Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2 | 9% | 161,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | 0 miles |
| 2011 | 3 | 4% | 65,000 miles |
| 2010 | 11 | 6% | 69,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 7% | 85,000 miles |
| 2008 | 4 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 2007 | 8 | 10% | 55,000 miles |
| 2006 | 27 | 16% | 60,000 miles |
| 2005 | 28 | 5% | 54,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 9% | 73,000 miles |
| 2003 | 41 | 21% | 35,000 miles |
| 2002 | 36 | 15% | 46,000 miles |
| 2001 | 32 | 12% | 40,000 miles |
| 2000 | 41 | 9% | 84,000 miles |
| 1999 | 27 | 5% | 84,000 miles |
| 1998 | 42 | 7% | 100,000 miles |
| 1997 | 40 | 6% | 137,000 miles |
| 1996 | 65 | 5% | 72,000 miles |
| 1995 | 26 | 5% | 68,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
At 7:40 am, Thursday 3/5/ 15 I was driving my vehicle to go drop my son off at school the wiper blade started going on and off by themselves and then smoke started coming from underneath the horn on the steering wheel and then the airbag deployed hitting my hand and burning my left hand it filled my van full of smoked where we couldn't see I almost got into an accident I pulled the vehicle over roll the windows down clear it out all the smoke then I dropped my son off at school drove the vehicle to the closest dealership took pictures of the wiper blades, the airbag deploying, the time, the traffic in the background, to prove that I was not in an accident. …
Van has shut off several times while in motion. Once while idle at a stop light. I spoke with a mechanic who told me it was the key fob. I changed to my spare key to see if this made any difference but the van shut off twice since then. There is a recall for this issue on the 2010 models but not 2011. This needs to be looked at asap. Luckily there has not been any traffic behind me when it has stopped while driving. I have 2 young children and this is a major safety concern. Does someone have to be seriously injured or killed before the recall gets extended to 2011 vehicles?
Driving on interstate using cruise control. Steering column refused to respond when attempting to steer the van with the curve in the road. Van drove off road onto embankment and flipped over. The van was totaled. Suffered a concussion and damage to back and elbow from impact. Eye glasses were broken. Eye witness behind me told state trooper that they could see that I was struggling for control of the vehicle.
Bought the van from cooks Volkswagen on May 7th, 2018. In the first 3 mths of me owning it I had to get 2 motor mounts and a starter put in. Then from that point it was all down hill! It has had 3 transmissions(cooks has done 2 and I took the van to thompson for them to do the third), hub assembly, welded the core support, power steering pulley and baring, struts for the truck hatch, I had to pay for out of pocket for power steering pulley and baring and one day of rental for a rental car! I have already called my lawyer and to have Chrysler/Dodge sued for selling an uninspected vehicle and filing a civil suit against your company!!!! …
I have filed 2 complaints regarding recall l25 for Dodge/Chrysler vehicles. 2009 Dodge grand Caravan completely shutting down while driving. Steering goes out, brakes out. Complete power out while driving. This is very dangerous and scary. I have children I have to take to multiple places. By the grace of god, the 5 times this happened, we .were on slow moving, non busy roads near home. I have not yet experienced this on the highway. It would be potentially fatal. I usually drive in the lanes on the outside so if it occurs, I May be able. To pull off to the side. I have to take the highway daily to work.there were 5 occurrences, 2 in October 2014 and now recently 3 mores times close together, dec.20, 23 and jan 11, 2015. I have contacted Chrysler customer service 3 times. …
I 've had multiple times that this has happen mostly at slow speeds. I would be going along and hit a hole or bump of some sort and I would lose the power steering, thus the engine would be dead! Lucky it was always at low speed, hate to know what would happen at a faster speed. Anyway I got a recall notice about that same time, and have been in 3 times to get it fixed but to no avail. I was in just April 2, 2015 and the dealer checked who knows what, but they told me I had to call a 800 number and talk to who ever. So I have tried to call 3 times the 1st times I was on the line for 2hrs and 20mins, the second time almost 3hrs, and the 3rd time 4hrs 25mins... All I get is "thank you for holding, your call is important to us, will be answered by the next available representative" and that comes on every minute with no results. I want the part fixed. What are my options if any??? …
Started the vehicle one morning and drove up to a stop sign. I was in a city street making a left turn. Saw clear from both directions of any traffic.accelerated and the bas,ESP light, and traction light came on. At this point the vehicle wanted to stall, lost power, and steering became difficult. Stopped the vehicle and restarted the engine and accelerated again to about 20 MPH and the vehicle repeated the stalling and hesitated to accelerate, once above 30 MPH all lights continued on and the vehicle kept driving accordingly. Every time the vehicle is started up and drove from that date of jan.26,2021 the vehicle malfunctioning continues. I find this to be a severe mechanical problem and a danger to me, my family, and the public.
While driving down on ramp at chamberlayne ave in richmond, va to major highway i64 cutoff completely, no power, no brakes no nothing! Second time, travel @ approx. 65 MPH on i64 near bottoms bridge exit on i64, car cut off, no power, no brakes, no nothing! Third time - entering i64 towards va beach, va in traffic approx. 40 MPH, car cut off, no power, no brakes, no nothing; fourth time - while driving down Mercury blvd at the king st exit ramp, 20 MPH, car cut off, no power, no brakes, no nothing! Fifth time, leaving work at 2114 executive dr, hpt va, approx. 10mph entering into street, car cut off, no power, no brakes, no nothing, after being evaluated for 8 hrs by Dodge dealership; sixth time, when leaving Mercury blvd at king st exit ramp, 20 MPH, car cut off, no power, no brakes, no nothing after computer was reset!
Related recalls (1)
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
On certain minivans equipped with 3.3 or 3.8l v-6 engine, the upper power steering cooler hose May split and cause a fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the upper power steering cooler hose. This recall began on September 27, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Steering column separation
Mr. Larry a. Sackey submitted a petition to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) by letter dated April 18, 2003, requesting that nhtsafurther investigate the defective collapsible steering shaft system on 1987-1995 vehicles manufactured by the daimlerchrysler corporation.in part because of 49 cfr ? 30120(g), NHTSA has decided to limit the scope of the petition vehicles to 1993-1995 models,…
Power steering hose failure
Please see attached report.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Caravan years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1996 (65), 1998 (42), 2000 (41), 2003 (41) and 1997 (40) model years. Steering complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1996.
Is there a recall for Dodge Caravan steering problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 04V-386 (hose, piping, and connections, Aug 5, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Caravan steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the hydraulic power assist system (57 mentions), followed by the rack and pinion (45).
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.