was working fine until moments ago. Had to crawl from the passenger side into the driver seat. Was able to open the front driver using the handle and this is the only method that's working. Purchased this vehicle in Dec 2019, this is not acceptable! I'm contacting BBB and any news station! Whoever is willing to get this out in the publics eye and hold Dodge accountable!!

Most of us have contacted NHTSA and complained but with no results. If you find a way to get this out into the public eye, I am sure most of us would back you up. This is a safety issue for our families. These vehicles need to be recalled.

I just went back on the NHTSA web-site & how about there are 118 "complaints" on the vehicles in question, but you can't see or click on any complaints. When I did find one screen to see some "issues" using the word "door," 3 came up & mine was not there and none were recorded for this year. My door is back to opening again ONLY because I used the key fob and played with the lock at the same time, but it is still making that grinding or whatever noise. I'm just praying it keeps doing that until I can get rid of this van. This is crazy!! Oh I also tried to do a live chat & you can't even enter your name to get the chat started. I guess a few people have to die before they consider it a warning & you know good & well these Dodge garages have fixed this countless times!! Such a shame. I liked all my Dodge's, but never again!

2016 Dodge Caravan with passenger side sliding door not opening with button or manually. Door was stuck in lock position. I manually pushed the lock to unlock from the inside while pushing the unlock button on the fob, which successfully unlocked the door and allowed the door to be open both electronically and manually. While the door would open and close, it would not switch electronically to lock while the other doors would. I manually moved the lock to the locked position and then used the fob to lock it, then used the fob to unlock and open the door - which worked. Hope that works for some of you!

We should think about and I will put this complains in to Dodge because in this moment I don’t dare to have passengers in my van, most of all my grandkids, in the case that we get in an accident and I won’t be able to open that door to let them Out. We bought this car trusting them, they should live up to our trust. I will send my complain in tomorrow to any entity that I can find that could be involved in auto endangerment. Please, let’s all do the same. Bigger numbers can be heard better than individual voices. Think about your families and what could happen if we get in a car wreck, be this our fault or not, the consequences would be very tragic and hard to live with.

How do we do the online petitions to get lots of signatures? I’ll look into sometime this week.

I have no idea of how to do the petition but if you find out anything please let me know. Seems like I got something new happening every day since my post.The next day, I was able to use the key to unlock the driver side door but suddenly, the alarm goes off although I pressed the unlock button for the other side to unlock. So now I have the issue with the alarm going off and on. Going to have to disarm the alarm so that it won't keep randomly going off.

Submitted my complaint using the above link as well. It’s a shame this thread has been up for 2 years and nothing has come of it. I’m having the same problem on the passenger side and it all started with the buzzing sound

Same problem here - 33,000 km - barely driven just past warranty - quoted 300 - 700 to fix a door lock of all things. this will be the last gm product I ever buy.

There are multiple law companies investigating this for a potential class action. Dodge is not owning up to it. Do a google search and contact these law firms directly.

Messed with mine for about 10 min. Pulled the panel off on the door lock area, pulled up on the metal rod that connects to the manual lock as hard as I could while toggling the open button on the side door and it finally opened. Seems to be working fine for now. 2016 DGC.

Yeah we've all done that - it'll fail again in a few days.

I am so frustrated. I need to replace both actuators on both doors.. both doors are locked and wont open.. 2016 DGC.. Iv'e tried the key fob idea and pushing the unlock on the inside while trying to open it from the outside and neither door will open. Does anyone know if I can replace the acuators without opening the door? I will not pay 2000 or more dollars for someone else to do this. Please help!

GuruGWN9S, I had the same issue where I could not open the door at all, trying all the suggestions on this thread. I did manage to get the interior door panel off without opening the door (YouTube to the rescue). Once I had the panel off, I could get a good grip on the actuator rod that goes to the manual lock slider in the door and gave it a hard shove toward the back of the van. I felt something give way, and now my lock is working again (albeit with the buzzing sound others have reported so my actuator is probably on its last legs). I do a lot of my own work on cars, but TBH this one intimidates me. I think I can get it apart and replace the actuator, but I am not so certain of my ability to put it all back together again.

Buy the actuator and take it to an auto glass repair place. They are accustomed to opening up these sliding doors and can do the repair for a couple hundred bucks or less.

Dude I am going thru this too. Call dodge and complain!! If they get a certain amount of people complaining about the same issue they will do a recall. Just say it's an important issue to you because your kids exit that side because your parked on a busy road etc, it's a safety issue. CALL CALL CALL! everybody here should! Please and thanks! Dodge canada: 1 (800) 361-3700 Dodge america: 1800-423-6343

Not an answer but the same thing has just happened to my 2017 Dodge Caravan.

