Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
While parked at a stop sign the vehicle started to smoke. A fire then appeared coming out of the hood. 911 was called and fire squad came. Within 5 minutes the entire front of the car was engulfed in flames. Fire extinguishers were used but it could not put out the fire. Fire truck came and by this time the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Firemen used water to finally control the fire. Fire restarted and had to be put out again and eventually the fire was completely extinguished. It was perhaps only 10 minutes for the fire to start, spread, and completely and utterly destroy the van. Because of the intensity, quickness of the fire, and the difficulty in putting it out, it appears to be a fuel related fire. I read that Dodge had fuel line "o" rings that could be defective and that could have been the cause. I called Dodge headquarters and explained the event. …
Dt*: the contact stated after being parked for 15 minutes the vehicle caught fire under the hood. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle has not yet been seen by a mechanic to determine where the fire started or the extent of the damage.
Bought a 1998 Dodge grand Caravan in 1997. The serpentine belt came off numerous times, usually when going through puddles or snow. When the belt comes off, all power to steering, brakes, etc. Is gone. This is a common complaint with these vans, yet Dodge/Chrysler has refused to admit it and recall it. I finally got tire of it and took a look at why it was happening. I noticed that the idler wheel closest to the front of the vehicle is shaped and mounted in a way that allows the belt to come off easily. The idler wheel is too far in and is beveled outward, causing the belt to come off when it became wet or got snow or ice pieces on it. The cure? A 5 cent washer placed behind this idler wheel, bringing it out ever so slightly, but enough to prevent it from coming off ever again. …
During higway driving me, and later my friends inside the car start to smell someting burnig. When we pull over and stop the car, there was smoke coming from an engine compartment. When we opened a hood, there was a fire inside engine compartment. Hood padding was burning without apparent reason. Fortunately I always have a fire extinguisher in my car and we extiguished this fire. Now all interior of my car has terrible smell. My concern is: why padding inside engine compartment is highly flamable? Do Chrysler corporation need more peoples dead in car fires? What happen if somebody else will get fire and will not have a fire extinguisher handy? How many peoples cary fire extinguisher, maybe this spouse to be mandatory for all cars? Thank you, zbigniew lucki
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the vehicle lost power steering, the engine overheated, the alternator and air conditioner failed. The vehicle merged onto the side of the road and the contact inspected the engine and noticed the serpentine belt detached from the pulley and was dragging on the ground. The contact connected the belt back onto the pulley. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and stated there was no failure; however, the pulley could be replaced for $1000. This failure occurred several times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000 and the current mileage was 210,000.
March 3,2007 I was driving to work in the rain. I drove for 30 minutes and then the serpentine belt came off my 97 Dodge Caravan again. This has happened several times. When this happens, the vehicle is almost impossible to steer. Once again, I was lucky and did not have an accident. Secondly, my small child was not in the vehicle. This is a very dangerous situation and on this model and year of Dodge Caravan there are numerous complaints on the internet of this problem. I did miss a day of work and had to have the belt put back on the car, as well as having the vehicle towed for about 25 miles.
While driving over water puddles consumer noticed the serpentine belt froze, causing steering wheel to lock up. The power steering had become inoperative, the gears would slip when shifted, the water pump leaked, the belt tensioner fell apart, the consumer would lose the steering when driving through a puddle of water,the A/C did not blow cool air due to a leaking evaporator, and the belt tensioner would stick and make noises when driving through water.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH in rainy weather, the fan belt suddenly failed, causing the steering and air conditioning system to also fail. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the fan belt was not in a location around the fan unit to hold it in place and would fail again if wet. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000 and the current mileage was approximately 33,000.
On rainy days when making sharp left turn, the 97 Dodge Caravan (3.0 v6) looses power steering and goes out of control. The serpentine drive belt slipped out of the tensioner pulley causing the power steering loss leading to this hazardous condition while driving in addition to the road being wet and slippery. There is a potential for a crash or deadly accident if this condition happens. This condition happened four times in the past two months.
The tension pulley sheared it's bolt and caused the pulley to fall off while driving. Causing the power steering to go out and nearly losing control of the car. The bolt size was suprisingly small for a part that handles that much tension. My fear is that it will happen again while my kids are in it and at a higher speed.
Engine complaints in other Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Dodge Caravan?
NHTSA has 125 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Dodge Caravan, 18% of the model year's 714 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (52 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Dodge Caravan engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 14 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.