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 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Rubber fuel line in main engine bay is leaking fuel and cracked I have seen others that have burned down for this issue. Dodge fiat Chrysler needs to be aware that all 1996 to 2000 dodge caravans and Chrysler town and country's could burn down if this fuel issue isn't fixed I have already had to pay out of pocket to fix one vehicle I'm not doing it again.. my phone number if anyone at you're agency would like to call me my cell is [redacted] thanks PLEASE HELP!!
While driving 55 MPH the consumer hit a deer. When getting out of the vehicle the owner notice a fire in the engine compartment. No report of air bag deployment. As a result the vehicle burned to the ground. No injuries reported. Please provide additional information.
Wife was driving 96 Grand Caravan le to college in the rain. When she arrived in the parking lot steering became impossible to turn so she pulled it straight into parking spot. Looked underneath and saw belt had come off. This happened once before but car was parked in driveway at home. As she started to reverse out of driveway steering became tough and car would not move. It was also raining at this time. This happened early January 2011. Around March 2010, again while it was raining, as my wife approached a stop sign the car began to become unresponsive and she had to guide it to the side. Since it was blocking the road police did come by and help push if off the road until the tow truck came to take it to the garage. New belt, idler pulley and tensioner was installed by mechanic. The most recent incident (April 2011) pulley and tensioner was replaced. …
Camshaft on 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan failed (broke into two pieces) while driving down the ohio turnpike with family (two young children) in the van - failure of all power assist and foward motion (other than coasting) was immediate. The vehicle was in the middle lane at the time and if the road had been busier the potential exisited for a major accident and possible injury/death. The vehicle had approximately 98,100 miles on it at the time (3.3l engine). This failure May be related to Chrysler TSB 09-008-01 which discusses camshaft failure with camshaft bearing wear. I would like to see daimler/Chrysler "step up to the plate" on the potentially dangerous situation and correct the problem prior to the failure occuring. I will be contacting d/c to pursue reimbursement for the new engine as an event like this should not occur.
I have a 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan . In September of 2004 the serpentine belt came off in the rain causeing loss of steering and overheating alarm. I replaced the tensioner and belt and thought it was fixed .to date I have had to put the belt back on at least 7 times and replaced it with a new one three times .but the problem is still there wet roads or rain and the belt comes off.looking on the internet I see this is a widespread problem .ive worked on cars most of my life and have never had this kind of problem.have your experts look at the tensioner and idler pulley design they are smooth without sides to keep the belt on them.this should be a major recall.
- 96 Dodge Grand Caravan w/3.8 v6 and 41te 4spd transmision - 2 transmission failures - 1st went to about 125000, then kept hitting the "limp home mode" - 2nd has "torque converter lockup" problem, shops say rebuild again, after only 38000 miles. - fan relay went out before recall was issued, had to replace the radiator out of pocket. - had clock spring replaced after component failure relating to it (horn, cruise etc) - union city ga dealer attempted to fix the fuel return line issue, botched it up and caused major leak when refueling. They re-fixed it after much complaining.
For 3 summers in a row, we have had to recharge the air condition system for it to only work 3-4 weeks at a time. Our mechanic says that it isn't that the air conditing unit has failed it seems to be loosing the freon some where.the locks on the van to the tail gate doesn't seem to work correctly, 90% of the time you have to beat on the lock from the out side for it to unlock. We have also replaced the brake pad approx 3 times and they still squeak and seem to grab at times.
Dodge '96 minivan stalling problem while in operation. Start up time 5-10 minutes later (very dangerous). Transmission slipped out of gear; problem escalated to full replacement. Not satisfied with replacement -"bumps" on second and third gears up and down. These have been costly repairs. Service engine soon light would not go out no matter what repairs were performed - full fuel and electrical systems. Rps raced to 15K. Replaced cam sensor, harness, hoses etc.
The meter read less than half a tank of gas, the van ran out of gas, then the engine stalled. The consumer started the vehicle and began to drive when soon after the check engine light illuminated. The consumer was told the problem was a misfired cylinder, the fuel fuel pump was buried inside the gas tank, and when the fuel level dropped below the fuel pump, the pump heated up and sucked in air instead of the gasoline.
My 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan has the serpentine belt issue. It falls of if it rains. This problem is due to a design flaw from Dodge. They used smooth pulleys instead of groved. In addition gates had to make a kit to fix this one single issue because it is so common. This is a very common issue and Chrysler refuses to do anything about it (like normal). This is a very dangerous situation.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
In certain vehicles, the engine cylinder head oil galley plug does not seal properly and engine cylinder head oil is not adequately retained.
Remedy: Dealers will install an expansion plug and retaining bracket over the cylinder head oil galley plug.
NHTSA investigations
Fuel leakeage from rollover valve
There is no summary currently available
Engine complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 179 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, 15% of the model year's 1,157 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (80 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 96V-006 (gasoline, Jan 11, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 24 fires and 3 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.