Not an answer but just happened to my 2016 dodge grand caravan this afternoon.

Just a reminder to folks dealing with the Dodge/Chrysler van sliding door lock actuator failure: my friendly dealer advised me to visit an auto glass repair guy. They're accustomed to dismantling sliding doors for window repair and can do this repair cheaply. Mine charged less than CDN$200 to replace the part, which I bought at Amazon for around $50.

It happened to my 2016 Grand Caravan (50K miles). the door were working fine, then one day the driver's sliding door just lock and you can't open any more.

How to file a complaint. https://www- odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

My 2014 DGC. Left sliding door won't unlock or open, right side door won't lock. 120k at the time of damage. How to file a complaint. https://www- odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

2018 GC in shop for 4th time. 1st time they said they couldn't find a problem but they calibrated the doors. 2nd, at 35742 miles, replaced passenger actuator. Parts cost under warranty: $305.51. 4 days later, 35841 miles. Back in shop for 4 days. Replaced passenger lock motor/latch assembly, module and applique panel, driver side lock motor/latch assembly and applique panel. $2184.66 in parts only. So, $2490.17 in parts so far. Labor would have been $149/he. 6 weeks later, now over 38000 miles. Back in shop for over a week. They said they had to back order 2 wiring harnesses. I don't have price yet but thousands of dollars worth of repairs and no confidence this is the end. Runs good.

This is a problem on my 2018 Caravan too!! I will try some of the suggestions. We must write a complaint to https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/contact-us we are trying to force a recall

I have a 2016 dodge carvan and last month my driver sliding door is stuck in lock and I can not get it unlock and I need to find a way to get it fixed and I need the name of where I can send a complaint this is dangerous and I really think if this has been going on this long something should of been done by the dodge dealers

Bought a 2016 Caravan from Carvana in 2018, my delivery got delayed because the passenger side sliding door did this. Not even year later and now the driver’s side is doing the same thing. This is clearly something Dodge should be dealing with. I have 4 kids and having a door not working is a nightmare.

Similar problem with my 2017 Grand Caravan. The driver side front lock will not respond to the key fob. Manually it will open and lock.

2017 Grand Caravan GT with 60k miles. My driver side sliding door did the same thing. I paid $10 roughly for a new actuator on Amazon and that fixed the problem. I found it was easiest to take the door right off of the van and lay it down on a blanket to work on it. Overall, it took about 2 hours to fix and it wasn’t an easy job by any means. Certainly a 2 person job

I paid about $27 on Amazon for the part that I think you’re talking about and a friend of ours is gonna try to fix it when the weather improves here in SoCal.

The driver-side sliding door on my 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan locked up on me the other day as described in this thread. After reading all the other answers, I tried all the various "solutions" and somehow managed to get the blown actuator to work one last time and open the door. The next day it locked up again, and no amount of fiddling around with the fob or armrest buttons would unlock it. HERE'S THE TEMPORARY SOLUTION: So today I removed the relatively small section of plastic casing around the door-lock lever by using a thin, dull blade (a butter knife, actually) to pry the casing off beginning from its bottom edge (it wasn't hard to take off). Once off, I could press the lock lever all the way forward and at the same use either door handle (inside or outside handle) to open the door. It will open only when the lever is depressed and held all the way forward. That can't be done unless the casing is removed. So now I must decide if I want to remove the entire door panel and replace the actuator, or figure out some other solution (like maybe disconnecting that door from the automatic locking mechanism and making it manual, if that's possible). Anyway, I hope that saves someone needless stress and expense.

I was able to gently force the lock to the unlock position manually on my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan GT with 71,201 miles. My locking mechanism works perfectly now. Not sure why it was stuck in the locked position. I didn’t have the proper tool to pry the door panel off without breaking the fasteners... good luck to all!

After searching for quite some time about this problem. It amazes me how many people have this problem. I agree with all. Safety issue, I’ve filed a complaint. Please do so if you haven’t. The last comment helped me. Beavkicks, thank you. By pushing unlock with my fob and holding to unlock on the door. It unlocked! It’s been 3 months plus. It’s not a total fix, but I can put my kid in the regular way, through his seat door. $1000 plus is crazy to pay, Dodge should be taking responsibility for this and it’s safety issue. Who wants to make t-shirts?

Buy the sliding door lock actuator from Roackauto for about $40. Take it to a body shop or windshield/glass replacement specialist (they're used to dealing with this). They can do the job in 2 hours. I paid between $120 and $160 labor for this repair (done twice). No need to spend 4 figures at a stealership.

