Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Dodge Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My wife park the van inside the garage, turn off the radio, engine and lights. She open the drivers door and see flames and smoke coming by the parking brake handler. And all the lights on the van were on. She remove the kids from the van and my son call 911.police and fire department came and extinguish the fire, remove the van from the garage and check it and found possible electrical malfunction .check the van today 8-24 2013 and found that the fire start at the head light switch. Dim switch OK and mirror switch OK. The fire damage the left side of the dashboard, windshield, sun visor and celling. I have this van since new, never have a problem before. And never see a problem like this.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Dodge Caravan. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine shut down without warning. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and restarted after a few minutes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was due to electrical failures within the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 250,000.
1997 Dodge Caravan 3.3 liter v6 with 93000 miles. Started vehicle and the starter mechanism locked onto the flywheel or failed to disengage, making a screeching noise. Turned ignition off and engine shut down but starter kept cycling engine. Removed keys from ignition and van was still attempting start by turning the engine over and over. Strong smell of burning electrical components as the starter continued to cycle engine, unabated, with keys out of ignition. Hood was popped and battery cables were disconnected shutting the starter off. The starter cranked the engine, nonstop, without keys in ignition, for approximately 10 minutes. The only way to stop this was to disconnect the battery. Upon immediate inspection of the starter it was found to be red hot. The cables/wires coming out of the starter were red hot and smell of burning plastic filled the air. …
1997 Dodge Caravan. Starting at about 30,000 miles, the windshield wipers would mysteriously come on, make 4 to 5 wipes and turn off. We made jokes about the ghost riding with us. It was an intermittent problem, happening about every month or six weeks. It could not be reproduced on demand. Finally, at 72,000, the windshield wipers refused to turn on from the stalk--except when the windshield was given a "squirt" of fluid by lifting up on the turn signal/wiper control stalk, then they gave the regular three wipes and turned off. The dealer replaced the entire switch unit. It did not help. Then they called Chrysler's "super tech 800 number" and no help was provided. Since the car could not be inspected with no wiper function, the entire body control module was replaced (computer) which fixed the problem. Cost: $741.00. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Caravan. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted from drive into park and the vehicle was able to be restarted. Two days later, while making a turn at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled and nearly crashed into a building. The vehicle persistently stalled after these incidents and was driven to a local repair shop. The mechanic stated that the computer and control body module were defective and needed to be replaced. He called the dealer and they stated that a diagnostic was needed in order to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls related to the vehicle; therefore, they were not liable for the repairs. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were 135,000.
Dt: consumer complained about electrical problems. Instrument panel did not work. The instrument cluster was digital. Buttons for air conditioner and rear defroster flashed constantly. Consumer took vehicle to garage, and they recommended Dodge dealer. Also, windshield wipers came on their own. Vehicle did not have to be on running for windshield wipers to come on. They came on about every two weeks. Also, traveling interior lights came on. Consumer stopped lights from coming on by putting tape on door. Consumer believed these were different issues. He replaced fan control module last year, and that did not help. Consumer added that pounding on the dashboard made the dash light illuminate.
Fuel tank, been a problem since we bought it, every time we go to bring the vechicle in for them, then could not find an answer after about the 4th time we brought it in, we said this is to much and we brought it in more then 3 times for the same problem, and we should get repaired free, I belive by lemon law?, well nutthing yet 3 years and running, with several several problems, should all be a recall cause that tomany problems, such as on alldata.com and read about the 97 Dodge Caravan 3.3l, my lord ever problem on that sheet I have, realy getting on my nerves...
While driving at 25 MPH consumer noticed white smoke coming from tail pipe. Then, white smoke and flames were coming from under the hood. Consumer stopped car and turned ignition off. Consumer exited the car, and vehicle caught on fire. Consumer feels this May related to recall for fuel leakage. Consumer states vehicle was in shop for transmission problems on February 16th, 2001.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle would start, shut off, and the electrical system would malfunction. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle would turn off and the speedometer would malfunction. The contact has taken the vehicle to be serviced multiple times. The current mileage was 142,000 and failure mileage was 32,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Caravan. The rear driver side vent window is stuck in an inward position and cannot be opened. While driving at any speed, the instrumental panel lights begin to flash and the vehicle shuts off. The vehicle can only be restarted after waiting 15 minutes. The dealer has not diagnosed the vehicle. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA investigations
Air bag clockspring
There is no summary currently available
Electrical complaints in other Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
NHTSA has 96 complaints about the electrical system of the 1997 Dodge Caravan, 13% of the model year's 714 complaints. The component named most often is horn (44 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Dodge Caravan electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1997 Dodge Caravan, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Dodge Caravan electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 11 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.