1997 Dodge Caravan Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Caravan years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 714 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Dodge Caravan. That ranks 2nd out of 23 Caravan model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (152 complaints, 21%), typically at around 95,356 miles. Complaints mention 44 crashes, 37 fires, 54 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
- 714owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 44complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Dodge Caravan problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 152 | 21% | 95,356 | “air bag” (49%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 133 | 19% | 70,502 | “transmission failed” (12%) | $3,300 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 123 | 17% | 94,000 | “serpentine belt” (18%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 96 | 13% | 71,000 | “air bag” (27%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 66 | 9% | 96,183 | “master cylinder” (12%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 57 | 8% | 100,000 | “fuel injection” (16%) | — |
| Visibility problems | 55 | 8% | 104,000 | “windshield wipers” (55%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 45 | 6% | 79,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 40 | 6% | 137,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 22 | 3% | 40,738 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 22 | 3% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 | 3% | 82,552 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 3% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 16 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 15 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 13 | 2% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 12 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 10 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 6 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 0% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 124,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 114,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Dodge Caravan recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: On certain mini vans, the clockspring assembly may have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
Risk: This condition will manifest itself through illumination of the air bag warning lamp, and could eventually result in a driver's air bag open circuit, if the part is not replaced in a reasonable amount of time.
Fix: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage. Daimlerchrysler will also reimburse owners who have paid to have the clockspring replaced on their vehicles. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain minivans, some trim material can loosen and drop into the rear outboard seat belt assembly, causing the seat belt to become inoperative.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the trim with foam blockers and inspect and replace all 3rd row seat belt assemblies. Owner notification began june 3, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on january 25, 2002. Due to the large quantity of vehicles involved in this campaign, the owner notification will be phased over the next several months. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Child seat
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint on the integrated child seat can become difficult to extract when the safety belt latch plate becomes contaminated.
Risk: This can cause difficulty in releasing a child from the restraint.
Fix: Dealers will clean the latch mechanism. An extender will be added to the emergency release anchor for the child seat safety belts so that the release clips are more visible and accessible to the operator in the event that the retractor mechanism can not be unlocked. In addition, an instructional owner's manual supplement card will be provided.
Tires:bead
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger minivans equipped with p215/65r15 goodyear conquest tires mounted on steel wheel. The tires can experience a sudden air pressure loss without warning.
Risk: Sudden tire failure could result in a loss of driver control of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will replace the tires that were mounted on steel wheels.
Wheels:rim
Problem: The steel road wheels were damaged by the equipment used to match mount the wheel to the tire.
Risk: A score mark was made on the wheel, affecting the durability of the wheel.
Fix: Dealers will replace all road wheels (and full size spare tires) with new wheels.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder
Problem: The master cylinder rear seal, between the hydraulic fluid and the vacuum reservoir, may not seal adequately allowing hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the power assist vacuum reservoir.
Risk: As the hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases, the level sensor will detect the loss of fluid and illuminate the instrument panel brake warning lamp. Continued operation of the vehicle with the warning lamp illuminated can result in extended stopping distances.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder on all affected vehicles. Addendum (4-14-97): vehicles inspected per chrysler recall no. 707 and found to be outside the listed suspect master cylinder date code range, must now have the master cylinder primary piston replaced (chrysler recall no. 714).
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rear seat belt malfunction (PE02004) — opened Jan 16, 2002, closed Mar 11, 2002, led to recall 02V076000.
- Air bag clockspring (EA01007) — opened Feb 21, 2001, closed Nov 22, 2002, led to recall 02V293000.
- Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak (RQ00008) — opened Mar 9, 2000, closed Mar 18, 2002, led to recall 00V268000.
- Post collision fuel system (EA99013) — opened Jun 11, 1999, closed Aug 10, 2001.
- Post-collision fuel system integrity (PE99010) — opened Feb 3, 1999, closed Jun 11, 1999.
- Integrated child seat belt lockup (EA97003) — opened Jan 31, 1997, closed Aug 19, 1998, led to recall 97I001000.
- Integrated child seat belt lockup (SQ96016) — opened Sep 18, 1996, closed Feb 4, 1997.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I know it's my solenoid my vehicle won't go out of 2 gear. My name is [XXX].[XXX] my number is [XXX]. I'm not sure if anything can be done being the vehicle is so old but I thought I'd give it a try. Email is [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge caravan. While driving approximately 35 mph, the engine shut down without warning. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and restarted after a few minutes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was due to electrical…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the radio stop working and the windshield wipers activated independently. In addition, the check engine, air bag and battery warning lights would illuminate and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge caravan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph over a puddle of water, there was a sudden loss of power steering assist. The failure only occurred whenever the contact was driving over a puddle of water, causing the serpentine belt to become…
When the vehicle is on, the key can be removed and the engine remains on. *tr
Other Dodge Caravan years
← 1996 Caravan · 1998 Caravan →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Caravan | 1 | 1 |
| 2016 Caravan | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 Caravan | 23 | 0 |
| 2014 Caravan | 20 | 0 |
| 2013 Caravan | 30 | 0 |
| 2012 Caravan | 87 | 0 |
| 2011 Caravan | 78 | 0 |
| 2010 Caravan | 172 | 2 |
| 2009 Caravan | 118 | 2 |
| 2008 Caravan | 302 | 2 |
| 2007 Caravan | 81 | 0 |
| 2006 Caravan | 173 | 2 |
| 2005 Caravan | 537 | 4 |
| 2004 Caravan | 65 | 1 |
| 2003 Caravan | 195 | 3 |
| 2002 Caravan | 245 | 4 |
| 2001 Caravan | 257 | 3 |
| 2000 Caravan | 470 | 4 |
| 1999 Caravan | 555 | 5 |
| 1998 Caravan | 629 | 5 |
| 1997 | 714 | 7 |
| 1996 Caravan | 1,403 | 9 |
| 1995 Caravan | 489 | 1 |
See all Dodge Caravan problems by year, every Dodge model, or the Dodge VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 152 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Dodge Caravan a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Caravan model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.