2003 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
The 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan has 289 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (16%) concerns steering. Next are electrical system (11%) and air bags (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 289 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 17 and 7
- Injuries and deaths
- 31 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 50,000 miles 226 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 | 51 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 41 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 32 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 34 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 26 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 9 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 8 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 10 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 6 |
What the data shows
Of the 226 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 50,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 40,000 miles (34 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 17 complaints mention a crash; 7 complaints mention a fire; 31 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 21st most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Dodge Grand Caravan with enough data (208 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 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.
I had the clockspring in my 2003 dodge grand caravan replaced (after the warranty expired) somewhere around 40,000 miles. The clockspring caused my steering wheel to lock up when turning a corner. The dealer repaired the clockspring along with a related airbag component they said was also needed. This repair work was done at the dealership in july of 2004. On september 29th,2004 I was involved in a collision with a woman who ran a red light. I was in my dodge grand caravan with my 4 children (14,10,6,and 5).
Dt*: the contact stated that both the front driver and passenger side seatbealts became unbuckled in a crash. The vehicle experienced both a frontal and rear impact; the crash involved 3 other vehicles. The vehicle was 2nd in the row of vehicles involved in the collision. The vehicle was travelling 70 MPH at the time of the accident. The incident was the first time the consumer encountered the seatbelt becoming unbuckled without depresssing the release button. The buckle was free of dirt and other contaminants.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge grand caravan. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The contact shifted into neutral and maneuvered into the emergency lane, where the engine stalled without warning. The contact noticed flames emitting from the rear of the vehicle. The contact and passengers exited the vehicle. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was not filed.
The main problem was the vehicle not going into gear or moving, plus we notice that on any incline the vehicle will roll backwards if you have to stop at a light. The first problem has been fixed, according to the mechanic there was a leak and the solenoid was replaced. However, we are still experiencing problems with the incline, which they say is normal and the transmission is operating as designed. I totally disagree, I've been driving for a while and only manual transmission react this way on an incline.
About six months ago, my wife's van has been making a whining sound from the steering pump. The noise intensifies once the steering wheel is being turned. I was told that the steering pump may have to be replaced. Eventhough this van is 6 years old, it was in storage for 3 years. The car was operated once a month in storage. This shouldn't be happening.