Your vehicle report
1988 Dodge Caravan
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 103
- Received Mar 1995 to Aug 2004
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Tailgate or trunk latch fails21 complaints · 20% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Rear door latch fails to open or close8 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract5 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #88V107000Fuel tanks may be constructed of improper material.
- Recall #88V010000Fuel tanks may have been damaged during tank manufacture.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 6 fires, 4 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 50 |
| 1996 | 23 |
| 1997 | 11 |
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 103 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 21 | 20% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 8 | 7.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 4.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 4.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 4.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 4.9% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 3.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #88V010000, #88V107000 |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 3 | 2.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #88V107000July 1, 19884,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Fuel tanks may be constructed of improper material.
Fuel could leak at the tank seam which, in presence ofan ignition source, could result in a fire.
Remedy
Replace suspect fuel tanks.
NHTSA recall #88V010000January 26, 1988375 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Fuel tanks may have been damaged during tank manufacture.
This could result in fuel leakage with the potential fora fire.
Remedy
Replace fuel tanks as necessary.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1988 Dodge Caravan.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN