1993 Dodge Grand Caravan problems & reliability
289 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1993 Dodge Grand 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.
11 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 88 | 30% |
| Power Train → | 51 | 18% |
| Seat Belts → | 44 | 15% |
| Structure → | 32 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 22 | 8% |
| Visibility → | 17 | 6% |
| Equipment → | 14 | 5% |
| Air Bags → | 13 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 11 | 4% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 9 | 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 136,972 miles (middle 50% between 100,000 and 161,000 miles), based on 45 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed, the brake pedal required excessive effort to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Apr 26, 2024
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 dodge grand caravan. While driving 20 mph, the brakes failed without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop and crashed into the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained. The…”
Service Brakes · filed Oct 3, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 dodge grand caravan. While driving 30 mph, the brake pedal was depressed, but hesitated to respond. The abs warning indicator illuminated. The brake pedal stiffened and traveled to the floor before the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician…”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 20, 2016
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
- SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE FAILURES
Engineering Analysis EA97005 · opened Apr 10, 1997 · closed Dec 23, 1997 · led to recall 97V149000
- SAFETY BLT LATCH OPERATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE96008 · opened Jan 25, 1996 · closed Jun 28, 1996
- ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILS
Engineering Analysis EA94028 · opened Jul 29, 1994 · closed Jun 24, 1996 · led to recall 96V099000
- ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE94024 · opened Mar 7, 1994 · closed Jul 29, 1994
- LIFTGATE LATCHES
Engineering Analysis EA94005 · opened Jan 31, 1994 · closed Oct 25, 1995
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan.
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
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 Grand 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 Grand 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 136,972 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.