Duster72! That sounds so much better. I will look into this. Thank you.

Same problem. Driver sliding door stuck. Manual lock in the closed position and doesn't move. Followed the advice of several gurus in this post. Got inside the car. Pushed the manual lock to the 'open' position hard and. at the same time, hit the open key in the fob. The door unlocked and opened. It can be closed and opened again without issues, at least for now. Made my Sunday afternoon, I was assuming either an expensive actuator replacement at dealership or half a day trying to do it by myself.

Same problem! Why hasn't there been a recall yet! Coming from a parent of a special needs child with two other children, this is a huge issue for us. I can't get my kids out of the car. Absolutely ridiculous!

Until lawsuits or a lack of sales is detrimental, until enough people get hurt, they will not offer a recall. The best thing you can do is share your experience across all of your social media with a link to this page "https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion- t41910_ds866499?sntEmlId=5651448568#msg1148038" contact the better business bureau and your states attorney general, especially with injuries. AND CONTACT AND FILE A COMPLAINT https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/contact-us

Had to pull door panel off and push rod back and down. Its hard to tell why its doing it the lock and actuator work fine once rod is in the right place. I think in extreme heat everything expands and the rod gets push over the rod guides and its stuck, some people might be lucky and its barely hung up so you can use the hand lock and actuator together and it frees it, But if the rod get above all guides you have to pull panel off. I broke a couple door panel clips off doing it but its worth it.

2017 dodge grand caravan has the same issue today. driver side sliding door in locked position, tried a few times to push it to unlock position hit the unlock button on fob. it did not work either. it is a safety issue.

I have the exact same problem that just happened on my 2016 Grand Caravan (91500 miles). Both sliding doors were working fine, then one day the driver's sliding door just froze--can't open it electronically or manually. The lock is stuck in the locked position and the power door lock switch won't move that door's lock to the 'unlock' position. When you try to move the lock/unlock button/lever on that sliding door, it's stuck in the locked position--even with a bunch of force I can't move the lever to the unlocked position--I feel like I'm going to break the lever if I force it too much. So the door is basically unuseable right now

GREAT NEWS!! I hope everyone can see this message. I just opened mail from FCA US and they are covering this issue!!! Says to call FCA US LLC customer care 1-800-423-6343 or 1-800-247-9753. And if you have already got it fixed you can get reimbursed!!! They are extending this warranty on this particular part to 15 years or 150,000 miles!! I am so pumped & going to get this fixed asap!!!!

Why was this post removed? A CarGurus user (mrscapel) answered a question you are following: "Driver's side sliding door stuck shut". They wrote: "GREAT NEWS!! I hope everyone can see this message. I just opened mail from FCA US and they are covering this issue!!! Says to call FCA US LLC customer care 1-800-423-6343 or 1-800-247-9753. And if you have already got it fixed you can get reimbursed!!! They are extending this warranty on this particular part to 15 years or 150,000 miles!! I am so pumped & going to get this fixed asap!!!! "

MrsScapel I was really excited to see your message about the coverage, but just called number and they said there was no recall and no extended coverage. I see the post was removed was there some kind of misunderstanding? Can you elaborate and were you able to get the issue covered? So frustrating.

Here is my letter.

Thank you. My Dodge is a 2012 so It sounds like it hasn’t been extended even though it has all the same issues! Ugh.

I posted something else, but I don't see it posted. I don't know if there is a delay in posting, but I called the 800 # & they told me to just call the dealership, but they had no idea why I got this letter "all of a sudden." My personal guess is that Chrysler is finally doing something about this. Just seems very odd that all of a sudden I got this letter, doesn't it? I posted something else & I posted my letter so you guys could see it. I would start raising a whole lot of HE** with Chrysler. This is a safety issue POINT BLANK. I am just fortunate I was able to get my door open. It still makes that annoying sound, but I just got used to it. Chrysler should be ashamed of themselves. They know they have had hundreds if not thousands of complaints on this!!!! I hope my other post shows up.

Plugged my vin in and got nothing. I would suggest going to Twitter and Instagram and tagging Chrysler recall, Mopar, and your local dealership and put the link back here so we can all retweet it and link it to social and our issues. I had the repairs made and was NEVER made aware of a recall. They only write the recall after the lawsuits tip the threshold of being more expensive than the repairs. Right now they are cleaning house on margin because of the cost increases. 20-30% higher than normal. It's a good time to sell, but bad time to have to get into something.

I received the same letter, except for 2016 model power door actuators.

