Most common 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
Share of the 583 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Grand Caravan complaints by model year
Best Grand Caravan years: 2020, 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2008, 2016, 2005, 2010, 1996. Compare all years →
1997 Dodge Grand Caravan recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal
On certain Mini vans, the clockspring assembly May have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage.
Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system
Vehicle description: Mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on January 25, 2002.
Child seat
Vehicle description: Mini vans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint on the integrated child seat can become difficult to extract when the safety belt latch plate becomes contaminated.
Remedy: Dealers will clean the latch mechanism. An extender will be added to the emergency release anchor for the child seat safety belts so that the release clips are more visible and accessible to the operator in the event…
Tires › Bead
Vehicle description: passenger minivans equipped with p215/65r15 Goodyear conquest tires mounted on steel wheel. The tires can experience a sudden air pressure loss without warning.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the tires that were mounted on steel wheels.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
The master cylinder rear seal, between the hydraulic fluid and the vacuum reservoir, May not seal adequately allowing hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the power assist vacuum reservoir.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder on all affected vehicles. Addendum (4-14-97): vehicles inspected per Chrysler recall no.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan:
Integrated child seat belt lockup
Odi continues to receive complaints alleging latching/retractor mechanism problems.Chrysler's assessment of the problem indicates that owners of the vehicles are not adhering to the cleaning requirements for the seat.the seat appears to malfunction if crumbs of food or beverage residue accumulates on the latching tongue in thewell located between the child's legs.odi has 19 complaints of retract lockup.seven of…
Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak
There is no summary currently available
Post-collision fuel system integrity
There is no summary currently available
Post collision fuel system
Integrated child seat belt lockup
This investigation is closed.Chrysler corporation has submitted a defect information report identifying a safety defect and outlining the proposed remedy.recall number 98v-185 has been assigned to this safety recall.
Air bag clockspring
There is no summary currently available
What 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan owners say
Air bags all 107 →
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. While stopped and preparing to pull into a driveway, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle on the passenger side, destroying the front of the vehicle. The driver side air bag did not deploy, however the passenger side air bag did deploy. The driver of the vehicle was killed. The vehicle was declared destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000. Updated 03/23/11
Dt: dt: the consumer purchased the vehicle from an individual. The vehicle caught on fire and was deemed totaled. After the accident the consumer learned of two recalls on the vehicle, one for the fuel rail and one for the air bags. The air bag did not deploy during the accident. The manufacturer sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. There was conflicting information on the letter sent to consumer. This happened on January 17, 2005 .
Engine & cooling all 106 →
Serpentine belt comes off while driving in snow causing loss of power steering on slippery road surfaces. Loss of vehicle control and ability to regain vehicle control was compromised by lack of steering assist causing the vehicle to leave the roadway. I contacted Chrysler and they said there is no recall for my vehicle.this was a very dangerous situation as a school bus was near my vehicle when this incident happened. This issue needs to be addressed and a recall should be mandated.
Car suddenly lost power while driving on the freeway at 60mph; engine remained on. I pulled over, turned off the car, and it started back up again and drove fine for about 2 miles. 'service engine soon' light came on. When it lost power again, I slowed and then tried to reaccelerate, and it drove fine for about 5 miles, enough to get me off the freeway and to a safe location. I checked the oil and transmission levels, which were OK, and there was nothing leaking under the car. Went to an appointment, and came back to the car, which started up and drove OK for about a half mile, then it shut down completely at a traffic light. This time it wouldn't start back up again, so I pushed it onto a side street, where it started up fine and drove to the nearest gas/repair station. Now, the van won't start again. Van was proceeding straight in all situations.
Electrical system all 104 →
My van was parked out side luckys on mitalda near w maude avenue in sunnyvale ca 94086 I was using the water refilling station and started to smell smoke when I turned around I imideatlly noticed that the drivers side rear taillight was on fire. Not having a fire extinguisher I took the bottle of water I had in my hands and started to throw water on it until the flames went out. What in the hell would make that happen? Is my van up for recall? I just purchased the van just a week ago. It has been a night mare for me not to mention extremely costly replacing everything's that's been going out. The A/C cluster the dash cluster the power window motor. The rear vent motor. Countless bulbs and fuses.
Consumer received NHTSA recall 00V268000 concerning fuel leakage. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for a routine check up, and the mechanic informed the consumer that the recall repairs were done properly. On ma 3, 2004 while driving, the consumer noticed that smoke was coming from the hood. Suddenly the vehicle caught on fire. Consumer extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, but dealer was unable to resolve the problem. While backing out of the driveway the vehicle hesitated and was turned off. The consumer then turned on the vehicle back on again return back into the driveway when the smoke started to come out of the engine compartment. The mechanics identified that the rubber bushings on the original fuel rail. The gas leak was still present and coming from the bushings. …
1997 Dodge Grand Caravan engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 3-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 3-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan a good car?
Based on 583 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Grand Caravan rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Grand Caravan at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
The air bags — 107 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the engine & cooling (106) and electrical system (104).
How many recalls does the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan, the most recent from November 7, 2002 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Grand Caravan?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2007 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2016, 2005, 2010 and 1996. See the full Dodge Grand Caravan years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 104,000 miles; 8% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.