2006 Dodge Caravan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
231 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Dodge Caravan, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 74,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2006 Dodge Caravan has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2006 sits among all Caravan years
What owners report
“Driving on the interstate when dash board lights started to flicker on and off, the engine stalled for a few second, but did not lose power. What going on, why is this happening.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Caravan
“"takata recall" the air bag lights are on all the time when the car engine is turned on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Caravan
“Passenger side air bag exploded. Luckily no injury. Vehicle was not moving. I didn't even know it could do that! I'd like this fixed. Also, two leaks in engine. Oil leak/transmission leak. Is this normal? Leaks are ongoing. Another thing: noticing headlights getting slightly dimmer, then brighter,…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Caravan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 195 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 92,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
CURT MFG IS RECALLING CERTAIN CLASS 3 RECEIVER HITCHES, P/N 13347, SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON 1997-2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VANS, 1996-2007 DODGE CARAVANS, AND 1996-2004 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER VANS. WHEN THE HITCH IS LOADED TO THE MAXIMUM…
Fix: CURT MFG WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND WILL REPLACE THE HITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING AUGUST 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CURT MFG AT 1-715-831-8713.
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 DODGE CARAVAN, GRAND CARAVAN AND CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS,…
Fix: CHRYSLER WILL REPLACE THE FRONT AIRBAG SENSORS WITH A NEW DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN WILL BEGIN DURING JUNE 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
EAGLE EYES IS RECALLING 11,534 HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. CS090-B001L AND CS090-B001R, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE LOWER BEAM PHOTOMETRY REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR…
Fix: EAGLE EYES WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REPLACEMENT HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT EAGLE EYES AT 1-800-568-1098.
MAXZONE IS RECALLING 2,520 HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, DEPO BRAND, P/NOS. 3341103L-AS AND 334-1103R-AS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR 2001-2007 DODGE CARAVAN PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR…
Fix: MAXZONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 16, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAXZONE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: 1-888-286-1188 (WA,…
CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF…
Fix: SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND…
ON CERTAIN VANS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ARMATURE SHAFT MAY BREAK.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2006, TO DODGE DURANGO OWNERS. MINIVAN OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 10V008000.
Led to recall campaign 07V192000.
Technical service bulletins
42 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2006 Dodge Caravan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2006 Caravan TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2006 Dodge Caravan reliable?
The 2006 Dodge Caravan drew 231 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (1996).
What are the most common 2006 Dodge Caravan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Dodge Caravan are electrical (47 complaints), steering (28), and airbags (28).
At what mileage do 2006 Dodge Caravan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Dodge Caravan problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 92,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Dodge Caravan have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 Dodge Caravan. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.