Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Dodge Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Caravan. The contact confirmed that the driver was traveling 5-10 MPH when the brakes were depressed and failed to stop he vehicle. The contact crashed into the front of another vehicle. There were no injuries and the police were not contacted. The vehicle was taken the dealer. The dealer confirmed that the rear brake and master cylinders needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current was 100,671.
Dt: the contact experienced a problem with the anti lock brakes including extended stopping distance. This failure resulted in a rear end accident at a red light when the brakes completely failed. She took the vehicle to a dealer, who could not duplicate the problem. She took the vehicle to an independent repair shop that discovered there was an incorrect alignment of the brake system. After the dealer installed a new brake system there have been no further problems.
I have a 2003 Dodge Caravan and when it had about 20000 miles, the brakes began to act weird. In November of 2005, my wife rear-ended another vehicle because the brake pedal went almost to the floor and the brakes wobbled. I had the brakes replaced right after the accident, but now the brakes are doing the same thing. The vehicle now has 34000 miles and I am going to take it to the dealer for inspection.
The consumer had several problems with his 2003 Dodge Caravan; such problems were a knock in the transmission and 2 brake jobs. The two brakes jobs occurred within one year. The steering wheel knocked (recall campaign #04V386000), the vehicle had broken down at 8K miles, the wheel alignment was off, the gear panel illuminated, and the window had become loose. 80% of the vehicles problems was under 10K miles. The rotation noise continued and the rubber lining around the sliding door was coming off. Other problems: when the vehicle would be taken out of park to drive, all of the lights would illuminate, the front rims/hub caps were dirty due to excessive leakage around the brakes, even during normal washing, there was a mild ringing noise in the vehicle, the front door rattled, the rear tail lamp was damaged, the brake light and back-up lights had gone out, the brakes were going bad …
I have a 2003 Caravan and a 2004 Ram and have had ongoing issues with my brakes. I beleive that the factory must have used faulty rotors. Last August, to my amazement I had to have the rotors turned when the dealer put new pads on my Caravan (26,000 miles). I begrudgingly paid over 200 dollars for this. 9 months later the brakes and steering wheel are pulsing again and the dealer is telling me the rotors must be turned again even though the pads are fine. I expected that the dealer would take care of this since they were just serviced 9 months ago but they said I was 200 miles over the limit. I also had the same issue with my Ram and even though I had more than 50% of my pads left I had warped rotors and had to pay the dealer to have them turned. …
Dt: the contact stated when depressing the brake pedal it went all the way to the floor. The vehicle was taken to the dealership, where the master cylinder was replaced, which fixed the vehicle temporarily. The brakes completely failed a second time a month after the master cylinder was replaced. The vehicle was towed to the dealership. The master cylinder was replaced again. The vehicle was driven for two weeks before the brakes failed a third time. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where the master cylinder and the auto transmission were replaced. The contact was not having transmission problems when the brake failure occurred, but the dealer replaced it in an effort to alleviate the braking problems. While driving home from the dealership the brakes failed once again. In four incidents of brake failure speed or road conditions did not appear to play a part.
2003 Dodge Caravan thought it was great had little problems that I never thought much of until now, now that my vehicle has been in a shop and unusable for about 8 weeks. The horrible noise it made when starting it, the gear shift moving on occasion and the brake pedal going all the way to the floor until a slight burning smell but all these problems were occasional but now I have no vehicle it is sitting in the dealership for repair and I have no vehicle except for borrowing and renting to get children to school, and my children with eczema and allergies to doctors and if they need to go to the hospital. I am devastated and desperate how do I afford a new vehicle because I am getting tapped out. I also have no estimated date or price for repair.
While driving in the parking lot of a store I experienced a total brake pedal failure. When I applied the brakes the van simply kept on going. I checked for the pedal and could not see it any longer. It had practically disappeared - only the top of the pedal was visible at the floor. After trying to stop the van with the gears, I hit the emergency brake and came to a stop. This was a life threatening situation. The car is now at the shop. The mechanics stated that a small part necessary for the brakes to function was missing. Apparently the part only costs $12. It has been ordered and will be replaced soon.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Caravan. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the driver side front tire. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to a faulty caliper. The dealer will not release the vehicle the until it is repaired. The current mileage was 61,634 and failure mileage was 61,628.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH under normal, dry conditions, the brake pedal went too low to the floor. The contact attempted to apply the brakes, the vehicle started to jerk, and the brake system did not engage. The brake went further to the floor and made a squeaking sound. The ABS light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was not seen by a dealer. Updated 01/10/07.
Brake complaints in other Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2003 Dodge Caravan?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Dodge Caravan, 18% of the model year's 195 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Caravan brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2003 Dodge Caravan, though it has 3 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 2003 Dodge Caravan brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes 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.