2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
816 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 41/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 100,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2012 sits among all Grand Caravan years
What owners report
“My Dodge Grand caravan is having ignition issues and will randomly turn off while driving or just parked/sitting.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Caravan
“Driving at highway speeds engine shuts down and lose power to brakes and steering its happened three times so far almost caused an accident”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Caravan
“My vehicle randomly stalls while i am driving. It happens at varying times of the day, varying speeds, sometimes several times a week, other times it is fine for a month. I have had it to the dealership several times and they cannot find anything wrong with it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Caravan
“My van cranks, but won't start, it happens on and off... It seems to be the fuel pump relay everyone's talking about”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Caravan
“This is the first in a long line of dodge vans that have had transmission issues. So far there are a total of 12 of these vans that have had the transmissions replaced & there is another one having issues now.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Caravan
“The rear brakes burning cause by the calipers hanging up. Dealer replaced left rear disc brake caliper assembly and installed 2 new calipers and adapters and pads only because i was on vacation out of state when the problem started prior to 17000 miles . Charged 100 dollar deductable”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Caravan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 533 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 98,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 59,700 and 125,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with…
Fix: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may unexpectedly deploy if the air bag wiring harness gets chafed within the steering wheel and short circuits.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag wiring within the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary. A protective cover will also be installed. These repairs will be made…
Chrysler Group, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, through October 31, 2013. The affected vehicles may experience overheating of the vent window…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vent window switch with a newer version, free of charge. The owner notification letter was issued and the remedy campaign launched on on…
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 TOWN AND COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 9, 2012 THROUGH MARCH 12, 2012. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A RIGHT SIDE LIFTGATE PINCH SENSOR THAT DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. AS…
Fix: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE RIGHT SIDE LIFTGATE PINCH SENSORS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 18, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT…
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 TOWN AND COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 15, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 21, 2011. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE NOT FULLY…
Fix: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT…
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHRYSLER VEHICLES, INCLUDING 200 AND TOWN AND COUNTRY MODELS, DODGE VEHICLES, INCLUDING CHARGER, DURANGO, GRAND CARAVAN AND JOURNEY MODELS AND JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 31, 2011,…
Fix: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 18, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
98 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Grand 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 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan reliable?
The 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan drew 816 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 41/100, scored against the model's worst year (1996).
What are the most common 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan are electrical (343 complaints), engine (120), and other (80).
At what mileage do 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan problems around 98,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 59,700 and 125,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Dodge Grand 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.