Your vehicle report
2002 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
- 290
- Received Dec 2001 to Apr 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbag warning light stays on28 complaints · 9.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Headlights dim or fail at night19 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Power steering cuts out while driving15 complaints · 5.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V531000On certain mini vans, condensation from the instrument panel air conditioning ducts may drop through vent holes in the top of the radio and result in a short circuit that subsequently sends direct current to the rear speakers.
- Recall #04V386000On certain minivans equipped with 3.3 or 3.8L V-6 engine, the upper power steering cooler hose may split and cause a fluid leak.
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: 12 crashes, 14 fires, 18 people injured, 2 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
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 |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 20 |
| 2003 | 52 |
| 2004 | 57 |
| 2005 | 32 |
| 2006 | 24 |
| 2007 | 23 |
| 2008 | 23 |
| 2009 | 7 |
| 2010 | 12 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 290 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag warning light stays on | 28 | 9.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 19 | 6.6% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 15 | 5.2% | – | NHTSA recall #04V386000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 14 | 4.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 4.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 13 | 4.5% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 13 | 4.5% | – | NHTSA recall #04V386000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 12 | 4.1% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 10 | 3.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 8 | 2.8% | – | NHTSA recall #02V274000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 2.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 6 | 2.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 6 | 2.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 5 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 5 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 5 | 1.7% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 4 | 1.4% | – |
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 #04V531000November 2, 2004238,000 vehicles affected
equipment: electrical: radio/tape deck/cd etc.
On certain mini vans, condensation from the instrument panel air conditioning ducts may drop through vent holes in the top of the radio and result in a short circuit that subsequently sends direct current to the rear speakers.
This could result in a speaker fire.
Remedy
Dealers will add a special tape to the top of the radio to prevent the potential of water intrusion. The recall began on january 31, 2005. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #04V386000August 5, 2004681,000 vehicles affected
steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
On certain minivans equipped with 3.3 or 3.8L V-6 engine, the upper power steering cooler hose may split and cause a fluid leak.
Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source Can result in an under hood fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the upper power steering cooler hose. This recall began on september 27, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #03V094000March 7, 20033,674 vehicles affected
structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
This overheating condition Can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. 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 southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.
NHTSA recall #02V274000October 8, 2002116,029 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
On certain mini vans, the fuel tank control valve weld joint could separate resulting in a possible fuel leak.
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source Can result in an underbody fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and replace it if necessary. Owner notification began october 28, 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 #01V310000October 4, 200152,649 vehicles affected
child seat
Vehicle description: certain mini vans fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the owner manuals supplied with these vehicles do not indicate which seating positions are equipped with tether anchorages and child restraint anchorage systems as required by the standard.
In the event of a crash, the child seat may not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with the necessary child restraint system information. Owner notification is expected to begin october 8, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free information within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
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 2002 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