Your vehicle report
1996 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
- 1,157
- Received Feb 1996 to Apr 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline116 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Horn fails with airbag warning light104 complaints · 9.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission fails or loses power while driving81 complaints · 7.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V293000On certain mini vans, the clockspring assembly may have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
- Recall #00V268000Vehicle description: mini vans built with 3.3L and 3.8L engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
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: 31 crashes, 42 fires, 41 people injured, 7 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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
- Front brake rotors warp and wear early
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up
- 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 | 38 |
| 1997 | 111 |
| 1998 | 95 |
| 1999 | 135 |
| 2000 | 184 |
| 2001 | 226 |
| 2002 | 172 |
| 2003 | 79 |
| 2004 | 57 |
| 2005 | 18 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 1,157 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 116 | 10% | – | NHTSA recall #00V268000, #95V236000, #99V216000 |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 104 | 9.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 81 | 7.0% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 74 | 6.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 61 | 5.3% | – | NHTSA recall #98V185000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 50 | 4.3% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 45 | 3.9% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 39 | 3.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 39 | 3.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 36 | 3.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 35 | 3.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 25 | 2.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 19 | 1.6% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 18 | 1.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 17 | 1.5% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 17 | 1.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 17 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 16 | 1.4% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 16 | 1.4% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 15 | 1.3% | – |
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 #02V293000November 7, 20021,500,521 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
On certain mini vans, the clockspring assembly may have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
This condition will manifest itself through illumination of the air bag warning lamp, and could eventually result in a driver's air bag open circuit, if the part is not replaced in a reasonable amount of time.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage. Daimlerchrysler will also reimburse owners who have paid to have the clockspring replaced on their vehicles. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #00V268000September 13, 20001,163,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
Vehicle description: mini vans built with 3.3L and 3.8L engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that Can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source Can result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on january 25, 2002. Due to the large quantity of vehicles involved in this campaign, the owner notification will be phased over the next several months. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #99V216000August 9, 1999635,469 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Vehicle description: minivans. Fuel Can leak from the fuel tank at the interface of the fuel pump module attachment.
If a fuel leak occurs in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module attaching nut with a nut that includes tighter design tolerances. The sealing o-ring will also be replaced.
NHTSA recall #98V185000August 6, 1998157,000 vehicles affected
child seat
Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint on the integrated child seat Can become difficult to extract when the safety belt latch plate becomes contaminated.
This Can cause difficulty in releasing a child from the restraint.
Remedy
Dealers will clean the latch mechanism. An extender will be added to the emergency release anchor for the child seat safety belts so that the release clips are more visible and accessible to the operator in the event that the retractor mechanism Can not be unlocked. In addition, an instructional owner's manual supplement card will be provided.
NHTSA recall #96V136000July 18, 1996200 vehicles affected
seat belts: integrated child seat
The bolts which secure the integrated child seat modules to the seat frame Can break.
In the event of a vehicle accident, the child seat may not provide adequate protection to the occupant.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the integrated child seat module bolts.
NHTSA recall #96V002000January 16, 1996265,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
A static electric charge Can build up on the ungrounded metal section of the fuel filler tube.
This condition could cause a spark to occur when fueling the vehicle and possibly ignite the fuel vapors.
Remedy
Dealers will install a ground strap for the fuel filler tube.
NHTSA recall #96V006000January 11, 199640,000 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline
In certain vehicles, the engine cylinder head oil galley plug does not seal properly and engine cylinder head oil is not adequately retained.
Inadequate sealing and retention of the plug Can result in oil leakage which could cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Remedy
Dealers will install an expansion plug and retaining bracket over the cylinder head oil galley plug.
NHTSA recall #95V236000December 8, 199580,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
The fuel tank rollover valve Can allow fuel to pass into the vapor canister resulting in the potential for fuel leakage.
Fuel leakage increases the potential for a vehicle fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler tube with a filler tube that has an additional rollover valve. The associated rollover valve vapor hoses will be rerouted.
NHTSA recall #95V225000November 28, 199520,000 vehicles affected
seats
The bolts which secure the rear bench seats to the seat risers may be embrittled and fracture.
In case of an accident, the bolt may fail and Can cause the seat to break away from the seat risers, which increases the potentialof injury to its occupants.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the rear bench seat to riser bolts.
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 1996 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