1998 Dodge Caravan Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 135 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Caravan, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 72,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “serpentine belt” (33% of reports).
- 135engine and engine cooling complaints
- 72,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 31%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.
- Serpentine belt: mentioned in 45 of 135 complaints (33%)
- Head gasket: mentioned in 24 of 135 complaints (18%)
- Engine compartment: mentioned in 8 of 135 complaints (6%)
- Please provide further: mentioned in 7 of 135 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 45 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 135 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 10 a fire.
Dodge Caravan engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Caravan | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2010 Caravan | 9 | 5% | 4,986 |
| 2009 Caravan | 3 | 3% | 84,399 |
| 2008 Caravan | 5 | 2% | 75,780 |
| 2007 Caravan | 6 | 7% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Caravan | 13 | 8% | 37,000 |
| 2005 Caravan | 14 | 3% | 34,512 |
| 2004 Caravan | 4 | 6% | 38,250 |
| 2003 Caravan | 17 | 9% | 18,380 |
| 2002 Caravan | 19 | 8% | 65,900 |
| 2001 Caravan | 16 | 6% | 23,000 |
| 2000 Caravan | 61 | 13% | 62,420 |
| 1999 Caravan | 102 | 18% | 86,396 |
| 1998 Caravan | 135 | 21% | 72,000 |
| 1997 Caravan | 123 | 17% | 94,000 |
| 1996 Caravan | 215 | 15% | 79,000 |
| 1995 Caravan | 67 | 14% | 99,859 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 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 1998 dodge caravan. While driving various speeds, the power steering seized without warning. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the serpentine belt failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan. While driving 40 mph over a puddle, the serpentine time belt detached from the engine. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge caravan. While driving 30 mph the serpentine belt broke. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and could have caused a crash to occur due to inclement weather after the failure occurred. The serpentine belt was replaced three times. The contact stated there…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge Caravans have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 135 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Dodge Caravan (21% of the 629 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 1998 Dodge Caravan engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 72,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Caravan?
The most frequent phrase is “serpentine belt”, in 45 of 135 complaints, followed by “head gasket” (24).
Other 1998 Dodge Caravan problems
- Power Train problems (103)
- Air Bags problems (99)
- Electrical System problems (68)
See all 1998 Dodge Caravan problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Caravan years.