1998 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
The 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan has 761 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (19%) concerns engine. Next are air bags (14%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 761 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 49 and 34
- Injuries and deaths
- 47 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 90,000 miles 283 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 | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 12 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 34 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 57 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 64 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 38 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 33 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 25 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 7 |
| 200k+ miles | 7 |
What the data shows
Of the 283 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 90,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 86,000 miles (66 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 49 complaints mention a crash; 34 complaints mention a fire; 47 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 1998 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Dodge Grand Caravan with enough data (408 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 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.
A 200 lb 80 year old man was sitting in the passenger seat of his van. When he and his wife was rear-ended in a 25-30 MPH impact by a 85 nissan pickup. The impact caused the passenger seat to fall backwards and the man broke his neck, he passed away a few days later. Seeing how this is a fairly new vehicle, it does not seem right that the seat broke under such a relatively minor impact.
Vehicle was in an accident going at 30-40MPH. Vehicle t-boned another vehicle causing consumer to hit head on windshield. Upon impact, front air bags failed to deploy. A complaint was filed with chrysler, and special investigation unit will contact the consumer to come out and inspect. Total damge done to vehicle was $6700, chrysler investigator stated it was just hit in the wrong spot. *slc
While traveling through parking lot, vehicle caught on fire under the hood, there was one injury, claim 22-v298-813. *slc
Dear NHTSA: iam posting the exact problem as listed under your "defects" page for my specific vehicle: make : dodge model : grand caravan year : 1998 manufacturer : daimlerchrysler corporation ervice bulletin num : 98771 date of bulletin: may 01, 1998 NHTSA item number: 601474 component: engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan summary: the radiator fan relay may not turn on the radiator cooling fans, causing engine to overheat. ================ this problem happened to me a little over a year ago.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 dodge grand caravan. While driving approximately 35 MPH the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to the contacts home. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who stated the serpentine belt detached from the vehicle. The serpentine belt was replaced. The failure occurred intermittently four times. The mechanic installed a tensioner to hold the serpentine belt in place. The failure continued to occur. The vehicle was repaired.