1997 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
The 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan has 857 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (14%) concerns engine. Next are electrical system (14%) and air bags (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 857 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 14% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 40 and 68
- Injuries and deaths
- 48 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 104,000 miles 181 complaints with mileage
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%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 2 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 6 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 8 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 23 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 37 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 32 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 29 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 28 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 6 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 5 |
| 200k+ miles | 5 |
What the data shows
Of the 181 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 104,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 100,000 miles (37 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 40 complaints mention a crash; 68 complaints mention a fire; 48 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 1997 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Dodge Grand Caravan with enough data (487 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 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.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. While stopped and preparing to pull into a driveway, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle on the passenger side, destroying the front of the vehicle. The driver side air bag did not deploy, however the passenger side air bag did deploy. The driver of the vehicle was killed. The vehicle was declared destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000. Updated 03/23/11
Dt: dt: the consumer purchased the vehicle from an individual. The vehicle caught on fire and was deemed totaled. After the accident the consumer learned of two recalls on the vehicle, one for the fuel rail and one for the air bags. The air bag did not deploy during the accident. The manufacturer sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. There was conflicting information on the letter sent to consumer. This happened on january 17, 2005 .
The clear plastic lenses that cover the head lamp bulbs have become extremely clouded and greatly diminish the brightness of the headlights. The dealer has told me that its normal. I have noticed this condition on many other similar vehicles and drivers are not aware of the condition . This condition creates an extreme safety concern for night time driving by reducing visibility. I believe that it is a design defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. While driving at 62 MPH, the vehicle stalled intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the instrument cluster and the body control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.