Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, all of the brake fluid drained from the brake lines and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact smells something burning when the brakes are applied. The vehicle continues to stop normally. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer, but the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the ABS wires were touching. Presently, no failures have occurred. The current and failure mileages were 120,000. Updated 09/18/07
Vehicle had been parked for 48 hours when I was informed that it was on fire. The vehicle engine area was completely engulfed in flames, it had not been started or used at all since it was parked. Vehicle was a total loss. Our county arson task force investigator concluded it was caused by a faulty anti-lock brake system.
Part 2 I've read on here that gates has a belt/pulley fix for this problem. If they have one, Chrysler can make one. This is a dangerous problem that can happen any time to many Dodge vans, it results in other damages, sudden loss of power steering control, possible injury even death to many people at one time. Many other vehicles have serpentine belts without this problem so it can be fixed. It's a repeated design flaw & should be corrected immediately. A ntsb rule goes something like this "a company is responsible for any foreseeable problems in their product" the same goes for the brake lines corroding enough for failure to occur in just a few years, this is also unacceptable. This is a $29,850 vehicle not a $2,000 1967 Volkswagen beetle, my beetle has the original break lines. And in good shape. All break lines are to be stainless steel to resist rust and corrosion. …
The battery light came on in my 1997 Grand Caravan and a couple of minutes later the ABS light came on. When I got to work I cut the car off and tried to restart it. It did start but the cut off. Then it would not start at all. No dash lights anything. I waited about 3 hours and tried to start it again and nothing happened. When the tow truck came and the driver got in and tried to start it, again it was totally dead. He left the key in the on position while we talked and then about a minute later the dash light came on and he started it. The dealer could not find anything wrong with it. This happened once before about a year ago. On the way to work all the lights came on in the dash and I pulled over and cut the car off. After about 10 minutes I tried it again and it started with no problem. I am concerned that it is a problem with the computer. Have you heard of this problem before?
Tl contact owns a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that fluid has drained into the brake system. The dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle and no recalls were issued. The contact notified the dealer months later and they stated that he was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 96V215000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder). He took the vehicle to another mechanic and they discovered fluid leaking into the reservoir of the service brakes from the master cylinder; however, no fluid was leaking. As a result, the fluid began to enter into the instrument panel. The failure mileage was 112,000 and current mileage was 113,000. Updated 12/31/07 the consumer stated when he attempted to apply the brakes, he realized he didn't have normal braking power. The pedal went all the way to the floor. Updated
The vehicle's ABS and check engine light have been going on and off for about 6 months. We had a mechanic look into it and replaced a relay or switch that belonged to the blower motors (fans by radiator). The lights seemed to go away until a couple of weeks ago, the ABS light returned and the brakes act as though they are going to give out at any time. They have to be depressed for quite a length of time before the vehicle comes to a complete stop. There is also a weird sound of air or as if air where coming out when the brakes get depressed. I have had to add fluid once or twice a week and have been told by a mechanic buddy that there is very good chance its the brake booster due to the sound of air. I went online and noticed there were recalls for this in a couple of Grand caravans but my VIN # doesn't fall into the suggested VIN range.
While driving our 97 Dodge Grand Caravan le to drop off a visitor, halfway through the trip, I had to stop at a light and all of a sudden the brake pedal just went all the way to firewall. Since Caravan has a foot brake, I managed to drive vehicle with hazard lights on using the foot brake. There was a smell of brake fluid that instant so I figured a leak had occurred somewhere. After getting home, I checked area where leak was coming from and saw it on the stainless steel braid connection underneath driver seat near the ABS module.
The transmission does not shift gears if the air conditioner is on. The air conditioner turned all the way up will blow out air as if it was on mid way. The wind shield wipers come on when the turn signal is activated, which causes me to buy blades more often. The brakes seem to lock up when the ground is wet. You can hear metal hitting together, and the car continues to roll. My sister-in-law, and one of my daycare moms had the same problem, but they were not as lucky as I was it caused them to rear end another vehicle.
Related recalls
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.
Brake complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 71 complaints about the brakes of the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan, 12% of the model year's 583 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 96V-215 (master cylinder, Oct 29, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 125,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to brakes 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.