2009 Dodge Caravan problems & reliability
118 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Dodge Caravan, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 72 | 61% |
| Air Bags | 26 | 22% |
| Engine | 17 | 14% |
| Wheels | 9 | 8% |
| Steering | 8 | 7% |
| Tires | 8 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 4% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 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 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 52,780 and 96,500 miles), based on 68 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The door in the back will open an close on it on almost closed on my daughter while get out of car an no button was pushed to close the door. Going down the road and all gauges are coming on an wipers coming on by them self . Key getting stuck in the ignition.”
Electrical System · filed Jan 7, 2019
“Vehicle (2009 d. Caravan) was being driven on a city street. After having stopped at a 4-way intersection, driver proceeded into intersection at very low speed and was struck broadside on the right when a 1999 chev. Tahoe failed to stop. Tahoe speed estimated at 30-35 mph. Rt. Side air bags deployed at which time…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 18, 2018
“On october 24, 2017 at approximately 12:00 noon my van was parked with the engine off and all of a sudden both side airbags in the van deployed. No one was in the car. Car was totaled by my insurance company. I reported this to chrysler and they will not do anything about the total loss of my veichle”
Air Bags · filed Nov 8, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
Defect Petition DP14004 · opened Sep 25, 2014 · closed Jul 24, 2015
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Dodge Caravan. The 10 most recent:
Pad kit - rear disc brake, front disc brake
108463 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025
Pad kit - rear disc brake, front disc brake
108464 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 17, 2025
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number…
9004009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2021
Cooler line, Power steering return The clips that hold the line to the core support are not available at this time and will need to be reused. Use care when opening and re-latching clip.
9004300 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2020
(Revision A) No Start No Crank ? Starter Will Not Engage And There Are No Related Codes Or Concerns
S1121000006RevA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2020
(Revision A) No Start No Crank ? Starter Will Not Engage And There Are No Related Codes Or Concerns
S1121000006 Rev. · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2020
Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19
23-015-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
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 2009 Dodge Caravan has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2009 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 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.