Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
As I was driving on interstate 83 in york pa., my cruise control would not disengage. It accelerated to 80 MPH. When I tried to turn it off, I was unable to do so. When I applied my brakes to disengage, nothing happened. I then cancelled the cruise and turned it off, it still would not stop accelerating. At this point I was trying to apply pressure to my brakes but was still unable to stop from accelerating. I managed to get over to the break down lane and slowly put on the emergency brake, which temporarily slowed me down. I had the emergency brake all the way in, and the car started to go forward again. At that point my only other option that I could think of was to turn toward the grass embankment and go on the incline and hit a sign so that it would stop my van. It still did not stop completely. It began to accelerate again. …
I have a 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan and my airbag light stays on, horn and cruise control has gone out. I have 3 other friends with the same problem and I feel this should be a recall fix if so many other same year vehicles have the same exact problem. I even found a website with many others listed having the same problem. I have recently returned from kuwait in the middle east and when I began driving my van again this problem was identified. This is definitely a safety hazard. Please let me know if I can take to a dealer near me to have fixed free of charge?
"air bag" light is illuminated (known problem), the cruise control will activate upon pushing the button, but the cancel button when pushed does not deactivate the cruise control...the deactivation of the cruise control requires the brake to be applied. Control of the vehicle on wet roads, using cruise control, and having to deactivate the cruise control via the brakes....can be a bit of a challenge...thanks!! - steve dowling.
While driving cruise control increased the speed of the vehicle. Consumer was unable to disengage the system. Vehicle went in access of 85 miles per hour. Vehicle was stopped by applying pressure to the brakes. The consumer stated that extreme pressure on the brakes was required to slow the vehicle over a distance of one mile. A large amount of smoke emitting from the front brakes for several minutes.
Soon after purchase airbag light would intermittenly come on, however, my husband had an accident in November of 98 and they did not deploy and have remained on all the time. Also, our horn and cruise quit working and still does not. We don't know if it was because of accident or body repair. We have been attempting to get our car ins. Co. To do something but to date they still haven't.
When driving my 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan the speedometer goes crazy and the RPM gauge fluctuates a little and the rpms rap out around 40mph and wont shift its like it hit safety mode or something I think it is my wheel speed sensor what do you think?
Parked vehicle, shifted to park, shut off engine, removed key from ignition, vehicle rolled backwards, wheel ran over leg of driver, crashed into street sign, cause unkown, not checked by dealer.
While attempting to slow down, I released my foot from the gas pedal. The RPM's stay the same. I tapped the gas pedal, the RPM's increased. I place the transmission into neutral and steered to the shoulder. The RPM's continue to increase to almost full throttle. I shut the engine off. Vehicle was towed to corigliano Dodge service where a representative (joe mcdonald)made an immediate assessment that the throttle linkage cable was binding and defective. Mr. Mcdonald has indicated no troubles of this kind have been reported in the past, and no associated TSB's have been issued for mechanics to be aware of. My entire family was in the van when this happened. We're lucky to be alive. The part has been replaced and the van is currently operating normally. I want this reported to Chrysler. I want an official TSB established for mechanics to be aware of this problem. …
Air bag light came on, and horn and cruise control failed simultaneously. Many other 1996 Grand Caravan owners have reported this same failure, and have been told the clock spring has failed. Given the number of identical complaints, this should be a recall item. I'm certain many more owners would report this if they were aware of so many others experiencing this problem, but give the modest cost of repair ($250 est.), most people have probably paid for this repair without reporting it since the potential safety problems are so serious (no horn or air bag!!) given the modest cost of repair and the serious injury that could result from not correcting this, Dodge should pay for this repair before someone is injured or killed. Isn't this what NHTSA is for? Please help force Dodge to be responsible. Similar models and other model years have had problems with the same part, as well. …
While driving with cruise control, the minivan accelerates on its own to over 90 MPH. The cruise control cannot be disengaged by applying the brakes nor by pressing cruise button or cancel. If put into neutral while driving, engine races to over 7000 RPM. The van must be shut off while driving and then the cruise/throttle can be manually disengaged under the hood. On 6/23/98, the cable-throttle control was replaced. The cruise failed again requiring replacement a second time on 10/03/00 at family auto center, muskegon, mi. Chrysler customer service was contacted to initiate an investigation and hopefully a safety recall. Instead, I was referred to NHTSA. Mr. Marc goss, service manager at family auto, is planning to address the safety issue with a Chrysler representative later this month. He is the only person that has shown any concern to this point.
NHTSA investigations
Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak
There is no summary currently available
Fuel leaks from the gas tank
Analysis to date indicates that some of the subject vehiclescontinue to experience fuel leaks from the fuel tank at the sending unit interface.most often the leak involves the o-ring seal.
Fuel tank leaks
This engineering analysis was opened on January 31, 1997 based on information gathered during preliminary evaluation (pe), pe96-051. The pe was opened on August 19, 1996, to investigate allegations of fuel leakage from the area where the fuel pump/sending unit joins the fuel tank.for brevidy, this area will be referred to as the pump/tank interface.these allegations were first received by odi on August 2, 1996 while…
Acceleration complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 124 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, 11% of the model year's 1,157 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, though it has 9 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 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 104,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.