1996 Dodge Grand Caravan problems & reliability
1,157 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Dodge Grand 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.
25 complaints report injuries (41 injured, 7 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 211 | 18% |
| Power Train → | 209 | 18% |
| Electrical System → | 197 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 177 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 174 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 124 | 11% |
| Visibility → | 99 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 95 | 8% |
| Steering → | 75 | 6% |
| Suspension → | 60 | 5% |
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 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 81,775 and 130,000 miles), based on 123 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Rubber fuel line in main engine bay is leaking fuel and cracked I have seen others that have burned down for this issue. Dodge fiat Chrysler needs to be aware that all 1996 to 2000 dodge caravans and Chrysler town and country’s could burn down if this fuel issue isn’t fixed I have already had to pay out of pocket to…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Apr 1, 2022
“My 1996 dodge grand caravan has the serpentine belt issue. It falls of if it rains. This problem is due to a design flaw from dodge. They used smooth pulleys instead of groved. In addition gates had to make a kit to fix this one single issue because it is so common. This is a very common issue and chrysler refuses to…”
Engine · filed Mar 10, 2016
“When driving my 1996 dodge grand caravan the speedometer goes crazy and the rpm gauge fluctuates a little and the rpms rap out around 40mph and wont shift its like it hit safety mode or something I think it is my wheel speed sensor what do you think?”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Nov 1, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING
Engineering Analysis EA01007 · opened Feb 21, 2001 · closed Nov 22, 2002 · led to recall 02V293000
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING
Preliminary Evaluation PE00032 · opened Aug 8, 2000 · closed Feb 21, 2001 · led to recall 02V293000
- DC MINIVAN FUEL INJECTOR RAIL LEAK
Recall Query RQ00008 · opened Mar 9, 2000 · closed Mar 18, 2002 · led to recall 00V268000
- POST COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM
Engineering Analysis EA99013 · opened Jun 11, 1999 · closed Aug 10, 2001
- POST-COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY
Preliminary Evaluation PE99010 · opened Feb 3, 1999 · closed Jun 11, 1999
- FUEL TANK LEAKS
Engineering Analysis EA97002 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Feb 10, 1998
- INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELT LOCKUP
Engineering Analysis EA97003 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Aug 19, 1998 · led to recall 98V185000
- INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELT LOCKUP
Investigation SQ96016 · opened Sep 18, 1996 · closed Feb 4, 1997
Technical service bulletins
8 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan.
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
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
3100519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
3100319 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
3100619 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
31-003-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
31-006-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Emissions recall stating that the radiator fan relay may not turn on the radiator cooling fans. *tt
8251 · 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 1996 Dodge Grand 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 1996 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 100,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.