Dodge Caravan Equipment Problems
Owners have filed 188 complaints with NHTSA about equipment problems on the Dodge Caravan across 15 model years. The 1996 model year has the most (42). The words owners use most often: “air conditioner” (22% of reports).
- 188equipment complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 43%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 conditioner: mentioned in 41 of 188 complaints (22%)
- Serpentine belt: mentioned in 12 of 188 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do equipment problems happen?
Based on 50 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 188 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 5 an injury.
Dodge Caravan equipment complaints by model year
| Model year | Equipment complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Caravan | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2008 Caravan | 4 | 1% | 41,000 |
| 2007 Caravan | 1 | 1% | 500 |
| 2006 Caravan | 2 | 1% | 49,499 |
| 2005 Caravan | 4 | 1% | 92,500 |
| 2004 Caravan | 4 | 6% | 37,000 |
| 2003 Caravan | 7 | 4% | 61,200 |
| 2002 Caravan | 15 | 6% | 66,799 |
| 2001 Caravan | 10 | 4% | 70,000 |
| 2000 Caravan | 18 | 4% | 55,000 |
| 1999 Caravan | 8 | 1% | — |
| 1998 Caravan | 25 | 4% | 54,223 |
| 1997 Caravan | 22 | 3% | 40,738 |
| 1996 Caravan | 42 | 3% | 66,000 |
| 1995 Caravan | 25 | 5% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Equipment:electrical:radio/tape deck/cd etc.
Model years: 2001, 2002
Problem: On certain mini vans, condensation from the instrument panel air conditioning ducts may drop through vent holes in the top of the radio and result in a short circuit that subsequently sends direct current to the rear speakers.
Risk: This could result in a speaker fire.
Fix: Dealers will add a special tape to the top of the radio to prevent the potential of water intrusion. The recall began on january 31, 2005. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Equipment:other:labels
Model years: 2000
Problem: On certain minivans and 4x2 pickup trucks, the vehicle certification label may have gross axle weight ratings (gawr) that exceed the maximum tire load capacity as defined in federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Risk: Improperly loading your vehicle can cause tire failure and result in a crash.
Fix: Owners will be provided with vehicle certification label overlays containing corrected information relative to vehicle gawr and tire size. Owner notification began march 1, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated, the horn failed, and the radio failed. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag clock spring needed to be replaced. The…
Changing tire, vehicle jack failed and came crashing down almost killing the driver. Upon review found jack failed. Main bolt appears to have some kind of metal failure bolt bent and jack fall down. 2006 7 passenger caravan sxt model 3.3 engine. Half tank of gas. This can be an issue if these jacks…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the radio wires would short circuit whenever the radio was activated. There was a recall related to the failure under nhtsa campaign id number 04v531000 (equipment). The vin was not included in the recall. In addition, the driver's…
The following request was received from the ntsb web site: message: van accident incident - 2000 dodge van 2500 on tuesday, may 22, 2012 around 4pm, i was on my way to maryville to pick up a tv. Traveling south on ebenezer road, i engaged the cruise control setting it at 45 mph. Approaching north…
2008 dodge caravan. Consumer writes in regards to problem with vehicle airbag *tgw the consumer stated a recall was issued and it was performed by an authorized dealer. The fix was supposed to prevent the air bags from deploying. The fix required the a/c drain tube and grommet to be rerouted to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Dodge Caravans have equipment problems?
No. NHTSA has 188 owner complaints about equipment for the Dodge Caravan. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Dodge Caravan equipment?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list equipment. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about equipment problems on the Dodge Caravan?
The most frequent phrase is “air conditioner”, in 41 of 188 complaints, followed by “serpentine belt” (12).
Other Dodge Caravan problems
See all Dodge Caravan problems.