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 2003 Dodge Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Fuel wiring harness is to close to exhaust caused melting of wires while going down the road. I noticed a burning smell in the cabin of Caravan. It happened approx. A mile from my house at approx 45mph and a strong odor of gas was noticeable. This is a serious issue that needs to be corrected. Vehicle began to stall coming up drive way. We still have the Caravan but have parked it. We believe when the melting occurred it caused other possible issues and are scared to have it fixed, not knowing what other issues this May have caused that we will not know until we are going down the road, it's not a risk I'm willing to take...especially with gas being flammable and shortening of fuel electrical wires. That's a fire in the making, it's not worth risking our lives or anyone else's on road. I have seen several other complaints on review pages and mechanics blogs/posts. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Caravan. While driving at approximately 40 MPH, the front driver side window made a loup popping noise when it was being rolled up. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power window mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred later and the window dropped down into the door. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
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 …
My wife was driving her 2003 Dodge Caravan sport, on highway 664 when the alarm indication came on and the van stalled out, had to be towed home. It would not start until the next morning and this time on 664 with my two children in the van and an 18 wheeler behind her the alarm light came on again and the darn thing stalled out again. Again it was towed home and it is still won't start. I called the dealership they said there is nothing they can do for me since I bought the van used in aug 2004. I called the Dodge corporate office and they said the same thing, the van only has 39,294 miles on it. The second time my wife and children were almost killed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took the van to Firestone and they put the ECU analyzer on it and found no problems caused by anything it monitors.
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.
Was driving the van on the highway when the radio and heat continued to go on and off, then the wipers and lights went. Once the van slowed down and came to a stop everything came back on. Was looked at by a dealer and they said they need to replace the cluster module. One month went by with no problem then it repeated all the above. Brought to the dealer again and they said that they thought it May be the ignition switch. They replaced switch and I drove the van then when returning from my destination it repeated the problem again. Dealership looked at it again ran all the tests they could think of and couldn't find the cause. They said bring it back when it happens again and hopefully something could be picked up on the machine.
We have a 2003 Dodge grand Caravan,with a headlight/electrical system problem. Without warning, the headlights and fog lights will flash, shut off altogether, or dim. The interior lights (dash board) are also affected and will do the same. Problem appears to be with the head light switch, however, diagnosis is inconclusive. It is an intermittent problem. Very dangerous when lights go out at night and very aggravating for drivers in front of you when lights keep flashing. Internet search reveals several similar complaints and NHTSA investigation / recall on 2001 -2002 vehicles for similar problem.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Caravan. While driving 45 MPH, the head lights flickered on and off and the instrument panel lights dimmed intermittently. The dealer stated that the instrument control and power control module needed to be replaced. The dealer made the replacement but, approximately two days later, the same failure recurred. The dealer did not inspect the vehicle again. There was defect investigation # ea05009 for the 2001-2002 Dodge Caravan. The current mileage is 52,000 and failure mileage was 40,422. The consumer provided repair invoices. Updated 07/26/07
The speedometer needle on my 2003 Dodge Caravan gets an electrical spike frequently and spins completely around clockwise until it gets stuck on the backside of the stop pin. It becomes frozen there until I take to the Dodge dealer for a reset with some kind of instrument. The service depart at the huntsville dealership says it is probably cause by "static electricity" or an abnormal electrical surge. This has occurred twice in the last six months. They charged the first time for reset but not the second time.
Dt*: the contact stated there was a knocking sound coming from the driver's side of the vehicle. This happened every time the vehicle was driven over a bump in the road. It was taken to the dealership for maintenance and the noise was inspected. They recommended replacement of the alternator, rack and pinion steering, and sway bar bushings. Due to the low mileage on the vehicle the contact was seeking a second opinion before making any repairs.
Electrical complaints in other Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2003 Dodge Caravan?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Dodge Caravan, 15% of the model year's 195 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Dodge Caravan electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries 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.