2012 Dodge Grand Caravan problems & reliability
583 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, alongside 6 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.
8 complaints report injuries (14 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles were involved in 64 fatal crashes with 25 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 336 | 58% |
| Engine | 118 | 20% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 68 | 12% |
| Unknown OR Other | 60 | 10% |
| Power Train | 48 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 38 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 24 | 4% |
| Structure | 19 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 18 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 18 | 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 95,000 miles (middle 50% between 53,200 and 120,000 miles), based on 367 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“We purchased our 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan 1/2026. Only 85000 miles on it. After about a week or 2, when husband tried go start van to go to work early cold, morning, van wouldn't start easily. Sometimes he would wait up to a few hours and keep trying to start, eventually it would. But last 3 days, its gotten harder to…”
Power Train · filed Apr 14, 2026
“The fuel pump would run all night and going down the road the van would cut off...had it checked the tipm was bad”
Electrical System · filed Feb 19, 2026
“My van tipm went out..it would cut off going down the road the safety door locks was not working the fuel pump was running all the time with switch off”
Electrical System · filed Nov 26, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
- Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
Defect Petition DP14004 · opened Sep 25, 2014 · closed Jul 24, 2015
Technical service bulletins
98 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan. The 10 most recent:
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, 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
Lubrication and Maintenance Fluids If MOPAR fluids and chemicals are not readily available, please review Service Library for specifications so a suitable alternative can be used
9100196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
wiTECH Small Leak Verification Test (SLVT) - P0456-EVAP SYSTEM SMALL LEAK
1804823 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 15, 2023
ADAPTER, Engine Oil Filter (Pentastar V6) For all 2014MY replace the Oil Filter Adapter (OFA). For any other MY review and follow instructions from the latest STAR Online S1809000007 available on Dealer Connect. Also…
9003357A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
ADAPTER, Engine Oil Filter (Pentastar V6) For all 2014MY replace the Oil Filter Adapter (OFA). For any other MY review and follow instructions from the latest STAR Online S1809000007 available on Dealer Connect. Also…
9003357a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
ADAPTER, Engine Oil Filter (Pentastar V6) For all 2014MY replace the Oil Filter Adapter (OFA). For any other MY (with mileage above 30,000) review and follow instructions from STAR Online S1809000007 REV. C available on…
9003357 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2023
ADAPTER, Engine Oil Filter (Pentastar V6) For all 2014MY replace the Oil Filter Adapter (OFA). For any other MY (with mileage above 30,000) review and follow instructions from STAR Online S1809000007 REV. C available on…
9003357 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2023
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 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan has 6 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 2012 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 95,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.