1997 Dodge Caravan Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 96 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1997 Dodge Caravan, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (27% of reports).
- 96electrical system complaints
- 71,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 26 of 96 complaints (27%)
- Cruise control: mentioned in 24 of 96 complaints (25%)
- Clock spring: mentioned in 13 of 96 complaints (14%)
- Airbag horn: mentioned in 10 of 96 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 96 complaints, 11 a fire, 1 an injury.
Dodge Caravan electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Caravan | 1 | 50% | 33,000 |
| 2015 Caravan | 4 | 17% | 43,000 |
| 2014 Caravan | 7 | 35% | 65,315 |
| 2013 Caravan | 15 | 50% | 45,000 |
| 2012 Caravan | 47 | 54% | 69,000 |
| 2011 Caravan | 54 | 69% | 63,862 |
| 2010 Caravan | 79 | 46% | 72,000 |
| 2009 Caravan | 72 | 61% | 85,000 |
| 2008 Caravan | 162 | 54% | 80,000 |
| 2007 Caravan | 9 | 11% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Caravan | 30 | 17% | 74,000 |
| 2005 Caravan | 123 | 23% | 70,251 |
| 2004 Caravan | 8 | 12% | 112,406 |
| 2003 Caravan | 29 | 15% | 53,206 |
| 2002 Caravan | 33 | 13% | 45,650 |
| 2001 Caravan | 29 | 11% | 78,000 |
| 2000 Caravan | 33 | 7% | 82,000 |
| 1999 Caravan | 64 | 12% | 86,979 |
| 1998 Caravan | 68 | 11% | 91,929 |
| 1997 Caravan | 96 | 13% | 71,000 |
| 1996 Caravan | 213 | 15% | 113,668 |
| 1995 Caravan | 40 | 8% | 76,250 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 1997 Dodge Caravan. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
My wife park the van inside the garage, turn off the radio, engine and lights. She open the drivers door and see flames and smoke coming by the parking brake handler. And all the lights on the van were on. She remove the kids from the van and my son call 911.police and fire department came and…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Dodge Caravans have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 96 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1997 Dodge Caravan (13% of the 714 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Dodge Caravan electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 71,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 26 of 96 complaints, followed by “cruise control” (24).
Other 1997 Dodge Caravan problems
See all 1997 Dodge Caravan problems or electrical system problems across all Caravan years.