1990 Dodge Caravan problems
Owners have filed 341 complaints with NHTSA about the 1990 Dodge Caravan. Transmission is the most reported problem area, at 21% of complaints. After that come body & structure (17%) and latches & locks (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 341 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Transmission 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 16 and 8
- Injuries and deaths
- 13 and 1
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What the data shows
Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 8 complaints mention a fire; 13 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1990 ranks 17th most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Dodge Caravan with enough data (167 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Liftgate latch failed prior to recall, causing liftgate to open and threw rear passenger out of van, resulting in his death. *skd
While driving vehicle smelled burning wires and smoke came from under the dashbroad then burst into flame. Vehicle was totalled. Please describe details. Tt
I started noticing a slight grinding noise 1 week before the failure. It only happened when it was cold and only when turning left. I thought it could be a bad u-joint. On the morning of 2-16-07 8:15 am I was turning left at an intersection when the transmission gave out. It chewed up one of the bearings (which a mechanic later told me was notorious for going out) and dropped them all over the road. I was caught in the middle of the intersection with no way to go anywhere, blocking traffic.
Tl*the contact owns a 1990 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to stop intermittently when the brake pedal was depressed. In addition, the brake warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel during the failures. The dealer replaced the brake pump at the cost of over $400. She called the manufacturer in reference to NHTSA campaign id number 90v145000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:differential proportional valve), but was denied reimbursement for being verbally…