1997 Dodge Grand Caravan problems & reliability
583 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 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.
22 complaints report injuries (37 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 107 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 104 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 102 | 17% |
| Power Train | 81 | 14% |
| Visibility | 61 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 54 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 48 | 8% |
| Steering | 35 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 30 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 | 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 103,000 miles (middle 50% between 80,000 and 134,996 miles), based on 132 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My van was parked out side luckys on mitalda near w maude avenue in sunnyvale ca 94086 I was using the water refilling station and started to smell smoke when I turned around I imideatlly noticed that the drivers side rear taillight was on fire. Not having a fire extinguisher I took the bottle of water I had in my…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jul 22, 2020
“Car suddenly lost power while driving on the freeway at 60mph; engine remained on. I pulled over, turned off the car, and it started back up again and drove fine for about 2 miles. 'service engine soon' light came on. When it lost power again, I slowed and then tried to reaccelerate, and it drove fine for about 5…”
Engine · filed Nov 26, 2019
“Serpentine belt comes off while driving in snow causing loss of power steering on slippery road surfaces. Loss of vehicle control and ability to regain vehicle control was compromised by lack of steering assist causing the vehicle to leave the roadway. I contacted chrysler and they said there is no recall for my…”
Steering · filed Dec 15, 2016
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
- 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
- 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 1997 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 Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
31-005-19 · 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
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 1997 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 1997 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 103,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.