2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Engine Problems
Owners have filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 106,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “shuts off” (11% of reports).
- 119engine complaints
- 106,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 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.
- Shuts off: mentioned in 13 of 119 complaints (11%)
- Cylinder head: mentioned in 8 of 119 complaints (7%)
- Chrysler jeep: mentioned in 7 of 119 complaints (6%)
- Steering brakes: mentioned in 6 of 119 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 90 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 119 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Dodge Grand Caravan engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Grand Caravan | 2 | 10% | 83,749 |
| 2019 Grand Caravan | 43 | 18% | 45,000 |
| 2018 Grand Caravan | 34 | 13% | 65,110 |
| 2017 Grand Caravan | 58 | 14% | 61,556 |
| 2016 Grand Caravan | 83 | 8% | 80,000 |
| 2015 Grand Caravan | 38 | 14% | 101,000 |
| 2014 Grand Caravan | 80 | 22% | 78,000 |
| 2013 Grand Caravan | 70 | 15% | 93,000 |
| 2012 Grand Caravan | 119 | 20% | 106,000 |
| 2011 Grand Caravan | 92 | 17% | 90,000 |
| 2010 Grand Caravan | 137 | 16% | 96,000 |
| 2009 Grand Caravan | 42 | 8% | 80,000 |
| 2008 Grand Caravan | 117 | 9% | 92,000 |
| 2007 Grand Caravan | 26 | 14% | 84,500 |
| 2006 Grand Caravan | 16 | 6% | 95,600 |
| 2005 Grand Caravan | 24 | 2% | 115,500 |
| 2004 Grand Caravan | 6 | 5% | 87,500 |
| 2003 Grand Caravan | 7 | 3% | 149,000 |
| 2002 Grand Caravan | 6 | 2% | 170,000 |
| 2001 Grand Caravan | 1 | 0% | 168,000 |
| 2000 Grand Caravan | 12 | 3% | 138,500 |
| 1999 Grand Caravan | 3 | 1% | 255,000 |
| 1998 Grand Caravan | 5 | 1% | 130,000 |
| 1997 Grand Caravan | 4 | 1% | 105,617 |
| 1996 Grand Caravan | 2 | 0% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2012 chrysler vehicles, including 200 and town and country models, dodge vehicles, including charger, durango, grand caravan and journey models and jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured from august 31, 2011, through september 13, 2011, that are equipped with 3.6l engines. These engines may experience connecting rod bearing failure due to debris inside the engine block.
Risk: Connecting rod failure may lead to engine seizure which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners and replace the engine free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about november 18, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Randomly shuts off Says key is in the ignition when it isnt
The fuel pump would run all night and going down the road the van would cut off...had it checked the tipm was bad
While driving, the vehicle will periodically shut down/lose all power. This appears to occur when a slight bump in the road occurs. The loss of power to the vehicle is obviously a significant safety issue. We have been able to restart it when switching to neutral and turning the key; however, this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Dodge Grand Caravans have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 119 owner complaints about engine for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan (20% of the 584 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 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 106,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan?
The most frequent phrase is “shuts off”, in 13 of 119 complaints, followed by “cylinder head” (8).
Other 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
See all 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan problems or engine problems across all Grand Caravan years.