Your vehicle report
1992 Dodge Grand 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
- 255
- Received Feb 1996 to Jan 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract56 complaints · 22% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up37 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission fails or loses power while driving18 complaints · 7.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V189000Vehicle description: minivans. The left hand windshield wiper pivot drive arm was not mechanically staked to the pivot shaft.
- Recall #97V148000Vehicle description: passenger mini-vans. Covers on the solid stalk mounted seat belt buckles can become dislodged causing the release button to stick inside the cover. The buckle would then be only partially latched.
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: 14 crashes, 4 fires, 26 people injured, 1 death.
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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 21 |
| 1997 | 77 |
| 1998 | 38 |
| 1999 | 26 |
| 2000 | 37 |
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2002 | 14 |
| 2003 | 7 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 255 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 56 | 22% | – | NHTSA recall #97V148000, #97V149000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 37 | 15% | – | NHTSA recall #96V099000 |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 18 | 7.1% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 14 | 5.5% | – | NHTSA recall #97V079000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 12 | 4.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 3.9% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 2.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 6 | 2.4% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 5 | 2.0% | – | NHTSA recall #99V189000 |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 5 | 2.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 5 | 2.0% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.2% | – | NHTSA recall #96V229000 |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 3 | 1.2% | – |
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 #99V189000July 16, 1999828,559 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
Vehicle description: minivans. The left hand windshield wiper pivot drive arm was not mechanically staked to the pivot shaft.
This could allow the drive arm to disengage from the shaft leading to a loss of wiper function. The driver's visibility would be impaired, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left hand side windshield wiper pivot assembly.
NHTSA recall #97V148000September 9, 19971,100,000 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: buckle assembly
Vehicle description: passenger mini-vans. Covers on the solid stalk mounted seat belt buckles Can become dislodged causing the release button to stick inside the cover. The buckle would then be only partially latched.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will install a cover retaining clip to the stalk mounted buckle cover to prevent dislocation of the buckle cover.
NHTSA recall #97V149000September 9, 19971,100,000 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger mini-vans. The center rear seat, right outboard side, safety belt anchor hook Can become unattached from the body anchor position.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the anchor hook retaining clip with a revised profile clip and a cover plate.
NHTSA recall #97V079000May 16, 1997436,000 vehicles affected
structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: support device/strut
The bolts used to attach the strut to the body and the rear liftgate Can accumulate fatigue damage if three factors combine. If the bolt is loose, the gas strut is over-pressurized, and the frequency of opening and closing cycles is higher than for the average customer, the bolt Can fail.
Personal injury could occur if the bolts break allowing the liftgate to fall suddenly.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect for loose fasteners, if the fasteners are loose, the strut (and integral bolts) will be replaced. If the bolt shows evidence of torque, the bolt will be removed, larger washers will replace the existing washer and the bolt will be reinstalled and hand tightened to the target torqued.
NHTSA recall #96V229000November 18, 1996675,000 vehicles affected
steering: steering wheel/handle bar
The steering wheel armature stamping Can crack and separate from the center hub attachment to the steering column.
If the steering wheel separates from the center hub attachment to the steering column, loss of control Can occur increasing the risk of an accident.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the steering wheel for armature cracks in the center hub attachment area. Any steering wheels showing cracks will be replaced. All other vehicles will have a reinforcement plate installed to prevent steering wheel separation in the event cracking occurs.
NHTSA recall #96V099000June 13, 1996321,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
The ABS hydraulic control unit Can experience excessive brake actuator piston seal wear causing pump-motor deterioration.
If this condition occurs, the ABS function could be lost and reduced power assist would be experienced during vehicle braking increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Dealers will test the vehicle's anti-lock brake system and repair the vehicles if necessary. Also the warranty on all ABS components will be extended to 10 years or 100,000 miles (except for the brake actuator piston assembly and the pump-motor assembly which will have a lifetime coverage). Owners will also be reimbursed for previous ABS component repair costs.
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 1992 Dodge Grand 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