1997 Dodge Grand Caravan Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 102,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (11% of reports).
- 81power train complaints
- 102,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 34%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 9 of 81 complaints (11%)
- Please provide: mentioned in 6 of 81 complaints (7%)
- Further information: mentioned in 5 of 81 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 2 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 1997 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.
Car suddenly lost power while driving on the freeway at 60mph; engine remained on. I pulled over, turned off the car, and it started back up again and drove fine for about 2 miles. 'service engine soon' light came on. When it lost power again, i slowed and then tried to reaccelerate, and it drove…
Was driving the van about approx 35 mph in a snow storm when it started to slide, i accelerated to keep from spinning out and the transmission let go..took it to the transmission shop that put it in and they said the spider gears were "welded" to the shaft and it caused the shaft to break..this is…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. The contact was changing the tire when he noticed that the rear axle was fractured and exhibited signs of rust. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the replacement parts were unattainable. The contact had not spoken with the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Dodge Grand Caravans have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about power train for the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan (14% of the 583 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 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 102,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 9 of 81 complaints, followed by “please provide” (6).
Other 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
See all 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan problems or power train problems across all Grand Caravan years.