1996 Dodge Grand Caravan Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 209 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 87,350 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (13% of reports).
- 209power train complaints
- 87,350median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,550typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%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.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 27 of 209 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan at $3,550, and half of them between $2,900 and $4,000.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2004), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 209 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Dodge Grand Caravan power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Grand Caravan | 8 | 40% | 76,858 |
| 2019 Grand Caravan | 49 | 20% | 67,000 |
| 2018 Grand Caravan | 23 | 8% | 49,000 |
| 2017 Grand Caravan | 37 | 9% | 72,000 |
| 2016 Grand Caravan | 221 | 22% | 88,000 |
| 2015 Grand Caravan | 77 | 27% | 94,000 |
| 2014 Grand Caravan | 19 | 5% | 79,000 |
| 2013 Grand Caravan | 36 | 8% | 74,000 |
| 2012 Grand Caravan | 48 | 8% | 76,100 |
| 2011 Grand Caravan | 43 | 8% | 63,650 |
| 2010 Grand Caravan | 40 | 5% | 67,477 |
| 2009 Grand Caravan | 20 | 4% | 71,000 |
| 2008 Grand Caravan | 68 | 5% | 70,000 |
| 2007 Grand Caravan | 23 | 13% | 55,350 |
| 2006 Grand Caravan | 12 | 4% | 66,500 |
| 2005 Grand Caravan | 22 | 2% | 40,800 |
| 2004 Grand Caravan | 3 | 3% | 69,700 |
| 2003 Grand Caravan | 28 | 13% | 24,000 |
| 2002 Grand Caravan | 42 | 14% | 50,045 |
| 2001 Grand Caravan | 29 | 10% | 56,700 |
| 2000 Grand Caravan | 95 | 21% | 51,244 |
| 1999 Grand Caravan | 72 | 17% | 69,000 |
| 1998 Grand Caravan | 81 | 14% | 78,027 |
| 1997 Grand Caravan | 81 | 14% | 102,000 |
| 1996 Grand Caravan | 209 | 18% | 87,350 |
| 1995 Grand Caravan | 24 | 22% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 1996 Dodge Grand 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.
I have a 1996 dodge grand caravan le 3.8. In the last 2 months the serpentine belt slipped off 2 times when it is raining outside or the van goes through a puddle of water. I have almost been killed twice. I have read that other dodge owners have also had this problem. The wheel cannot be…
Automatic transmission broke for the third time in just 30,000 miles, this time my wife and 4 kids were nearly killed on a busy interstate because we were almost hit . This vehicle is a 1996 dodge grand caravan. *nm
We have had the car approx 6 years and had to put in five transmissions. They keep burning up and nobody can tell us why. We use the vehicle for very little transportation to and from school mostly approx 2 and 1/2 miles each way. The van constantly bucks when slowing down from high speeds to low…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Dodge Grand Caravans have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 209 owner complaints about power train for the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan (18% of the 1,157 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 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 87,350 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,550 (half paid between $2,900 and $4,000), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 27 of 209 complaints.
Other 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
See all 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan problems or power train problems across all Grand Caravan years.