I received a letter two weeks ago (1/2022) that said the warranty was extended to 150,000 for the door actuators. I scheduled a service call with the dealer. They ordered the parts and within two weeks both my doors open, shut and lock and without any noise. I was at 148,000 miles so I just barely made it.

And what year is your van?

Mine is a 2015

I called FCA. My vin was not included in extended warranty. I have a 2014. They said it was extended to 60,000 and expired in 2019 (We never received a notice). I have 67,000 miles on my car and the door just froze and stopped working. I was able to get the door open. Removed the door panel and pulled on the lock bar while pressing the key lock and unlock. I was told to keep all receipts for a repair in case they extend the warranty for my car. Since this is a safety issue with grandkids I will be sending a formal complaint to FCA Customer Care P.O. 21- 8004 Auburn Hill, MI 48321-8004 Attn FCA customer Care. With case number from phone call I made today.

I hope this helps. By some quirk of fate i was pushing the button on my drivers side passenger door when my wife, who was driving, turned off the engine. As she did that the button i was pushing moved forward. I pulled the door handle and the door opened. This is not a cure all but every time i do this trick the door opens. It's got to the point that the door opens all the time now. One slight problem. When i drive away and the doors automatically lock i get a buzzing sound from the door. Please let me know if this helps. Barry

The right slider on our 2018 dodge Grand Caravan froze up a couple of weeks ago. closed in the locked position and none of the controls had any effect. So I tried the suggestion to push the lever towards the unlock position forcefully and at the same time press the unlock button. I used the unlock button on the front passenger door. After a couple of presses, it worked! So we are able to open the door now. I think it may be stuck in the unlocked position now, but I haven't done a thorough evaluation. We should all report this to the National Highway Safety Board linked above.

Can't remember if I gave an update, but I did take my van back to the dealership and BOOM, they fixed it! They KNOW this is a problem, but yet won't do a recall!!! SHAMEFUL! Then the guy at the dealership was like, "We'll see if that is the problem." I DON'T THINK SO!! Just fix what I told you to fix & that's that. Regardless. It is fixed and didn't cost me anything. I hope everyone on here can get the same resolve I did.

In 2019 my 2016 Dodge caravan driver's side sliding door locked shut and could only unlock by pressing the key fob and manual unlock lever at the same time. I had it repaired and they replaced the sliding door latch assembly. In December 2021 I received a form from FCA US LLC Customer Center which I filled out and returned with receipts. Within 6 weeks I received a full refund from them.

just called FCA Canada for my 2012 caravan, of course they didn't want to cover, even though it's exactly the same issue!!! let's keep calling!! 1 (800) 361-3700

5/17/22 - I was having the same issues as many other in this discussion forum. The rear driver-side door abruptly stopped opening automatically and was locked shut. The rear passenger-side door had been buzzing for a couple of months, but was still operating. Based on the recommendations above I called the main Dodge customer service number. They said to call my local dealership and mention the extended warranty for the faulty actuators (x98). I made an appointment for service at my local dealership and a few days later I got my van back with two working doors. There was no charge since the service was covered under the recently issued extended warranty. Problem solved!

Thanks - what means 'extended warranty'? Is this an official thing and does it affect all manufacturing years?

I wanted to add to this as I have run into a similar problem with the Driver Side rear sliding door on our 2016 Grand Caravan SXT. In this case the door became stuck in the locked position and cannot be unlocked whether manually, key fob, electric lock/unlock button or other. We took the vehicle to the dealer as the passenger side sliding door had been making the "grinding" sound for a couple years (but continued working). They determined that the passenger sliding door was caused by a bad actuator and covered under the "extended warranty" others have mentioned. However when they removed the door panel and evaluated the driver side, stuck locked, they determined that the "latch" mechanism has failed and would be $895 for the part and ~$200 for labor to repair. I have ordered parts ($450 from online dealers and ~$100 "used" pulls) for the latch, 68030379AG, but have not yet disassembled the door and confirmed myself. As the failure is exactly the same as one of the modes identified in the actuator extended warranty document I would expect they should provide similar coverage. I have filed a report with the NHTSA for the "latch".

Same problem with the doors. I called local dealers but they said that the VIN# for my 2013 Dodge Caravan is not on the list for warranty repair...

Some years are and some are not even though it's the same problem. It's a shame they don't fix this in general. It's a safety issue. BTW got an offer from a shop to fix it for $300 only but then sold it to a dealer before I fixed it and he took care of it.

I've also tried to file a complaint to NHTSA but there is no option to file from Canada, apparently they only deal with US based owners.. Is there a website to file a complaint in Canada?

IDK ... I filed from the US