Dodge Grand Caravan Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Dodge Grand Caravan model year from 1990 to 2020, benchmarked against each other with 18,836 federal complaints, 80 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 1996–1997, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2016. These years top the Grand Caravan's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1990–1991, 1994–1995, 2001, 2003–2004, 2007, 2018–2019 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Grand Caravan's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Dodge Grand Caravan.
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
ON MAY 7, 1997, CHRYSLER FILED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO RECALL 436,000 1992 DODGE CARAVAN/GRAND CARAVAN, PLYMOUTH VOYAGER/GRAND VOYAGER AND CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VEHICLES TO REPAIR THE LIFTGATE SUPPORTS; SAFETY RECALL 97V-079.ODI HAD INVESTIGATION THE REAR LIFTGATE SUPPORT PROBLEM FOR…
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Electrical tops the Dodge Grand Caravan file with 4,945 complaints, concentrated in the 2008, 2010 model years, most often reported around 84,508 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Few reports | 27 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2019 | Better year | 313 | 4 | Electrical | 18 |
| 2018 | Better year | 356 | 4 | Electrical | 19 |
| 2017 | Typical | 546 | 3 | Electrical | 27 |
| 2016 | Avoid | 1,264 | 6 | Electrical | 61 |
| 2015 | Typical | 351 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 21 |
| 2014 | Typical | 480 | 5 | Electrical | 29 |
| 2013 | Below average | 656 | 4 | Electrical | 36 |
| 2012 | Below average | 816 | 6 | Electrical | 41 |
| 2011 | Below average | 821 | 4 | Electrical | 44 |
| 2010 | Avoid | 1,309 | 6 | Electrical | 67 |
| 2009 | Below average | 798 | 7 | Electrical | 40 |
| 2008 | Avoid | 1,965 | 8 | Electrical | 99 |
| 2007 | Better year | 273 | 3 | Electrical | 18 |
| 2006 | Typical | 378 | 4 | Electrical | 23 |
| 2005 | Avoid | 1,341 | 6 | Electrical | 69 |
| 2004 | Better year | 144 | 3 | Fuel system | 7 |
| 2003 | Better year | 289 | 3 | Electrical | 18 |
| 2002 | Typical | 417 | 6 | Airbags | 26 |
| 2001 | Better year | 362 | 5 | Electrical | 19 |
| 2000 | Typical | 558 | 8 | Transmission & drivetrain | 33 |
| 1999 | Below average | 599 | 5 | Airbags | 36 |
| 1998 | Below average | 761 | 6 | Engine | 49 |
| 1997 | Avoid | 857 | 6 | Electrical | 56 |
| 1996 | Avoid | 1,860 | 11 | Electrical | 100 |
| 1995 | Better year | 118 | 3 | Transmission & drivetrain | 6 |
| 1994 | Better year | 248 | 6 | Transmission & drivetrain | 15 |
| 1993 | Typical | 391 | 9 | Brakes & stability | 21 |
| 1992 | Typical | 319 | 8 | Brakes & stability | 21 |
| 1991 | Better year | 150 | 8 | Brakes & stability | 8 |
| 1990 | Better year | 69 | 3 | Transmission & drivetrain | 3 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 1,358 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Dodge Grand Caravan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Dodge Grand Caravan TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Dodge Grand Caravan years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 1996–1997, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2016 as the Dodge Grand Caravan years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Dodge Grand Caravan problem?
Electrical tops the Dodge Grand Caravan file with 4,945 complaints, concentrated in the 2008, 2010 model years, most often reported around 84,508 miles.
What are the best Dodge Grand Caravan years to buy used?
The quietest Dodge Grand Caravan years in federal records are 1990–1991, 1994–1995, 2001, 2003–2004, 2007, 2018–2019 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
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. Counts cover the Dodge Grand Caravan only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.