1993 Dodge Caravan problems & reliability
949 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1993 Dodge Caravan, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
58 complaints report injuries (85 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 321 | 34% |
| Seat Belts → | 114 | 12% |
| Power Train → | 101 | 11% |
| Steering → | 92 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 86 | 9% |
| Structure → | 82 | 9% |
| Visibility → | 52 | 5% |
| Electrical System → | 44 | 5% |
| Air Bags → | 34 | 4% |
| Seats → | 31 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 130,000 miles (middle 50% between 99,000 and 161,813 miles), based on 39 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tie rods went in the front. Brake pads had to be replaced. Then driving on the highway during rush hour traffic I lost the brakes. Pulled over and called to have the car towed in. Mechanic said the master cylinder needed replacement but because abs brakes, a new cylinder cannot be found. Dodge stopped making them…”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 8, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 dodge caravan. The contact stated that the abs and brake lights illuminated. In addition, the brake pedal traveled to the floor when it was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who checked the diagnostic trouble codes. The codes were cleared and the dealer performed a modulator…”
Service Brakes · filed Apr 26, 2016
“I just found out, that a recall that was suppose to be replaced years ago, as not replaced, just looked at. The abs on this van is known to be defective, and has a lifetime warranty on the van. I contacted dodge, and they refuse to fix it, and tell me they cant diagnois it because they dont have a tool. With is bs…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Oct 13, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING COLUMN SEPARATION
Defect Petition DP03002 · opened May 7, 2003 · closed Jul 22, 2003
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Recall Query RQ00011 · opened May 1, 2000 · closed Apr 1, 2002 · led to recall 96V229000
- REAR LIFTGATE SUPPORT
Recall Query RQ99004 · opened Apr 19, 1999 · open · led to recall 99V213000
- FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER
Engineering Analysis EA97020 · opened Sep 30, 1997 · closed Jul 27, 1999 · led to recall 99V189000
- SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE FAILURES
Engineering Analysis EA97005 · opened Apr 10, 1997 · closed Dec 23, 1997 · led to recall 97V149000
- WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE97013 · opened Apr 2, 1997 · closed Sep 30, 1997
- WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE
Defect Petition DP97001 · opened Mar 12, 1997 · closed Apr 2, 1997
- ALLEGED REAR LIFTGATE SUPPORT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA96027 · opened Oct 31, 1996 · closed May 16, 1997 · led to recall 97V079000
Technical service bulletins
54 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1993 Dodge Caravan. The 10 most recent:
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. *tt
0801001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2000
Subject regarding non-deployed airbag handling procedures. *tt
082700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
230800 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2000
This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts. *tt
080600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2000
Daimlerchrysler corporation is now offerinb airbag on / off switches for selected vehicles. *tt
083799 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 1999
Subject on the child seat tether anchors. *mjs
233599REVA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1993 Dodge Caravan has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1993 Dodge Caravan?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 130,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.